What we do
The Open Data Policy Lab works to accelerate the responsible re-use of data by lowering existing barriers and building a center of expertise that will be available to all stakeholders involved in democratizing access to data. The Open Data Policy Lab will achieve these goals through four areas of work.
Using comparative research and analysis, the Lab will identify best practices in the field of open data and inform the development of responsible data initiatives that contribute to economic development and societal resilience.
The Lab will develop and curate guidelines, toolkits, frameworks, best practices, and other materials to support more effective data sharing and data-driven decision-making.
The Lab will foster a community of data stewards, chief data officers, and other decision-makers within the public and private sectors to share knowledge, undertake collaborative work, and spur responsible data sharing.
Using the framework of The 100 Questions Initiative, the Lab will help convene governments and other stakeholders to identify key questions that can be answered by opening up data and implement proof-of-concept initiatives that demonstrate how to harness the power of open data to solve key societal challenges.
Why
Governments play a critical role in providing data that is vital to addressing today’s most pressing problems and improving people’s lives. It is essential that governments at all levels work collaboratively to share data across the public and private sectors in a responsible manner.
Similarly, governments at all levels can benefit from functional access to private-sector data to address important public policy challenges. It is essential to create an ecology in which governments can engage with industry to identify data that may be useful in addressing important public policy issues.
Our work seeks to address a variety of barriers currently standing in the way of streamlining access to data across a continuum of openness, including the absence of an enabling and scalable policy and legislative agenda, a lack of internal capacity, and limited access to external expertise and resources.
From the blog
New Publication
2023 Year in Review
A summary of The GovLab Data Program's work over 2023
During 2023, The GovLab's Data Program continued its dedication to transforming how we solve public problems, design public services, or...
By Stefaan Verhulst, Hannah...New Publication
Charting the Path: Reactions and Lessons from Building a Robust Community of Data Stewards
Since its launch in 2020, the Data Stewards Academy has provided courses on responsible data stewardship to data leaders from the public,...
By Sampriti Saxena, Adrienne...New Publication
Accelerating Responsible Data Re-Use About and For Young People: Key Takeaways from the Festival De Datos
Young people have a right to be involved in decisions made about their data, but too often they are not included. They are deprived of...
By Hannah Chafetz, Andrew...
