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DataVic Access Policy Review and Recommendations

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Contents

Executive Summary

DataVic Access Policy reviewContextBackgroundDefining open dataA review of comparable jurisdictionsCritiques of the DataVic Access PolicyHigh-level results of the review

Recommendations1. Establish a clear vision for open data by endorsing a new Open Data Policy2. Define policy outcomes to capture the full range of benefits of open data3. Explore options to measure and maximise the impact of open data, including

through collaborations with open data users and other jurisdictions4. Provide clear direction as to what data agencies are expected to release5. Consult with OVIC to mitigate the risk that open data could be

used to identify individuals6. Publish open data under permissive licences, with public domain

being the default7. Develop a category of ‘specialised data services’ to allow agencies to

recover costs of releasing data to sophisticated users, where the costs of doing so are significant

8. Work with agencies to prioritise the publication of datasets that further policy outcomes and build release into their data management practices

9. Engage the public on the proposed Open Data Policy10. Ensure policy and guidelines are easy to follow, relevant, and up-to-date

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Executive Summary

Open data confers a range of benefits. It can increase public trust and engagement with government, enable economic and social development, and support better data management within the public sector. To achieve these benefits requires strong policy direction and a focused approach to implementing the open data agenda.

Since 2012, the DataVic Access Policy has governed the release of Victorian Government data. Around 4,700 Victorian Government data collections are available on data.vic.gov.au. Victorians have come to expect to be able to find information about their Government.

The existing policy kickstarted the open data agenda in Victoria. However, the policy is now seven years old – an eternity in this rapidly evolving space. Comparable jurisdictions have updated their policies, and it is timely for Victoria to do the same. As such, the Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC) signalled in the Information Technology Strategy 2018-19 Action Plan that it would conduct a review of the policy.

The review makes ten recommendations to ensure that Victoria can continue to benefit from open data. The main recommendation to come out of the review is to replace the existing policy with a new Open Data Policy. The recommendations will be delivered by DPC.

A new policy provides the opportunity to reaffirm the Government’s commitment to open data. It will provide a clear vision to build a culture of proactive publication of open data to enhance access for citizens, researchers, businesses and other public sector entities.

An updated policy will deliver a broader range of benefits from open data through refreshed outcomes. In turn, this will better inform the decisions of data custodians about the publication and release of data. A new policy provides an opportunity to more effectively support departments and public bodies. This can be achieved through simpler policy principles, clearer guidelines and ongoing assistance from DPC.

Open data is for the benefit of the community and it is important that citizens have a say in the formulation of this policy. It is proposed that a draft version of the Open Data Policy be made public for consultation through Engage Victoria.

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DataVic Access Policy review

ContextThe DataVic Access Policy (‘existing policy’) was endorsed by Cabinet in August 2012 establishing the framework for the Victorian Government to release open data. The seven years that have elapsed since the existing policy was established have witnessed rapid transformation in the creation and use of data across government. This mirrors broader social trends whereby data has become a key component of modern social and commercial existence. Given this transformation, it is timely to reflect upon appropriate policy settings to ensure that the Victorian Government is well positioned for the emerging data future.

This review is authorised by the Victorian Government Information Technology Strategy 2018–19 Action Plan (specifically, Action 1), which sought recommendations to strengthen alignment with broader data activities across the Victorian Government.

The review was conducted by the Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC) and involved research, workshops and interviews with key stakeholders across the Victorian Public Service (VPS). It considers previous analysis by the Victorian Auditor-General and the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee (PAEC). The review makes ten recommendations to enhance Victoria’s approach to open data.

BackgroundThe release of open data can improve government transparency, support research and drive economic growth. The existing policy applies to departments and public bodies (‘agencies’)

defined by section 3 of the Financial Management Act 1994 and has facilitated the publication of government data through the DataVic portal: data.vic.gov.au.

