John Sheridan
25 September 2012
Open data as an operating model in the public sector
Services to the public
Service development
Services to
government
legislation.gov.uk experience
● UK's legislation website○ legislation from 1267 to present day○ provided as open data through API○ several data re-users of different types
● General lessons are more widely applicable○ bodies whose public task involves some data○ think statistics, consultations, service provision
Open data
● All the information on legislation.gov.uk is available as open data under the terms of the Open Government Licence
● To access the data, visit any page and add:○ /data.xml○ /data.rdf○ /data.xht
● For lists○ /data.feed
Publisher
Intermediary
Consumer
* Thanks to Jeni Tennison, the creator of the original version of these diagrams
Publisher
Intermediary
Consumer
data
* Thanks to Jeni Tennison, the creator of the original version of these diagrams
Publisher
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data
service
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data
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payment
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payment- links- snippets- dumps- searches- updates
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payment- links- snippets- dumps- searches- updates
- provision- integration- analysis- visualisation- interpretation
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- provision- integration- analysis- visualisation- interpretation
Benefits
● Innovation by intermediaries● New products and services for consumers● Economic growth
Publisher
Intermediary
Consumer
data
service
payment
* Thanks to Jeni Tennison, the creator of the original version of these diagrams
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provenance
* Thanks to Jeni Tennison, the creator of the original version of these diagrams
Publisher
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data
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provenance
audience
* Thanks to Jeni Tennison, the creator of the original version of these diagrams
Benefits
● Improved reach● Intermediaries deliver your channels strategy● For legislation.gov.uk, this includes iPhone / iPad
applications, eBooks, tailored value added products for specific audiences
Publisher
Intermediary
Consumer
data
service
payment
* Thanks to Jeni Tennison, the creator of the original version of these diagrams
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information
* Thanks to Jeni Tennison, the creator of the original version of these diagrams
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payment
informationcustomisation
* Thanks to Jeni Tennison, the creator of the original version of these diagrams
Publisher
Intermediary
Consumer
data
service
payment
informationcustomisation
* Thanks to Jeni Tennison, the creator of the original version of these diagrams
Publisher
Intermediary
Consumer
data
service
payment
informationcustomisation
guarantees
* Thanks to Jeni Tennison, the creator of the original version of these diagrams
Publisher
Intermediary
Consumer
data
service
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informationcustomisation
guarantees - accurate- reliable- timely
* Thanks to Jeni Tennison, the creator of the original version of these diagrams
Where is the benefit to the publisher?
● Example, the trouble with legislation
Maintaining legislation data
● For primary legislation we currently identify and apply:○ Textual amendments○ Non-textual amendments○ Extents○ Commencements○ Savings and provisos
● We create point in time versions with annotations● This involves extracting meaning from legislative texts in the
form of structured data, which can be used by editors to create new versions showing the changes
The challenge
● Primary Legislation○ In-house team applies ~10,000 effects per annum○ Parliaments and Assemblies now make ~15,000 new
effects○ There is a 100,000 “debt” of unapplied effects
● Secondary Legislation○ Requirement to produce Tables of Effect for Annual
Bound Volumes○ No updated versions
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Consumer
data
service
payment
guarantees
* Thanks to Jeni Tennison, the creator of the original version of these diagrams
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guarantees
maintenance
* Thanks to Jeni Tennison, the creator of the original version of these diagrams
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maintenance- collection- correction- expertise
* Thanks to Jeni Tennison, the creator of the original version of these diagrams
Publisher
Intermediary
Consumer
data
service
payment
guarantees
maintenance- collection- correction- expertise
* Thanks to Jeni Tennison, the creator of the original version of these diagrams
Expert Participation
● Publicly available, official, free, open and up to date, revised primary and secondary legislation
● We are inviting others to work with us towards this goal● Memorandum of Understanding with participating
organisations● Introducing new processes and tools, so we can collaborate
with participants to create and maintain new revised versions of legislation
● The National Archives provides tools and training. We are also the guardians and arbiters of editorial practice and quality
Open data as operating model
● Private sector values high quality public data● Value official status, processes and controls● Willing to collaborate and invest resources in Open
Government Data● We are enabling Expert Participation on the basis of Open
Data● We’re showing how Open Data:
● Helps to deliver services● Helps to reach new audiences or existing audiences through
new channels● Underpins feedback loops, that improves the quality of your
data and service