How do we build open data so it is accessible to all citizens and not just those with specialized skills such as information management or coding? In Hamilton, municipal open data is being implemented because of advocacy among neighbourhood associations and community groups, not solely from the developer community, with the goal of ensuring all citizens can use open data. It’s a unique partnership – what does it mean for open data, open government, and civic engagement? Join this discussion as we explore the question.

1. Open Data and
the non-dev
citizen
Ensuring success for open data
Joey Coleman, April 29, 2013
#DevTO

2. Open Data and Accessibility
• Open Data is vital to the future of participatory
democracy
• Participatory democracy only functions when all citizens
are able to access the mechanisms of government
• Open Data can be inaccessible, especially when behind
an API
• Developers must ensure Open Data is accessible for all,
especially non-developers

3. Citizens need to experience
value
In an era of conflicting budget priorities, non-developer
citizens need to experience value from open data.

4. Citizens need to experience
value
It's not enough for citizens to just receive high-quality
applications
o non-developers need to be engaged in the process
o it's not enough to get citizens ideas, we need to get
them involved in the process, including:
 workshops
 forums
 hangouts

5. Without engagement ...
Statistics Canada
• Produced data that was very useful to academics,
researchers, government, and marketers
o Data was locked behind expensive pay barriers
o General public's involvement was solely filling out the
census
o General public did not directly see the value of data
• Government cut StatsCan funding and long-form
census
o Academics, researchers, government, and marketers
launched a campaign against the cuts
o General public yawned

6. Hamilton compared to
TorontoStarting Points
Toronto
Government Led
Dedicated Staff
Large Developer Community
loosely organized
Extensively used daily government
services with wide-adoption such
as transit and recreation
Useful city website and 311 service
Hamilton
Citizen Led
No dedicated staff
Small Developer Community
organized in Open Hamilton
No widely-adopted daily government
services
Useless city website -
www.hamilton.ca

7. Building the Citizen Movement
A citizen-movement for open data success is fundamental to the development
community to create a substantial climate for open source philosophies to
spread into the wider civic society
It starts at the neighbourhood level
o Neighbourhood Associations, maker/hackerspaces, your workplace,
classroom.
Spreads to a larger area, but never exceeds 50 people before branching into
new chapters

8. How to build
Much like real-neighbourhoods:
• Champions - who is going to lead in the tough times?
• mixed is best - have developers, information specialists,
artists, designers, information junkies, statisticians, and
engaged citizens
• you need a hub - be it the local library, maker/
hackerspace, municipal office, or corporate campus
• you need supporters - who will benefit from your early
projects? Who will give you some pizza?

9. Business model of Open Data
• Data is a micro-economy, the money is in
platform and services.
• Platform is big - think AWS, Azure,
AppEngine
• Services can be as simple as billboards at
local pizza parlour
• Value is in networking and connections
o Open Data apps can only sell for up to
$2, it's too easy for others to reproduce
o Open Data app building communities
provide networking and self-
development opportunities
 Pace of web development is
accelerating, no developer (or
journalist) can be an island

10. The future of Open
• Open Data is one branch of Open Source philosophy
that is fundamentally changing all aspects of our society
• It will continue to grow and will create innovations not
yet foreseen or imaged
• New tools are being developed to support Open Data
and other Open initiatives
o I've crowdfunded my journalism successfully - twice
o I receive many in-kind contributions, it's not just
monetary

11. Next Steps for you
• Think about what you what to do with Open Data:
o Learn new skills
o Challenge yourself
o Meet new people
o Network
o Community-build
o Build a business
• Find others interested and plan a coffee-meet-up
o Open Hamilton started on four days notice, 25
people showed up

12. Questions
Questions