The existing policy has achieved a cultural shift by promoting the active release of government data. It has delivered proven benefits. For example:

The Powerline Bushfire Safety Program Vegetation Detection Challenge used open data to reduce the risk of fires started by powerlines. The challenge involved participants using open government data to develop a way of discovering what plant species were touching powerlines.1 The program found that the ability to detect which species of vegetation is touching a powerline is an important capability to predict and prevent the outbreak of fires.

Open data has been used in innovation challenges such as GovHack, which brings together teams to build upon the data released by government. One application has been the development of an interactive dashboard to support decision making around road safety upgrades built upon transport, crash, weather and population datasets.2

1 DataVic: Powerline Bushfire Safety Program - Vegetation Detection Challenge. 2 GovHack: Crashboard Project info.

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Victorian open data is actively used in research with DataVic being cited in over 130 academic publications.

Agencies use open data to inform their work.

The DataVic portal is the main gateway to access open government data. The portal is managed by the DataVic team within DPC, which works with agencies to facilitate access to open data.

As of July 2019, just under 4,700 datasets could be discovered and accessed via the DataVic portal. Traffic to the site averages 17,500 views per month, leading to approximately 3,000 downloads of datasets per month. The top content accessed is public transport timetables, VicRoads crash statistics, maps of Victorian soil types and property boundaries.

The DataVic portal sits within a broader national ecosystem of open data initiatives including the Australian Bureau of Statistics,3 the Australian National Data Service,4 MAGDA,5 local government and Victorian agencies.6

Defining open dataMaking government data open and accessible is part of a global movement. The adoption of open data has been promoted by civil society groups7 and as part of open government initiatives.8 Releasing government data is a central part of responsible information management practices.

Governments produce a vast volume of data as part of their operations. Some of that data can never be released due to valid legal and regulatory restrictions, including privacy legislation. However, much government data is appropriate for release, and can deliver significant benefits if made accessible.

Three criteria need to be considered when establishing whether a dataset can be made open: classification, format and licence. The first relates to whether the data can be released or needs to be protected due to competing interests such as privacy or other confidentiality requirements (e.g. law enforcement, commercial sensitivity, or Cabinet-in-Confidence). The second relates to whether the dataset can be published in a non-propriety, machine-readable format. The third relates to whether the dataset can be released under a permissive licence.

A review of comparable jurisdictionsOpen government data has been adopted by many jurisdictions across the globe, including the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Canada.9 The World Wide Web Foundation assesses the progress of countries in using open data for accountability, innovation and social 3 abs.gov.au4 ands.org.au5 data.gov.au6 This includes: Crime Statistics Agency, Department of Education and Training, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, State Revenue Office, Public Transport Victoria, and VicRoads.7 See the Open Data Charter: opendatacharter.net and Open Data Institute: theodi.org8 Open Government Partnership: www.opengovpartnership.org/about/about-ogp. 9 United States: www.data.gov; United Kingdom: data.gov.uk; New Zealand: data.govt.nz; Canada: open.canada.ca/en/open-data.

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impact through the Open Data Barometer, ranking Canada and the United Kingdom equal first.10 Australia was positioned third in 2017.

The Commonwealth, states and territories all make government data open. This data is provided to citizens through the respective data portals.11 Local governments also release data either through the Commonwealth or state portals or by hosting their own, such as the City of Melbourne’s open data platform.12 Enhanced access is provided through Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that allow for direct access to the data, facilitating use across a range of applications.13

There is no standardised approach to defining open data across jurisdictions globally or in Australia. While some international organisations have provided principles, such as the Open Data Charter,14 these are only adopted in a piecemeal fashion. Instead, jurisdictions have created tailored principles that best achieve their desired policy outcomes.

