Open DataNI Launched
Belfast: 13 August 2009
The Northern Ireland Department of Finance and Personnel has launched the Open DataNI pilot scheme. Open DataNI aims to increase access to non personal public information and data produced by Northern Ireland Government departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies. The scheme was developed by the Department of Finance and Personnel for Northern Ireland as a cross public and private sector initiative.
The news release (Northern Ireland, Department of Finance and Personnel) states:
“Finance Minister Sammy Wilson has launched a pilot scheme to help improve citizen access to a wide range of public information.
Open DataNI aims to increase public access to non-personal public information and data produced by Northern Ireland government departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs). It initially launches utilising relevant health data for locating doctor surgeries and establishing pharmacy out of hours services. Provision of public transport and leisure data will follow.
Speaking at the launch of the OpenDataNI website, Minister Wilson said: “OpenDataNI will improve the way government consults with the public, ensuring that public sector information is made as simple as possible for people to find and use.
“OpenDataNI will demonstrate to other Northern Ireland Civil Service Departments the benefits of allowing publicly available mapping and imagery to be used in conjunction with publicly available data sets to provide useful services to citizens. By presenting data in a highly visual manner, it is anticipated that interaction with information will be far easier than through traditional table-based methods.”
The pilot initiative, which can be found online at Open data ni website is part of a growing trend of developing methods to harness the public’s ideas for improving products and services, will allow Government to stay at the leading edge of citizen driven service improvement.
The Department of Finance and Personnel is now embarking on an exercise to get NI Departments, Agencies and NDPBs to release non-personal information for publication.”
- The pilot website includes a data catalogue, tools and services page and makes data accessible in various file formats e.g., XLS, CSV, and XML. The ‘About’ section of the website comments:
“The government produces masses of information and data hidden away in obscure publications or odd corners of websites. The inaccessibility of this data and information means that it is difficult for its owners – YOU – to do something useful with it. OpenDataNI seeks to improve access to government information and data, and stimulate creative use of that information/data beyond the walls of government.”
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