Different perceptions, different open government strategies: The case of local Mexican public managers

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Sandoval-Almazán ◽  
J. Ignacio Criado ◽  
Edgar A. Ruvalcaba-Gómez
Keyword(s):  
Technological Innovation ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Open Government ◽  
Research Trend ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Democratic Values ◽  
Public Managers

Open government has become a research trend among e-government scholars around the world. However, most research in this field has focused on national policies and the implementation thereof. Typically, this is related to Open Government (OG) ecosystems, data, policies and models, yet very little attention has been paid to the most basic level: the municipal/local level. The purpose of this research paper is to fill this gap. We based our research on an instrument for the assessment of OG priorities in Spanish municipalities (Gómez, Criado, & Gil-Garcia, 2017a). This instrument for assessment was adapted to Mexican municipalities. In so doing, we surveyed 67 cases of Mexican public officials working on OG or in transparency offices in municipalities across Mexico during 2017. This paper reports the findings of this exploratory research, grouping concepts of perception, and analyzing four elements of OG: 1. Open Government; 2. Transparency; 3. Citizen Participation and 4. Open Data. Going forward, we used factor analysis to group concepts and identify two principal perspectives for addressing OG policy implementation in local governments, one oriented at fostering technological innovation, and another at promoting democratic values of co-responsibility. Broadly, we discovered there is some emphasis on democratic values and some on technological innovation. We also found varying levels of knowledge on this topic in Mexican municipalities. Another finding is that OG policies are not well-defined due to a lack of resources for the promotion of genuine transparency, participation, and collaborative actions.

scholarly journals USING PARTICIPATORY APPROACH TO IMPROVE AVAILABILITY OF SPATIAL DATA FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT

2016 ◽  
Vol III-4/W1 ◽  
pp. 139-144
Author(s):  
T. Kliment ◽  
V. Cetl ◽  
H. Tomič ◽  
J. Lisiak ◽  
M. Kliment
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Data ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Property Tax ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Quality Level ◽  
Tax Rates ◽  
Geospatial Information ◽  
Data Infrastructure ◽  
Participatory Gis

Nowadays, the availability of authoritative geospatial features of various data themes is becoming wider on global, regional and national levels. The reason is existence of legislative frameworks for public sector information and related spatial data infrastructure implementations, emergence of support for initiatives as open data, big data ensuring that online geospatial information are made available to digital single market, entrepreneurs and public bodies on both national and local level. However, the availability of authoritative reference spatial data linking the geographic representation of the properties and their owners are still missing in an appropriate quantity and quality level, even though this data represent fundamental input for local governments regarding the register of buildings used for property tax calculations, identification of illegal buildings, etc. We propose a methodology to improve this situation by applying the principles of participatory GIS and VGI used to collect observations, update authoritative datasets and verify the newly developed datasets of areas of buildings used to calculate property tax rates issued to their owners. The case study was performed within the district of the City of Požega in eastern Croatia in the summer 2015 and resulted in a total number of 16072 updated and newly identified objects made available online for quality verification by citizens using open source geospatial technologies.

Opportunities and Challenges for Civic Engagement

2019 ◽  
pp. 607-623
Author(s):  
Sarah Hartmann ◽  
Agnes Mainka ◽  
Wolfgang G. Stock
Keyword(s):  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Open Government ◽  
Web Portals ◽  
Open Government Data ◽  
The World ◽  
Government Data ◽  
The City

The population in many cities all over the world is continuously growing and with this growing number of people infrastructural, health and location-related problems increase. It is assumed that these problems could be addressed by means of open government data which many governments publish on their web portals so that it can be further processed and transformed. Since the citizens themselves know best what they need, governments encourage them to participate in open data innovation competitions and to create value added services for their city. The reuse of open urban government data during hackathons or app competitions is a new trend in knowledge societies of how governments and citizens work together. But have these events still become practice in local governments and are they helpful means to foster government-to-citizen communication and collaboration? The authors analyze innovation competitions in 24 world cities to see how they are applied and whether they have the potential to make the city “smart”.

scholarly journals The story of the sixth myth of open data and open government

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann-Sofie Hellberg ◽  
Karin Hedström
Keyword(s):  
Local Level ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Data Reuse ◽  
Open Government ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Data ◽  
Competition Process ◽  
Public Organisations

