A precise public transport route planner, a crime map of Ukraine with information about crimes committed in each region, city, or district, a mobile app with a handbook for emergencies in Donbas and Crimea – these are just a few examples of useful services for citizens based on the open government data. There will be many more if the government and civil society work together to advance the open data agenda in the country.

 

Comprising over a dozen civil society organisations and government institutions representatives as well as international experts, the working group's main task was to draft the roadmap for the open data development in Ukraine.

 

Supporting the government's initiative for assessment of Ukraine's readiness to work with open data, UNDP has commissioned an Open Data Readiness Assessment (ODRA) report, the main findings and recommendations of which became the basis for this roadmap. Chairperson of the Open Knowledge Foundation Germany and Senior UNDP Open Data Expert Daniel Dietrich spoke of the importance of the open data for Ukraine and what's needed for its development. The video may be found here.

 

 

With 331 government datasets to be disclosed within the next 6 months according to the recently adopted Resolution, it is important to come up with the ideas how to help the engaged stakeholders in data opening. Deputy Head of the State Agency for e-Governance of Ukraine Oleksii Vyskub dwelt on priority datasets to be opened as defined by ordinary citizens who participated in the survey conducted by the Agency. According to the preliminary survey results, people are mostly interested in the datasets on justice and security, social protection, taxes and customs issues, as well as transport and road condition, he said.

 

Oleksandr Ryzhenko, Head of the State Agency for e-Governance of Ukraine, thinks it will be a challenging task to ensure implementation of the Resolution. Defining the open data focal points in the institutions – the key data holders, ensuring reliability of the data disclosed on the government portal, encouraging the active use of data by the civil society will be the key in achieving the set objectives.

 

Following the growing request from the public for openness, transparency, and accountability at all levels of the society, UNDP was the first international organization in Ukraine that popularized the use of open government data at the national level. Open data support activities started as a small pilot initiative on disclosing municipal budgets. It grew later into a national-level initiative to stimulate state bodies to disclose public information in the open data format and eventually culminated in the adoption of the open data legislation.

 

Results of the expert discussions during the day were incorporated into the draft roadmap for the open data development in Ukraine. The final draft of the roadmap will be circulated for public comment in a week or two. The working group members are hopeful that this strategic vision will turn into concrete actions, and will lead to development of concrete social projects.

 

Strengthening the demand for the open data through working with the community and developing capacities of data holders, the Ministries, Parliament and other institutions have all chances to be among the champions in data opening.

 

Photos may be found here.