In Australia there is divergence in the expression of the principles. Queensland has adapted the International Open Data Charter principles for use.15 Common elements in the policies of New South Wales,16 Western Australia,17 and Tasmania18 are: open by default, protected where required, discoverable, usable, and timely. The Australian Capital Territory adopts a similar approach but avoids ‘open by default’ for a focus on public data.19 The Commonwealth directs Australian government entities to make data ‘open by default’ to contribute to innovation and productivity improvements.20

South Australia has taken a different approach to open data. The policy is written in an active manner and provides six principles to support agency practices. The South Australian principles are: release data proactively, make open data discoverable and useable, licence open data for re-use, manage open data to make it reliable, make data free for everyone where the public benefits, and engage and collaborate.21

The review of jurisdictions shows that no two jurisdictions are alike. This reflects open data policies being situated within various data and information policy contexts. One common theme, however, is the need to support the policy with a robust implementation approach to help government agencies actively publish open data.

10 World Wide Web Foundation, Open Data Barometer (2017). 11 Commonwealth: data.gov.au; Victoria: data.vic.gov.au; New South Wales: data.nsw.gov.au; South Australia: data.sa.gov.au; Queensland: data.qld.vic.gov.au; Tasmania: www.thelist.tas.gov.au/app/content/home; Western Australia: data.wa.gov.au; Australia Capital Territory: www.data.act.gov.au; Northern Territory: data.nt.gov.au.12 City of Melbourne’s Open Data Platform: data.melbourne.vic.gov.au.13 For example, Victoria has the API Developer Portal. 14 Open Data Charter, International Open Data Charter. 15 Queensland Government, Open Data Policy Statement . The principles are: 1. Open by Default; 2. Timely and Comprehensive; 3. Accessible and Usable; 4. Comparable and Interoperable; 5. For Improved Governance and Citizen Engagement; 6. For Inclusive Development and Innovation.16 New South Wales, NSW Government Open Data Policy.17 Government of Western Australia, Whole of Government Open Data Policy. 18 Tasmanian Government Open Data Policy19 Australia Capital Territory, Proactive Release of Data (Open Data) Policy (2015).20 Australian Government Public Data Policy Statemen t (2015). 21 South Australia, Open Data principles.

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Critiques of the DataVic Access Policy While there is broad acceptance of the need for data release by government, the internal consultation during this review uncovered several concerns with the current approach. These included that open data was often perceived as a burden on data custodians, that it is difficult to demonstrate economic value, and that the existing policy framework does not provide enough support and guidance for implementation, creating uncertainty and risk around release. These findings echo the ethnographic research commissioned by DPC and the University of Melbourne.22

Such concerns are not unique to Victoria. For instance, open data researchers have examined the global impact of the open data and highlighted the difficultly in understanding benefits, noting that ‘[o]pen data is not a one-size-fits-all solution but instead plays out in different ways in different settings’.23 In the ten years since the global adoption of open data a key question is whether individuals, organisations, and governments are getting the most out of the initiatives.

There have also been two significant critiques of Victoria’s open data program. These were a by the Victorian Auditor-General in 2015, and the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee in 2017. A summary of these critiques follows.

Victoria Auditor-General’s Office – 2015In December 2015, the Victorian Auditor General’s Office (VAGO) published the Access to Public Sector Information report. The report discussed the operation of the DataVic Access Policy and noted there is no evidence that the existing policy was achieving its purported benefits.24 One criticism of the existing policy was the use of dataset quotas that ‘resulted in the release of easy to access, often low value data and the splitting of some datasets to achieve quotas’.25

The VAGO report stated that implementation needed to be refined. VAGO recommended that that the existing policy should move away from quotas to ‘the publication of high-value data collections’,26 that government create an evaluation framework to ‘better understand the potential and realised benefits’,27 and that the policy be integrated ‘into a more comprehensive whole-of-government IM [Information Management] framework’.28

DPC notes that the quota system has since been discontinued.

