Reporting

In the first stages of the project, the Geoidea team concluded reports and analysis regarding several relevant topics. To better understand the open data initiative across the Globe, we analysed the existing open data strategies and actions, with a focus on the European Union and with examples of actions undertaken by Denmark and the United States. We continued with a thoroughly legislative analysis concentrated on the 6 pilot institutions chosen for the project: National Agency for Cadastre and Land Registration, National Institute of Hydrology and Water Management, National Meteorological Administration, Forest Research and Management Institute, Romanian Geological Institute, National Institute of Statistics. The purpose of the report was to briefly analyse primary and secondary legislation, regulations and normative of the selected geodata producers in comparison with related national legislation regarding PSI re-use and to identify limitations or shortcomings which could be addressed in the future by the legislators.

The next analysis was comprised in a report regarding barriers and drivers in the open data movement in Romanian environment. We aimed for an overview on the actual and perceived factors that slow down or prevent the process of releasing public data and second on the catalysers that keep this cumbersome initiative moving forward. The report is constructed on three pillars: legal, technical, and socio-economic. In order to better understand the concepts of barrier and driver as perceived by individuals that have been involved with open data, we developed a questionnaire that would question barriers blocking the release of open government data; barriers experienced by potential individuals and groups in using open data; and drivers for open data. Following the analysis on barriers and drivers in open data, we describe open data actions and initiatives lead by the civil society or by the Romanian Government through projects, codefests, data portals and eventually the coagulation of an open data community in Romania.

For the complete reports and more documents related to the project, please refer to page results.

Geoportal development

The development of the Geoidea geoportal started with the beginning of the project. The main expected result is an user friendly open geoportal, created to foster a set of tools and standardised web services that enable users to search, view, download, process and analyze a rich collection of geospatial data. Research aspects are focused in a first phase to data harmonisation, data quality and quality markers visualisation. In a second phase, novel navigation and interaction methods fostering user involvement and collaboration will be considered. The network services implemented into the portal should make it possible for the users to discover, transform, view and download spatial data.

For more details regarding the Geoidea geoportal please refer to page geoportal.

Geoportal datasets gathering, processing and publishing

An ongoing activity of the Geoidea.ro project is to gather, process and publish via the developed geoportal as many open geodata samples as possible for the Romanian territory. We are focusing mainly on official datasets produced or/and collected from public agencies, but it is not limited.

By 2014, we gathered, processed and published data related to multiple fields and from various sources, such as governmental sources, academia or community open geodata. As domains, we can identify the health sector, agricultural sector, demography, hydrogeology, protected areas and many others. The data stored is structured according to the Linked Data principles (open, modular, scalable) and is published through formats and protocols compatible with the existing standards (INSPIRE, CEN, OGC, W3C).

Meetings with Romanian Gov and civil society representatives

We are actively collaborating with the Romanian Government and the Civil Society in the development of the project.

Within the Romanian Government, there is the Department for Online Services and Design (DSOD), which main responsibility is to assist and monitor the OGP implementation and the national e-government programs. In September – October 2013, DSOD organized work meetings at different ministries, institutions and government agencies to raise awareness regarding the commitments that Romania made through OGP and to establish datasets available and deadlines for publishing on the Government open data geoportal. The GEOIDEA team took part to all relevant meetings. In November 2013, the data.gov.ro portal was launched. Today, it holds approximately 150 datasets from about 30 ministries, agencies and institutions. DSOD was opened to collaboration from the beginning. Following the events we worked on together (e.g. the Open Data Hackathon on February 2014), the GEOIDEA.RO team signed a collaboration agreement (available on the Results page) with the Romanian Government, agreement that represents the basis of the work with the Romanian public authorities.

In 2014, in the Romanian civil society a coalition of multiple organizations and foundations created the Coalition for Open Data. Its main purpose is to strengthen collaboration between organizations that promote open data in Romania, to increase the impact of their advocacy and maintain open data subject the media agenda and the public agenda, which supports and promotes the use of open government data. GEOIDEA.ro is an active member of the Coalition.

Survey regarding the interest of the private sector to develop and maintain services based on open geodata (Romanian only)

Please refer to the page in Romanian to complete the survey. Thank you!