Open Data Census Finds States Lagging

Sarah Schacht shares insights into the recently completed U.S. States Open Data Census, which "benchmarked states' efforts while enlisting an open assessment process to encourage improvement." U.S. Open Data launched the census early in 2015, concluding in February 2016. During the process, states were allowed "to improve their results as the census looked into their open data initiatives."

Schacht interviewed Waldo Jaquith, U.S. Open Data's executive director, for the article, to get his insight both into the creation of the census as well as the results. Jaquith describes the process as overwhelmingly depressing, due to the lack of transparency and territorialism encountered during the process. Two states, however, stick out in Jaquith as exemplary in their treatment of open data and the census process: Connecticut and Washington.

The article also includes insight from Tyler Kleykamp, chief data officer for Connecticut, and Will Saunders, open data program manager for Washington.

To get an idea of how states' efforts compare to the open data work of cities, check out the U.S. City Open Data Census.