Open Data Barometer 2015, a global annual survey that measures and ranks the availability, readiness, and impact of open (government) data of nations ranked Nepal at position 68 among 92 countries surveyed. Nepal’s overall score is 13.09, Readiness score is 22, Implementation score is 12, and Impact score is 8. The scores are relative to world leader UK’s score of 100 in all measures – readiness, implementation, and impact. The scoring and rankings are comparable in other surveys, including the Open Knowledge’s Global Open Data Index in 2014 and 2015. This gives us a clear picture of state of Open Government Data in Nepal that Nepal’s government can be more open by implementing open government plans and actions and increasing the impact of open data on overall economy of Nepal.

This is actually a decrease in Nepal’s ranking compared to Open Data Barometer 2014 by 7 places. Nepal scored similar grades in 2014 as it did in 2015. The decrease in ranking, even though the scoring is similar helps us to understand that while Nepal has made no significant progress towards an open government, other countries leapfrogged Nepal. The same scenario repeated in Nepal Open Data Index 2015, which highlights the understanding of Open Data in the local cities of Nepal is very poor.  Open Data is steadily gaining momentum in Nepal, led by Civil Society, and joined by handful of government agencies. The progress made is slow.

The reasons for slow uptake of open data practices are many. One of them is that a state of confusion is created when people do not know about the meaning and benefits of Open Data due to lack of proper guidance and resources.

We are trying to localize Open Data Handbook in Nepali. We believe this Open Data Handbook Nepali Version will help Government policy makers, leaders and common citizens to understand about Data in their Native language easily and CSO can take their awareness program in next level by using the resources.

 

Need of Open Data Handbook in Nepal

We live in the generation where people want their government to be more Transparent and Accountable than ever and want to be engaged with every kinds of government decisions and activities to increase innovation & efficiency, which will lead their country towards sustainable development. The only way for the government to increase the citizens’ engagement in government activities and to increase transparency is Open Data. “Open Data is data that can be freely used, reused and redistributed by anyone – subject only, at most, to the requirement to attribute and sharealike.” Open Data not only increases transparency and accountability, but also promotes greater efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of public services by allowing users to easily consume and interpret data. Recent years have witnessed considerable enthusiasm over the opportunities offered by open data. Across sectors, it is widely believed today that we are entering a new era of information openness and transparency, and that this has the potential to spur economic innovation, social transformation, and fresh forms of political and government accountability.

Yet despite the evident potential of open data, and despite the growing amounts of information being released by governments and corporations, little is actually known about its use and impact. The condition of its is more poor in Nepal because Nepal lack resources in Native language for Open Data awareness. This Nepali Version Handbook will works as an perfect resource which government and CSO can use for awareness program.

Open Data Handbook (first issued in 2010 and regularly updated) is the guide to open data, and especially open government data is the project of Open Knowledge International. It has been translated into more than 18 languages including Chinese, English, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish, and has been used by governments and civil society organisations around the world as an introduction and blue-print for open data projects.

 

Who is leading Open Data Handbook Nepali Version

Open Knowledge Nepal the working group of Open Knowledge International in Nepal is leading the project. Open Knowledge is a nonprofit based in Cambridge, United Kingdom. In Nepal, Open Knowledge Nepal works as an open network of young people who are passionate about open data, open science, open development, and openness in general. Members of Open Knowledge Nepal have been working with other governmental and non-governmental organizations in works related to open knowledge, especially open data and open government data. The family of the group contains professors, students, activists, journalists, government officers from various fields as an members and supporters. Open Data and Transparency is one of the oldest thematic areas for the group and has been engaged with it since a while. The group has been involved in research, advocacy, training, organizing meetups and hackathons, and developing tools related to Open Data, Open Access, Open Development and others. It is a non-profit open network of open knowledge enthusiasts and was founded in 2013.

 

Methodology

1. Collecting and Finalizing resources in English language (Please find the draft here)
2. Translating the Resources
3. Review of Translation from Experts
4. Designing and Finalizing Handbook
5. Printing and Launch
6. Free printed book distribution within Government Organization

 

The name of the Individual or Organization Funders will be written in the book explicitly. Interested organization and individual can contact project co-ordinator: nikeshbalami@gmail.com for more information.