For government, it’s easier than ever before to publish authoritative data. Below, three open data experts share how.
In our latest GovLoop guide, Open Data and GIS: Better Understanding Our World, we explore a crucial element of the open data movement: geographic information systems (GIS). Time and again, we have seen how GIS facilitates government to visualize, question, analyze, interpret and understand data, and reveal complex relationships, patterns and trends.
But at the Esri DC R&D Center, a talented team is looking at ways to not only leverage the power of GIS, but also open data. The Esri DC R & D Center is focused on creating, designing and developing cutting edge web applications to make GIS more accessible and help drive better public sector decisions.
The team is leading many of Esri’s Open Data Initiatives, and their work is a reminder that for GIS professionals today, the technology to build open data systems has become easier to use than ever before.
“[GIS technology is] well established, it’s secure, advancing open data is now about relationships and those are things that take longer. You can deploy an open data site in a minute, but you need to get the design and policy right which can take days or weeks to approve, because those are things that allow organizations to make it their own and help tell the stories of their data,” said Andrew Turner, CTO of the R&D Center. Turner oversees the overall direction of the office and helping to build open platforms for GIS – whether that is open data, open source, open API and web GIS.
The R&D Center’s work is imperative to help organizations capitalize on one of the major benefits of an open GIS platform: easily pull data without having to replicate information. For instance, think about the GIS work that typically occurs at the state level. Often, state governments manage GIS data, and also oversee GIS data from various counties and cities. In the past, data would be transferred as needed to agencies. But, by leveraging a common platform, information can easily be pulled so that all GIS data is consolidated into one repository, and eliminates the need to replicate data. This leads to enormous cost savings, efficiencies and boosts collaboration efforts.
As is the case with many technology adoption strategies, having a champion can accelerate open GIS initiatives. “We are definitely seeing a lot of individuals who want to take initiative, they just feel that its right and they want to do it,” said Daniel Fenton, product engineer, Esri.
And for government agencies today, the GIS department is uniquely positioned to take on this role as data champions. For decades they have been managing data and conducting spatial analysis. Although the data management has primarily been limited to mapping, GIS professionals often have an expertise they can share with their agency on how to manage volumes of authoritative information they collect.
“Often you find that forward thinking people in the GIS department are talking to the chief information officer and chief data officer, and realize that they actually already have a lot of the data, so instead of moving the data around, they work together,” said Turner.
But becoming a data champion also means that industry must support and understand the concerns faced by government. That’s why Esri is working with community leaders and clients to understand their demands – and build solutions based on market needs.
“Being aware on what users need is essential, and that means being involved in our local community, so we have partnerships with 1776 DC and are staying connected with certain stakeholders and the people that are producing sites and consuming data,” said Courtney Claessens, product engineer, Esri.
Open data initiatives have the power to connect government agencies in meaningful ways, and help make information more accessible and usable to the public. As Fenton reminds us, it’s essential to consider how the end user is going to access information, to be sure that it is usable and searchable. “You may understand how your files are named; but once your data is open it’s going to be seen by users that are unaware of your naming scheme. So think about how your data is going to be viewed from the perspective of outsiders with no GIS experience.”
Also essential to make sure data is usable is to be sure that data is updated and timely, and to keep track of the changes. “Make sure that the lineage of your data is clear and how it has evolved over time. So if you’re working on a dataset and return in three or four years, you need the proper metadata to know the context of it how it has changed, who’s been working on it,” said Claessens. “Overall, it’s quality over quantity, you can have tons of data sets, but if you don’t know what they are, then no one is going to use them.”
The ultimate goal is that by making it easy for government organizations to open there data, agencies will move towards creating more robust standards within government. “We know the benefits of open data and are believers in it,” Claessens.
Open data is transforming our world, read our guide to learn more.
