How to ensure Open Data Portals are financially sustainable
Publication Date/Time
2018-02-06T09:00:00+00:00
Open Data Portals are a critical part of our data infrastructure: they
connect data holders with data users, who in turn create services that
citizens and businesses benefit from and rely on. The EDP report
measuring the Open Data maturity of portals across Europe 2017
[/sites/default/files/edp_landscaping_insight_report_n3_2017.pdf]
shows the overall maturity of portals is increasing as they develop
more advanced features. Yet most do not have coherent strategies for
sustainability that address each of the five aspects of how a portal
functions: the governance, financing, architecture and operations that
make a portal sustainable, as well as the metrics that can be used to
monitor and evaluate progress.

It is vital that portals develop such approaches so that they can
respond and adapt to the challenges they face. In February 2017, the
EDP published a report
[/sites/default/files/edp_s3wp4_sustainability_recommendations.pdf]
that sets out how portals can move from setup to sustainability, with
in total 23 recommendations covering all five key areas.

This second report builds on the first report and dives deeper into
the subject by further investigating how to measure the re-use and
impact of Open Data and how to create a sustainable funding
environment. The first section focuses on challenges to measuring the
performance of Open Data Portals; current approaches to measuring Open
Data impact, use and access; and towards better measurement of use and
impact. The second section focuses on current approaches to funding
portals; understanding the costs of Open Data Portals; and alternative
funding models and approaches.
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/img/media/sustainability-chart.png]
Based on surveys, interviews with portal owners around Europe and
further research, it was found that although portals are becoming more
Open Data mature, they do not seem to have a coherent strategy for the
sustainability of their portal. In order to ensure the long-term
sustainability of Open Data initiatives, it is essential for portal
owners and data publishers to effectively understand and communicate
the progress and impact of their initiatives.

The report provides practical recommendations in these areas based on
current best practices outlined by portal owners and experts across
Europe. Building on these best practices, the report lays out
potential approaches championed by experts to help build a sustainable
financial future for Open Data portals in Europe and beyond. Related
EDP reports focus on the Future of Open Data Portals
[/sites/default/files/edp_analyticalreport_n8.pdf] and on the Economic
Benefits of Open Data
[/sites/default/files/analytical_report_n9_economic_benefits_of_open_data.pdf].

Read the full report
[/sites/default/files/s3wp4_sustainability_recommendations_ii.pdf]