Public Accounts and Estimates Committee – 2017The PAEC Report on the 2016-17 Financial and Performance Outcomes investigated public access to government data. The report provided a detailed analysis relating to the operation of the existing policy and provided several recommendations. A key finding by PAEC was:

22 Suneel Jethani and Dale Leorke, Researching government worker attitudes to open data, (May 2019).23 Tim Davies, Stephen B. Walker, Mor Rubinstein, and Fernando Perini, The State of Open Data: Histories and Horizons (2017), 12.24 Victorian Auditor-General (VAGO), Access to Public Sector Information (VAGO Report, December 2015) 17.25 Ibid xi.26 Ibid 17. 27 Ibid 17.28 Ibid 17.

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Departments and agencies do not know who the major beneficiaries are of the data uploaded onto the DataVic website. As a result, reporting information on the policy in departmental annual reports is largely limited to the number of datasets made available on the website.29

This finding accords with the opinion of VAGO. To address this, there is a need to establish a clearer policy vision and outcomes to support the realisation of benefits.

In its recommendations, PAEC recommended that the Victorian Centre for Data Insights (VCDI) ‘develop a mission statement on the purpose and use of public sector data’ and undertake research relating to the effectiveness and use of open data.30 Additional recommendations by PAEC included reviewing the limitation on commercialisation of data sets,31 and establishing the release of high-value datasets.32

Management of data and information is important for agencies. PAEC found that there is a growing volume of administrative overhead relating to policy and process for agencies in adhering to relevant standards.33 PAEC called for DPC to ‘ensure that information management guidance and standards supplied to departments and agencies are clear, relevant, do not duplicate existing documentation and kept to a minimum’.34

These matters have all been borne in mind during the conduct of this review.

29 Public Accounts and Estimates Committee (PAEC), Report on the 2016-17 Financial and Performance Outcomes (2018), Finding 79, 143.30 PAEC Recommendation 37, 144.31 PAEC Recommendation 38, 146.32 PAEC Recommendation 39, 148.33 PAEC Recommendation 39, 148.34 PAEC Recommendation 43, 162.

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High-level results of the reviewThe review acknowledges the complexity of the data governance landscape and the diversity of systems and maturity levels across the VPS. The abovementioned reports raise legitimate questions about public sector information management and data governance practices. This review of the existing policy is not the appropriate vehicle to address all questions raised rather it focuses on challenges specific to open data. However, DPC will consider broader governance issues in the 2019 update of the Data Reform Strategy for the Victorian Public Service.

The key recommendation of this review is to create a new Open Data Policy to reflect contemporary data practices and align with terminology used by other jurisdictions. It recommends a more strategic approach to realising a wider range of benefits that Victoria can attain through its open data program, going beyond the current limited focus on productivity and economic stimulation. The next section of the report discusses these matters in greater detail.

It is proposed that the draft Open Data Policy prepared through this review be released for public consultation, to incorporate the views and expectations of the Victorian community. Following this, it is proposed that the new policy replace the DataVic Access Policy.

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Recommendations

1. Establish a clear vision for open data by endorsing a new Open Data Policy

This review of the DataVic Access Policy provides an opportunity to reflect on the existing policy settings, having regard to developments in the open data space and the critiques of the existing policy. Stakeholders across government agreed that it was timely to refresh the policy.

It is proposed that the DataVic Access Policy be replaced with a new Open Data Policy, supported by a robust implementation plan. The current use of the term ‘access’ implies a wider range of considerations, including sharing of data within government, which the policy does not address. Conflating ‘access’ and ‘open data’ is potentially confusing and out of step with other jurisdictions.

A clear vision is required for an effective open data program. This is articulated in the draft policy positioning Victoria as a world leader in the publication of open data. The new policy will help support cultural change across government towards more proactive publication of data. It should enhance access for a diverse range of users including citizens, researchers, business and other public sector entities.

A new Open Data Policy will allow the Victorian Government to refocus on the purpose and benefits of the policy and the impact of open data.

