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The new frameworks will help public sector bodies in Ireland make Government data more easily accessible to the public.
Two new framework agreements have been launched in Ireland to support public sector bodies in fulfilling their open data obligations.
The move is part of the Government’s efforts to require public sector bodies to publish high-value data, making it easier to access and reuse. The Open Data Strategy approved by the Government in 2017 aims to make public data more open and bring more public bodies into the fold.
The two frameworks are the Technical Services Framework for Open Data and Data Management and the National Open Data Training Framework. They were launched today (23 February) by the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s open data unit.
Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Ossian Smyth, TD, welcomed the new frameworks, which are expected to promote the social and economic benefits of open data through engagement with a broad community of stakeholders.
“Ireland has been a leader in the EU on open data since 2017, and these frameworks enable the public sector to efficiently manage their data and meet the requirements of both the Open Data Directive and our own Government’s data strategy,” he said in a statement.
Ireland developed its first Open Data Portal in 2014 when it released more than 418 data sets from 45 public bodies. The portal was developed by the Insight Centre for Data Analytics at NUI Galway in line with international best practice.
In July last year, Ireland adopted the EU’s Open Data Directive into law, requiring all public sector bodies to make any requested data publicly available in an open and machine-readable format.
The Government said that the new frameworks will allow the public sector to “simply and compliantly” draw down technical services and training for open data management. The training framework includes six courses ranging from a general introduction to more specific topics such as data audits, anonymisation and visualisation.
Paul Quinn, CEO of the OGP, called open data “a vital resource to ensure Government transparency and innovation” and added that the management of open data will be made more “simple and straightforward” with the new frameworks.
“These frameworks are suitable for both experienced public sector organisations who may be very skilled and knowledgeable on all aspects of open data, and those who are just beginning their open data journey,” Quinn said.
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