Alexander Howard, The Huffington Post’s senior editor of technology and society, interviewed James Fletcher, Saint Lucia’s Minister for the Public Service (Sustainable Development, Energy, Science, and Technology) at the 3rd International Open Data Conference. Although brief, the conversation touched on some important issues pertaining to open data and improving governance.
Here are some of the highlights:
Open data is about strengthening democracy and improving the level of governance. Open data helps citizens learn about what governments are doing, allowing them to make informed assessments of government activities. This allows governments and citizens to have “enlightened conversations” due to open data, empowering both parties in decision-making and informing policy.
There needs to be a two-way data flow between the government and citizens. Although governments play a central role in opening data to improve democracy and governance, Fletcher states that open data is not just about making government data available. It is also about civil society feeling empowered to share their information with the government.
The digital divide cannot be ignored. The digital divide persists as a challenge in the Caribbean; although many areas of the islands have excellent access to broadband Internet, there are also many regions that have little or no connection. Because of this, Fletcher notes that attention needs to be paid to the digital divide when thinking about open data, as it can further isolate non-connected individuals and communities.
The culture of secrecy and withholding information needs to be changed. This is particularly an issue among employees of the public service, in which people want to withhold information because they believe that doing so makes them more powerful and provides job security. This understanding of public information and power is deemed counterproductive by Fletcher; he states that employees are actually more valuable and indispensable if they share information and can demonstrate their ability to use such information across multiple platforms and sectors. Fletcher emphasizes the pressing need to change this culture of secrecy and power and to incentivise the opening of data for the public good.
See the complete interview here: