The California Research Bureau, a division of the California State Library, recently published a case study on open data titled: “Making Open Data Work in California’s State Government: Lessons from Early Adopters.”
The paper summarizes the experiences of both the California Health and Human Services Agency and the California State Controller’s Office, including findings on governance, existing state law and policies, as well as privacy and confidentiality in the context of open data.
The report identifies several lessons learned from California departments working with open data:
- To open your data, you have to know your data
- Data can be messy
- Strong, involved, executive sponsorship is critical
- An inclusive governance team can develop comprehensive policies
- Start from a strategic strong point
- Create opportunities for learning, training and asking questions
- Use events to build momentum
- Learn from other organizations
The California Research Bureau provides nonpartisan research services to the Governor and his staff, both houses of the Legislature, and other elected State officials.
The case study is available online and on GitHub.