Kwa serikali, ni rahisi kuliko hapo awali kuchapisha data yenye mamlaka. Chini, wataalamu watatu wa data ya wazi wanashiriki jinsi. Katika mwongozo wetu wa hivi karibuni wa GovLoop, Open Data na GIS: Kuelewa Ulimwengu Wetu Bora, tunachunguza kipengele muhimu cha harakati ya data ya wazi: mifumo ya habari ya kijiografia (GIS). Mara kwa mara, tumeona jinsi GIS inavyowezesha serikali kugundua, kuuliza, kuchambua, kutafsiri na kuelewa data, na kufunua mahusiano tata, mifumo na mwenendo. Katika kituo cha utafiti na maendeleo cha Esri, timu ya wataalamu wa teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia. Kituo cha R & D cha Esri DC kina lengo la kuunda, kubuni na kuendeleza programu za wavuti za hali ya juu ili kufanya GIS iweze kupatikana zaidi na kusaidia kuendesha maamuzi bora ya sekta ya umma. Timu hiyo inaongoza mipango mingi ya data ya wazi ya Esri, na kazi yao ni ukumbusho kwamba kwa wataalamu wa GIS leo, teknolojia ya kujenga mifumo ya data ya wazi imekuwa rahisi kutumia kuliko hapo awali. <unk> [Teknolojia ya GIS ni] imara vizuri, ni salama, kuendeleza data wazi sasa ni kuhusu mahusiano na hizo ni mambo ambayo kuchukua muda mrefu. "Unaweza kupeleka tovuti ya data ya wazi kwa dakika moja, lakini unahitaji kupata muundo na sera sahihi ambayo inaweza kuchukua siku au wiki kuidhinisha, kwa sababu hizo ni vitu ambavyo huruhusu mashirika kuifanya kuwa yao wenyewe na kusaidia kuelezea hadithi za data zao. """ Turner inasimamia mwelekeo wa jumla wa ofisi na kusaidia kujenga majukwaa ya wazi kwa GIS - ikiwa ni data ya wazi, chanzo wazi, API ya wazi na GIS ya wavuti. Kazi ya Kituo cha R&D ni muhimu kusaidia mashirika kutumia moja ya faida kuu ya jukwaa la wazi la GIS: kwa urahisi kuvuta data bila kuiga habari. Kwa mfano, fikiria juu ya kazi ya GIS ambayo kawaida hutokea katika ngazi ya serikali. Serikali za jimbo husimamia data za GIS, na pia kusimamia data za GIS kutoka kaunti na miji mbalimbali. Zamani, data zilihamishwa kwa mashirika kulingana na uhitaji. Lakini, kwa kutumia jukwaa la kawaida, habari inaweza kuondolewa kwa urahisi ili data zote za GIS ziunganishwe katika hazina moja, na kuondoa haja ya kuiga data. Hii inaongoza kwa akiba kubwa ya gharama, ufanisi na huongeza juhudi za ushirikiano. Kama ilivyo na mikakati mingi ya kupitisha teknolojia, kuwa na bingwa inaweza kuharakisha mipango ya wazi ya GIS. "Tunaona watu wengi wanaotaka kuchukua hatua, wanahisi tu ni haki yao na wanataka kufanya hivyo,"" alisema Daniel Fenton, mhandisi wa bidhaa, Esri." Kwa sasa, kwa sababu ya hali ya hali ya hewa, idara ya GIS ina nafasi ya kipekee ya kuchukua jukumu hili kama mabingwa wa data. Kwa miongo mingi wamekuwa wakisimamia data na kufanya uchambuzi wa anga. Ingawa usimamizi wa data umekuwa mdogo kwa ramani, wataalamu wa GIS mara nyingi wana ujuzi ambao wanaweza kushiriki na shirika lao juu ya jinsi ya kusimamia kiasi cha habari ya mamlaka wanayoikusanya. "Mara nyingi unapata kwamba watu wa kufikiri mbele katika idara ya GIS wanazungumza na afisa mkuu wa habari na afisa mkuu wa data, na kutambua kwamba wao kwa kweli tayari wana data nyingi, kwa hivyo badala ya kuhamisha data karibu, wanafanya kazi pamoja, ""Turner alisema." Lakini kuwa bingwa wa data pia inamaanisha kwamba sekta lazima kuunga mkono na kuelewa wasiwasi inakabiliwa na serikali. Hiyo ndiyo sababu Esri inafanya kazi na viongozi wa jamii na wateja kuelewa mahitaji yao na kujenga suluhisho kulingana na mahitaji ya soko. "Kuwa na ufahamu wa kile watumiaji wanahitaji ni muhimu, na hiyo inamaanisha kushiriki katika jamii yetu ya ndani, kwa hivyo tuna ushirikiano na 1776DC na tunabaki kuunganishwa na wadau fulani na watu wanaozalisha tovuti na kutumia data, ""alisema Courtney Claessens, mhandisi wa bidhaa, Esri." """Mipango ya data ya wazi ina nguvu ya kuunganisha mashirika ya serikali kwa njia zenye maana na kusaidia kufanya habari iweze kupatikana na kutumika kwa umma." Kama Fenton anatukumbusha, ni muhimu kuzingatia jinsi mtumiaji wa mwisho atakavyofikia habari, kuwa na uhakika kwamba inaweza kutumika na kutafutwa. <unk>Unaweza kuelewa jinsi faili zako zinavyoitwa; lakini mara tu data yako inapofunguliwa itaonekana na watumiaji ambao hawajui mpango wako wa kutaja majina. "Kwa hivyo fikiria jinsi data yako itaonekana kutoka kwa mtazamo wa watu wa nje ambao hawana uzoefu wa GIS. ""Kuweka data sahihi ni muhimu pia kuhakikisha kuwa data ni ya kisasa na ya wakati, na kufuatilia mabadiliko." Hakikisha kwamba ukoo wa data yako ni wazi na jinsi imebadilika kwa muda. "Kwa hivyo ikiwa unafanya kazi kwenye seti ya data na kurudi baada ya miaka mitatu au minne, unahitaji metadata sahihi kujua muktadha wake, jinsi imebadilika, ni nani amekuwa akifanya kazi juu yake. """ "Kwa ujumla, ni ubora juu ya wingi, unaweza kuwa na tani ya seti za data, lakini ikiwa hujui ni nini, basi hakuna mtu atakayeitumia. ""Lengo la mwisho ni kwamba kwa kuifanya iwe rahisi kwa mashirika ya serikali kufungua data huko, mashirika yatasonga kuelekea kuunda viwango vyenye nguvu zaidi ndani ya serikali." <unk>Tunajua faida za data wazi na ni waumini katika hilo,<unk> Claessens. Takwimu za wazi zinabadilisha ulimwengu wetu, soma mwongozo wetu ili kujifunza zaidi.