Recently I discovered Flickr’s “Magic View” software that displays your collection according to automatically assigned categories.
Dashboarding Open Data Program Governance
A key feature of the Project Open Data effort being managed by OMB and OSTP is that so much of it is being conducted in the open using accessible resources such as shared documentation, a defined metadata schema, and use of GitHub for capturing comments and issues. Agencies that want to involve private sector vendors in their open date efforts should consider the use and management of such tools as a required part of program governance and oversight (as long as sufficient staff and resources are provided to manage such efforts, of course).
Pushing for standardization of such regulatory information will greatly enhance public access and transparency — as long as effective governance and sufficient resources are made available to support the process and the systems that provide public access.
Risk, Uncertainty, and Managing Big Data Projects
Anyone who practices project management for a living will recognize this list. It’s certainly not unique to big data analytics project. It is however reasonable to ask whether “big data” projects are unique in some way that exacerbates the probability of failure.
Interim Report on the Generalizability of the NOAA Big Data Project’s Management Model
It’s good to see the Federal government and private sector working together to create value from data that might not be realized were its use restricted only to specifically funded and legislated programs.
Moving to the Cloud: Business as Usual or Opportunity for Change?
Sometimes it makes sense to consider open data programs and cloud infrastructure transformation at the same time.
Who Cares About Digital Government Services?
People also have different channel preferences depending on whether they are alone or with others, are on the road or at home, or are seeking a quick bit of information, performing an infrequent transaction, or are doing serious or complex research with significant health or financial consequences.
Do People Really Understand What “Open Data” Means?
Ultimately the most important issue has to come down to deciding what level of data literacy citizens need. As the production and consumption of goods and services become more data-dependent in both developed and developing countries, it is reasonable to ask how much understanding of data and data related decisions people really need. I’ve referred to this elsewhere as data management literacy. Maybe we also need to consider data consumption literacy. After all, if people don’t understand or appreciate the services we’re providing, no amount of standardization, interoperability, or transparency is going to make any difference.
NOAA’s Big Data Project Comes Into Focus
What’s different about this newly announced NOAA program is not just the potential “big data” scope of the program but the way in which private sector cloud vendors are involved as intermediaries not only to the public but also to potential data vendors and resellers.
Is Your Organization Ready for the Third Age of Open Data?
Because of this my advice to anyone contemplating an open data program is to start not with what data are available but with what programs are trying to accomplish, then work on how open data can contribute to the success of those programs.
Is Making the CFPB’s Consumer Complaint Database More "Open" Good Or Bad?
Realistically it’s also impossible to control what people say online about companies. Just type the name of any large company into the Google search engine followed by the word “sucks” and you’ll see what I mean.
Scoring Apple’s March 9 Product Announcements for Creation, Consumption, and Engagement
I am pleased that Apple is devoting money and talent to the development of such products that support creation, consumption, and engagement. In previous generations such resources might have been devoted to the creation of weapons of mass destruction.
USAID’s “Frequently Asked Questions” and the Management of Open Data Programs
By itself, just documenting a process is never enough. Also needed is a sufficiently-resourced governance structure that supports program management in how systems and processes are changed and in how they operate.
Will NOAA’s “Big Data Partnership” be a Model for Other Government Agencies?
One thing that’s different with the NOAA data partnership program is not just its focus on making data available for access and exploitation via the cloud but the changing market environment in which it will be operating.
Observations and Questions about Open Data Program Governance
After this week’s call with Socrata’s Health Data Publishers Roundtable about working with data owners I put together a few thoughts to share with the group. Here are some observations along with a list of questions that I think deserve further discussion.
A sudden turn-off of digital access to government services — as might be required by the agency shutdown — must at minimum be figured into the risk management planning of any organization planning to offer or use products or services that are dependent on government-sourced open data.
The Oscars Are Coming The Oscars Are Coming
I was certainly not surprised that the best movie I saw in 2014 – Interstellar — was not nominated for Best Picture.
Still, knowing that data exist – which is what the inventories will tell us — is not the same as accessing and interpreting the data. Even assuming the public eventually gains access to the inventoried data, we’ll still need contextual information about the programs described by the data and measurement of the impacts these programs have.
LinkedIn and Online Anonymity: What’s the Point?
I used to be amused at those who browse LinkedIn anonymously. After all, I thought, what good is online anonymity to a service that is promoting professional networking? The two seemed at odds with each other.