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to describe a local government effort to realise an open government agenda. This is done using a storytelling approach. Design/methodology/approach – The empirical data are based on a case study. The authors participated in, as well as followed, the process of realising an open government agenda on a local level, where citizens were invited to use open public data as the basis for developing apps and external Web solutions. Based on an interpretative tradition, they chose storytelling as a way to scrutinise the competition process. In this paper, they present a story about the competition process using the story elements put forward by Kendall and Kendall (2012). Findings – The research builds on existing research by proposing the myth that the “public” wants to make use of open data. The authors provide empirical insights into the challenge of gaining benefits from open public data. In particular, they illustrate the difficulties in getting citizens interested in using open public data. Their case shows that people seem to like the idea of open public data, but do not necessarily participate actively in the data reuse process. Research limitations/implications – The results are based on one empirical study. Further research is, therefore, needed. The authors would especially welcome more studies that focus on citizens’ interest and willingness to reuse open public data. Practical implications – This study illustrates the difficulties of promoting the reuse of open public data. Public organisations that want to pursue an open government agenda can use these findings as empirical insights. Originality/value – This paper answers the call for more empirical studies on public open data. Furthermore, it problematises the “myth” of public interest in the reuse of open public data.

scholarly journals “Open”: the changing relation between citizens, public administration, and political authority

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 182-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ursula Maier-Rabler ◽  
Stefan Huber
Keyword(s):  
Public Administration ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Political Authority ◽  
Open Government ◽  
Political Agenda ◽  
The Public ◽  
Active Approach ◽  
Government Data ◽  
The Right

"Open" is not just a fancy synonym for transparent and accountable. The "Open" in Open Government, Open Data, Open Information, and Open Innovation stands for the changing relation between citizens and authorities. Many citizens no longer accept the passive stance representative democracy held for them. They take an active approach in setting up better means of collaboration by ICTs. They demand and gain access to their historically grown collective knowledge stored in government data. Not just on a local level, they actively shape the political agenda. Open Government is to be seen in the context of citizens‘ rights: the right to actively participate in the process of agenda-setting and decision-making. Research into open government needs to address the value of the changing relation between citizens, public administration, and political authority. The paper argues finally for the application of the Public Value concept to research into open government.

Turns of Direct Democracy at the Local Level in Latvia

2022 ◽  
pp. 91-114
Author(s):  
Lilita Seimuskane ◽  
Maris Pukis
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Direct Democracy ◽  
Local Level ◽  
National Government ◽  
Current Level ◽  
Study Participation ◽  
The Government

The chapter provides analysis of obstacles for the introduction of direct citizen participation in the decision-making process at the local self-governments in Latvia, as well as intents of national government to widen participative democracy by formalization of consultation mechanisms. Within the scope of this study, participation is seen as an interaction form of relationship between citizens and a local government. The highest form, according to Arnstein's gradation theory of a ladder of citizen participation, refers to the participation degree called partnership, delegated power, and is described by Teorell as a citizen voice in the government. Situation and perspective of local government referendums are analysed. Consultation is implemented at the level by involving the residents in the work of local government commissions and implementing public deliberations. Administrative territorial reform, performed by 2021 elections, will decrease the number of local governments to a third of their current level.

scholarly journals Critical Success Factors of Open Government and Open Data at Local Government Level in Indonesia

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 28-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Djoko Sigit Sayogo ◽  
Sri Budi Cantika Yuli
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Critical Success Factors ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Public Involvement ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Open Government ◽  
Public Managers ◽  
Critical Success ◽  
Local Government Level ◽  
Indicators Of Success

This article explores the complexity of open government and open data implementation from the perspective of local government in developing countries by addressing the challenges, success factors, lesson learned and the indicators of success. Using focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with public managers and other actors at the Bojonegoro regency, this study found five major challenges to open government and data, namely: a) the misappropriation and misused of the data, b) limitedness of technological capabilities, c) ensuring data credibility, d) the availability of information policy to govern openness, and e) maintaining public involvement and enthusiasm. The authors also identified four critical success factors driving the success of open government and data: a) collaboration between government, academics, private entities and general public, b) the openness of government office to accept criticism and suggestion, c) the accommodating leaders, and d) the commitment of government agencies to engage in open government and open data.

