Inside the Open Data white paper: what does it all mean?

Does anyone disagree with more open data? It's a huge part of the coalition government's transparency strategy, championed by Francis Maude in the Cabinet Office and key to the government's self-image. And - following on from a less-than enthusiastic NAO report on its achievements in April - today's Open Data White Paper is the government's chance to seize the inititative. Launching the paper, Maude said: Today we're at a pivotal moment – where we consider the rules and ways of working in a data‑rich world and how we can use this resource effectively, creatively and responsibly. This White Paper sets out clearly how the UK will continue to unlock and seize the benefits of data sharing in the future in a responsible way And this one comes with a spreadsheet too - a list of each department's commitments . So, what does it actually include? White Papers are traditionally full of official, yet positive-sounding waffle, but what about specific announcements? We've extracted the key commitments below. What have we missed? Let us know in the comments field at the bottom of this page or via Twitter @GuardianData Five star data The Government intends to adopt the Five Star Scheme as a measure of the usability of its Open Data. We know that not all our data is of the highest level of usability but, through using the Five Star Scheme for labelling datasets, we are working towards improving the data landscape Our verdict: The Five Star scheme is the closest thing the open data community has to a set of standards that everyone can agree on, largely due its pedigree: it was proposed by Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web. By ranking its datasets in this way, the Government is giving us something we can compare to. Developer Engagement Strategy it is not enough to simply push out data and then absent ourselves from the debates and conversations that follow, not least because we cannot always predict with any degree of certainty how data is being used in all cases or how it is stimulating growth and innovation Our verdict: Traditionally, government has almost ignored developers, even as prime users of its data. This commitment to take that community into account is probably the most striking part of this White Paper, which will allow users to ask government for specific datasets, feedback on how they've used them and, crucially, "inform us when there are anomalies or mistakes in our data" Anonymised data We believe that unfettered access to anonymised data should be extended to support improvements in the quality, choice and efficiency of healthcare, education, transport and a whole host of other public services Our verdict: Anonymised data is a real danger area for the government. The ' mosaic effect ' is what scares many observers: that different anonymous datasets could be combined to identify individuals. One privacy disaster could undo years of great open data work in an instant. The White Paper seeks to get round that by committing to appointing a privacy expert and that it will "require departments to undertake disclosure testing – where deemed necessary – as part of their Privacy Impact Assessments to explore threats that could exist from releasing a dataset" The Ministry of Justice in particular is singled out by the White Paper for producing anonymous courts data - but some think it doesn't go far enough and none of it should be anonymous . Freedom of Information We acknowledge that, at present, charging structures for public data remain a salient and emotive issue for many users but equally we must ensure that any changes to existing arrangements must be driven by the latest available evidence on the most appropriate use of public funds Our verdict: FOI is free in the UK - the paper seems to hint it won't stay that way and certainly doesn't give any commitment to keep the status quo. In many countries, such as the US , users pay for FOI requests. Here, with a vibrant community determined to protect FOI , it may be hard for the government to make that happen. Re-using data The White Paper also highlights recent changes to the FoI law, with a new section on satasets - and you can see this bit of the legislation here . Says the White Paper: "This new section pushes public authorities to consider disclosing data that is not already routinely published and sets out what is meant by a dataset – the raw, factual or source information behind a public function – to allow for a better understanding between the person requesting the dataset and the public authority holding the data of what is being sought." The new Code of Practice is essentially guidance on: • giving permission for datasets to be re-used • the release of datasets in an electronic form which is capable of re-use • the making of datasets available for re-use in accordance with the terms of a licence • standards applicable to public authorities in connection with the disclosure of datasets Personal data Making smarter use of personal data is important for citizens engaging with public services, we also believe that there is an ever-growing responsibility on the business community to provide customers with a fair deal for accessing and interpreting their personal data and consumption habits Our verdict: The White Paper highlights a BIS scheme, midata , which helps users to get hold of their personal data from big companies. Relatively uncontroversial as people care most about data that relates to them. Postcode data It is an important input to many private sector products and services, and its value now goes far beyond its original purpose as a tool to enable delivery of the mail Our verdict: One of the most common calls by the open data community is for better access to the Postcode Address File (PAF) produced by the Royal Mail - it really could be the data that built a thousand apps. But this is a real money maker - the future of which the government has kicked into the long grass by leaving the ultimate decision to Ofcom , which is reviewing it at the moment. The White Paper says: "Greater access to public data through data.gov.uk is an essential part of our strategy for making the most effective use of data. However, we must also consider how we open up publicly funded research data in a way that maximises public benefit". So, no progress there, then. New data releases The White Paper also commits to publishing new datasets, including: • information showing GP practice performance in handling cancer cases, enabling patients to compare survival rates between neighbouring practices • increasing transparency around grant funding by publishing data on which organisations receive public money from Civil Society Programmes • data on the management and use of EU funds in the UK to increase accountability and encourage better management of EU funds What have we missed? We think these are the key points - what do you think? [ View the story "Launch of the Open Data white paper" on Storify ] Download the data • DATA: download the full spreadsheet of government commitments by Department NEW! 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