Following is communication that the DCStat would provide to District of Columbia agencies introducing the open data program. It sets expectations for data sharing, lays out participating agency responsibilities and resources/support the agency can expect from the [Open Data program].

[Municipality] Data Access Policy

As a public entity, the [municipality] is duty-bound to provide access to information gathered and produced as part of its operations. Within the [municipality] government, information sharing enhances decision-support and management accountability. Further, increased transparency brought about by publishing information to the public strengthens bonds between citizens and government.

The Executive Office of the Mayor has designated the [Open Data program] as the clearing house for exchanging data about and of interest to the [municipality]. In partnership with [municipality] agencies, [Open Data program] publishes to other agencies, outside jurisdictions and the public. Going forward, Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) will be prepared only when agencies provide [Open Data program] data that is not already public in nature. The [municipality]’s Freedom of Information statute is attached.

To support this effort, [Open Data program] will work with your agency to identify its operational databases. This survey will include transactional systems and reference material in digital format that support day-to-day business functions. Collecting limited, high-level data on these systems will keep resource requirements to a minimum. As a service, [Open Data program] will publish a completed catalog to all agency participants.

The following sections detail the respective roles and responsibilities for both agencies and [Open Data program] in increasing accessibility to the [municipality] information. Agency Responsibilities

• Inventory and identify all operational data sets in use
• For each data set, identify information that
  • will inform the public of the agencies’ workload, operations and performance, and
  • information that should be excluded for privacy or other reasons
• For data designated private, specify how information may be aggregated, generalized or otherwise de-identified so that it may be made public
• Accuracy and quality of supplied data set
• Designate authority within agency responsible for data set and provide contact information
• Work to establish and sustain system access necessary for [Open Data program] to periodically gather data by electronic means
• Support development necessary to extract, transfer and load data to [Open Data program]
• Support resolution of discrepancies or inconsistent reporting results
• Provide subject matter expertise necessary to interpret database content
• Notify [Open Data program] in advance when application or database will be unavailable, changed or updated.

[Open Data program] Responsibilities

• Provide reliable [Open Data program] repository adequately provisioned to host agency data
• Support development necessary to extract, transfer and load agency data
• Maintain accuracy and quality of supplied data sets
• Gather data at intervals consistent with frequency of database updates/transactions
• Provide contact information for database technical and program contacts
• Publish data in electronic form to [municipality] agencies, other jurisdictions and the public
• Assist with database design to support agency reporting needs