Outcomes of open government

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 489-507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Schmidthuber ◽  
Simone Stütz ◽  
Dennis Hilgers
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Outcome Evaluation ◽  
Open Government ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Public Managers ◽  
Parametric Analyses ◽  
Perceived Outcomes

Purpose Governments all over the world have implemented citizensourcing initiatives to integrate citizens into decision-making processes. A more participative decision-making process is associated with an open government and assumed to benefit public service quality and interactive value creation. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the outcomes of open government initiatives and ask to what extent open government participation is related to perceived outcomes of open government. Design/methodology/approach Data conducted from a survey among users of a citizensourcing platform and platform data are used to perform non-parametric analyses and examine the relationship between platform participation and perceived outcomes of open government. Findings The findings of this paper suggest that active platform usage positively relates to several outcomes perceived by citizens, such as improved information flow, increased trust in and satisfaction with local government. In contrast, repetitive participation does not significantly relate to users’ outcome evaluation. Practical implications This study suggests public managers to provide possibilities for citizen participation and interaction with government such as citizensourcing initiatives. In particular, it recommends promoting participants’ platform activity, as proactive platform participation has positive effects on perceived outcomes of open government. Originality/value Previous literature discussed what it needs to realize a transparent and participatory government. First empirical studies deal with government institutions’ reasons to promote exchange with citizens, and investigate citizens’ motivation to participate in citizensourcing activities, but have disregarded the consequences of open government so far. This study thus provides first insights into the outcomes of open government, as perceived by the users.

Analyzing open government policy adoption through the multiple streams framework: The roles of policy entrepreneurs in the case of Madrid

2020 ◽  
pp. 095207672093634 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edgar A Ruvalcaba-Gomez ◽  
J Ignacio Criado ◽  
J Ramon Gil-Garcia
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Government Policy ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Open Government ◽  
Policy Adoption ◽  
Adoption Process ◽  
Policy Entrepreneurs ◽  
Multiple Streams ◽  
The Public ◽  
Multiple Streams Framework

Open government is expected to promote important changes related to transparency, participation, and collaboration in the public sector. This article analyzes the open government policy-making process in Madrid. In order to explain the adoption process of open government as a public policy, this study uses the “multiple streams framework,” originally developed by Kingdon and recently elaborated on by Zahariadis and Herweg et al. Our empirical data, based on semi-structured interviews and qualitative and quantitative analysis provide evidence about the adoption of open government policy in the city of Madrid and help to illustrate some of the multiple roles that policy entrepreneurs play in the policy adoption process. Overall, this article offers insights on how and why open government is adopted into the public agenda of local governments. Also, this article highlights the importance of analyzing the roles of “policy entrepreneurs” and the duality of transparency and citizen participation in open government policies.

scholarly journals Open budget: Learning from the Open School Platform in Donetsk oblast, Ukraine

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oksana Huss ◽  
Oleksandra Keudel
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Computer Literacy ◽  
Open Data ◽  
School Personnel ◽  
Critical Issue ◽  
Learning By Doing ◽  
Open Government ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Open School

The case study developed as part of IIEP‐UNESCO Research Project ‘Open Government: Learning From Experience’ analyses how an open government approach is being applied in Ukraine to resolve the critical issue of non‐transparent school financing through parents’ donations that undermines trust among key educational stakeholders. Developed in 2016, the Open School Platform (OS) is an online tool that allows parents to visualise the school’s budget, needs and expenditures in an easy‐ to‐read format. The study shows that OS has contributed to: improved trust among key stakeholders, improved communication and collaboration between school personnel and local public authorities, and more effective planning. But it also confirms that the use of ICT can lead to inequalities in poor rural communities having low levels of Internet access or computer literacy. It concludes on the importance of open government for shifting to a new paradigm of cooperation and partnership. And it recommends providing access to information in line with the Open Data Charter; ensuring a legal framework for citizen participation; using handy and accessible technological solutions; and following a ‘learning‐by‐doing’ approach to build up social capital for constructive interaction with authorities.

scholarly journals Coproducing spatial information: Exploring government approaches and motivations at the local level

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-132
Author(s):  
Zarin Khan ◽  
Peter A. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Implicit Processes ◽  
Adoption And Implementation ◽  
Geospatial Tools ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Information Change ◽  
Recent Government

Recent government initiatives like e-government and open government have led to broader adoption of geospatial tools including mapping platforms to access, use, and analyze open data. These advancements open channels for coproduction in the form of sharing information, change notifications, opinions, or requests to government, based on citizen observation and local knowledge. Though current government initiatives have substantial potentials for coproduction, the practical adoption and implementation of such practices vary reflecting the purposes, contexts, and motivations of those involved. This paper aims to understand how local governments are following different approaches to coproduce information with citizens and what motivates local governments in this process. We report findings based on interviews with 11 cities from the USA and Canada, which reveal four main approaches: the collection of new data, observation of changes, collection of opinions, and observation of preferences involving both explicit and implicit processes. Although these four approaches result from interactions between citizens and government, our findings also indicate a key role to be played by technology and partner organizations.

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