DOVER – Citizen coders and civic technologists from across Delaware are set to take on the state’s second annual Open Data Challenge, harnessing the power of public datasets to come up with new solutions to big statewide problems.

Coordinated by Open Data Delaware and the Department of State’s Government Information Center, ODC18 is a series of events and workshops that will allow participants to review and analyze information hosted on the state’s Open Data Portal, then design new apps, websites or programs that will put the data to good use. Teams with the best ideas and the most promising prototypes will be eligible for grant funding to allow them to continue their work.

“The Challenge is designed to get people to think differently about solving problems in our communities,” said Secretary of State Jeff Bullock. “We’re encouraging a new way of approaching citizen engagement, collaboration and innovation based on the public data collected by state government.”

For ODC18, two of the state’s largest public agencies, the Department of Transportation and the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, have posed a simple question: How can we make sure that all Delawareans have full access to our state’s public forests, beaches and parks – and that they know which roads, buses, trails and bike routes can take them there?

“Delaware has so many recreational options across the state, and we want to make sure everyone who has a desire to visit these destinations has the ability to do so,” said Secretary of Transportation Jennifer Cohan. “Partnering with DNREC and Open Data Delaware, we can harness the creative energy of anyone who would like to participate and offer their ideas.”

“We use the Open Data Portal to share data and information about the natural resources the Department manages,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “We are excited to join DelDOT and other partners in this challenge and take the next step toward full public use of our data. We can learn more about how people enjoy Delaware’s great outdoors and our outstanding recreational opportunities. We will find new partners, in and outside of government, and we will gain new perspectives that will help us do our jobs better.”

Examples of the datasets that ODC18 participants could use for their projects include traffic counts and bus schedules, and maps of bike routes, public lands and nature preserves – all available via the state’s Open Data Portal at data.delaware.gov or the GIS Mapping Tool, firstmap.delaware.gov.

The launch of this year’s Challenge was coupled with Gov. John Carney’s signing of Executive Order 18, which gives executive branch agencies until Sept. 30 to deliver an inventory of new data sets that can be added to the portal.

The first major event in the ODC18 series is an “Ideation Session” scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 25, hosted by the Horn Program in Entrepreneurship at the University of Delaware. The Challenge culminates in May after a month-long Data Jam where teams will take what they’ve learned from Delaware’s data and design prototype solutions to address the challenge prompt.

Challenge teams will be eligible for a total of $32,000 in grant funding, contributed by DelDOT and DNREC, including a top prize of $20,000 for any prototype that combines data from both agencies and serves to advance each of their missions. Tech Impact, a nationwide nonprofit that helps community groups develop and use technology, will administer the grant awards.

“Last year I saw firsthand the social innovation that was unlocked by the use of these data sets,” said Patrick Callahan, executive director of Tech Impact. “Gov. Carney’s recent executive order to expand the data sets, coupled with this year’s Open Data Challenge, will surely allow that innovation to continue. It will be really exciting to watch as this year’s competition focuses on using some of the new data to focus on developing civic solutions.”

For more information on the 2018 Open Data Challenge watch this short video and visit opendatachallenge.com.

Executive Order 18 expands the Council to include all Executive Branch agencies

 

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney on Monday signed Executive Order 18, expanding the Delaware Open Data Council to include members from all Executive Branch agencies to promote data sharing. The Governor was joined by members of his Cabinet, technology entrepreneurs and Open Data advocates at The Mill in Wilmington for the Executive Order signing.

The Council brings together a team from state government focused specifically on making more data available to members of the public via the state’s Open Data Portal which streamlines access to public information and enhances government transparency. Established by Executive Order 57 in October 2016, the Open Data Portal is a centralized website that connects the public with non-identifiable public data across state agencies and provides interactive features that allow users to browse and sort information. The public can utilize more than 200 data items through maps, charts, and graphs to visualize it in new and innovative ways. Since its launch, the Open Data Portal has had more than 3.5 million page views. Eleven new data sets were added last year, including Delaware business licenses and air quality monitoring, among others.

“Open Data and data sharing are an integral part of government transparency, efficiency and accountability,” said Governor Carney. “Expanding the Open Data Council to include members from all Executive Branch agencies will help facilitate the work we’ve begun through the Family Services Cabinet Council, and allow us to share and analyze data to effectively deliver services and allocate resources for Delawareans.”

The Delaware Open Data Council, which will now include members from 18 state agencies and offices, is charged with making data available to the public, establishing a statewide data strategy, and recommending standards and policies governing the posting of public data and data sharing among state agencies.

“Our state agencies have a vast treasure trove of data and we can tap into that potential to help solve real-world problems, improve the delivery of government services and enrich the quality of life for Delaware’s citizens,” said Chief Information Officer James Collins. “Great ideas can come from anyone, anywhere. By making this information available to everyone we create even more opportunities for innovative solutions.”

“Open data is all about building partnerships and using the power of information to fill the gaps between state agencies, community groups, businesses and the average Delawarean,” said Secretary of State Jeff Bullock. “The best ideas require collaboration to come to fruition, and I’m proud that the Department of State is a part of the next wave of new thinking in Delaware.”

“Over the past two years, Open Data Delaware has been excited to see the State’s commitment to open data grow,” said Ryan Harrington of Open Data Delaware. “In those two years, we have seen Delaware transition to a system that makes it easier than ever for anyone to access critical information about the state, giving advocates the opportunity to improve their communities and entrepreneurs more resources to grow companies. The inclusion of every Executive Branch agency into Delaware’s Open Data Portal furthers the ability for people to gain the information that they need to build upon this work.”

“Tech Impact is proud to support Governor Carney and his administration in expanding the Open Data Council,” said Tech Impact Executive Director Patrick Callihan. “Delaware has taken a leadership role in exposing data sets and enabling a transparent government. Some of that data has already been used to create public and social benefit for the state and this greater commitment will surely increase the opportunities to develop solutions to some of our most difficult social issues.”

Members of the public are invited to recommend additional datasets for inclusion in the Open Data Portal by visiting data.delaware.gov/nominate.

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