Open Data For Development Camp Highlights Challenges And Innovations In Aid Transparency

From May 12-13, AidData's Anna Lauridsen attended the Open Data for Development Camp (ODDC) in Amsterdam. The camp, hosted by Open for Change, allowed participants from the development and technology fields to discuss challenges, benefits, and lessons learned associated with open data.

The camp proved to be a fantastic forum for discussion of practical issues in institutionalizing open data practices. Participants generally agreed that open development data should be a core component of a paradigm shift towards increased transparency, accountability, and public participation in development practice. However, many organizations are facing legal and financial hurdles in bringing sensitive data to the public – several delegates, for example, expressed concern that data would be “misused." Christian Kreutz of the Open Knowledge Foundation highlighted the benefits of open data and geo-mapping for citizen participation, but also urged consideration of privacy issues before making certain data public. Others echoed the Italian government’s concerns about the cost of implementing open data initiatives.