Open data and data format standards

Allowing other organisations and individuals to work with council data and systems to derive more value.

The reasons that block the opening of data should be identified, understood and addressed. At present these blocks are thought to be:

• lack of visibility of benefit
• concern over misuse of data
• lack of data release/control mechanisms

A channel for communication between the users of the data and the data managers/guardians should be set up by encouraging and supporting the forming of a community group of developers, data journalists and engaged citizens and businesses. Conferences and open days should be organised to catalyse the communications

Security

The security of a system and the data it holds is always reliant on the people who build it and those who use it. Security standards and practices must be communicated and adhered to in order to be effective.

Setting, communicating and ensuring compliance with security standards requires not just the creation of rules, but the sharing of the reasons for security, the risks of data leakage and the establishing of cultural norms that make security part of everyone’s everyday job. This includes making security measures visible, providing understandable examples of the impact of security breaches in ways that bring them to life rather than alienate users through dry or patronising communication and examples of good practice such as how to create good, strong, memorable passwords.

Moderation

Making sure that user content published on the council sites is suitable.

By allowing user generated content to be published on its websites the council is open to risk of illegal, offensive or inappropriate content being distributed by its systems. Moderation services must be provided to reduce this risk while not overburdening staff or obliterating the benefits of user input by not meeting users’ responsiveness expectations.

Multiple moderation methods need to be available to cope with the different types of UGC, the subject matter and the openness of the particular forum.  These will include:

• automated profanity checking
• pre-publishing moderation
• user reporting of inappropriate content

Communication

Staff will need to be trained in communicating effectively with customers.

Communicating with the public should no longer be mediated only by a Communications Team trained in marketing communication techniques and processes.  Communicating with the public should instead be more widely distributed around the organisation.

As well as providing more staff with the skills and tools to engage customers in conversations and understanding of the benefits and pitfalls of conversing publicly, staff must also be given confidence that they will be supported if mistakes are made.