Governance of Open Data Initiatives

Abstract

The effective development and implementation of open data initiatives
requires governance in order to avoid gaps, duplications, contradictions and missed opportunities. Appropriate governance instruments should be established to coordinate the activities and contributions of different stakeholders. This chapter reviews the governance of open data initiatives worldwide, using a governance instruments approach as introduced by public administration researchers to analyse coordination and governance in the public sector. Six sets of governance instruments in the governance of open data initiatives are identified: collective decision-making structures, strategic
management, allocation of tasks and responsibilities, creation of markets, interorganizational culture and knowledgemanagement, and regulation and formalization of open data initiatives. The chapter shows how each of these six sets of instruments have been applied in various countries in the governance of nation-wide open data initiatives.