2. Define policy outcomes to capture the full range of benefits of open data

The DataVic Access Policy has the following expected benefits: ‘stimulate economic activity and drive innovation; increase productivity and improve decision making; improve research outcomes; and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government’.35

While these aspirations are laudable, there is broad consensus across government that they should be expanded to reflect the full range of benefits that open data confers, which are to:

Increase government transparency and public trust

Enable data-driven economic and social development in Victoria

Enhance public engagement with issues that affect the lives of Victorians

Support responsible data stewardship within the Victorian Government.

Further, DPC recommends framing the policy benefits as policy outcomes. This aligns with the Victorian Government’s emphasis on outcomes-based policy and public value.36

35 Department of Treasury and Finance, DataVic Access Policy (August 2012) 1. 36 Department of Premier and Cabinet, Outcomes Reform in Victoria .

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3. Explore options to measure and maximise the impact of open data, including through collaborations with open data users and other jurisdictions

The success of the policy should be measured with reference to the achievement of the outcomes. While measuring the benefits of open data is notoriously difficult, a broader set of outcomes provides more points of reference.

There is much anecdotal evidence about the economic value of open data. It is known, for example, that mapping and modelling of public transport and traffic data can deliver economic benefits, through the development of applications and the reduction of congestion.37

However, the larger claims for open data have not been substantiated. One 2014 study estimated that open government and research data could deliver $240 billion in value to Australia over the next 20 years,38 while McKinsey puts this figure at $64 billion annually.39 However, the lack of clear evidence suggests that there is not nearly as much economic value being created as these estimates predict.

It may never be possible to accurately measure the value of open data. However, it is important that open data practitioners in Victoria continue to strive to measure benefits. This should include expanding government’s understanding of who is using open data, by capturing data on users of the DataVic portal, and making inquiries about downstream uses. Such an assessment should also consider the cost of not releasing data. For example, users who rely on government data could be deprived of a vital dataset and agencies may face increased costs and administrative burdens in responding to requests for data.

One way to measure impact is by collaborating with other jurisdictions to support the development, testing and adoption of appropriate frameworks to understand the benefits of open data.

It is also important to seek out collaborations and partnerships across government, business, and the research and not-for-profit sectors. This can lead to new opportunities to identify demand for open data and maximise its use to achieve the outcomes.

Finally, it is also important to understand the whole-of-government cost to agencies of implementing the policy, to provide a better cost-benefit assessment of the open data program.

37 Deloitte, Assessing the value of TfL’s open data and digital partnerships (pdf) (July 2017). 38 Nicholas Gruen, John Houghton and Richard Tooth Open for Business: How Open Data Can Help Achieve the G20 Growth Target (Lateral Economics and Omidar Network, 2014), ix.39 James Manyika, Michael Chui, Peter Groves, Diana Farrell, Steve Van Kuiken, Elizabeth Almasi Doshi Open data: Unlocking innovation and performance with liquid information (McKinsey & Company, 2013).

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4. Provide clear direction as to what data agencies are expected to release

The Victorian Data Sharing Act 2017 defines data as:

meaning any facts, statistics, instructions, concepts or other information in a form that is capable of being communicated, analysed or processed, whether by an individual or by a computer or other automated means.

It is recommended that the definition in the policy mirror the legislative definition.

In terms of what data is covered by the policy, the existing policy restricts making data available for the reasons of privacy, public safety, security and law enforcement, public health, and compliance with the law. This definition should be amended to include reference to confidentiality, and to make security and law enforcement two separate categories to align with the Victorian Protective Data Security Framework.40

To understand the barriers data custodians face in implementing the policy, DPC supported research with the University of Melbourne to explore the experiences of government employees working in open data.41 The project provides an insight into the challenges faced by custodians working in open data. The research was led by Suneel Jethani from DPC and the University of Melbourne, and Dr Dale Leorke from the University of Tampere in Finland. The ethnographic research revealed the need to provide clear guidance and support to data custodians.

Jethani and Leorke reveal that active engagement with open data is limited to pockets within public sector organisations and open data initiatives do not have large staffing or budget resources.42 Accordingly, any policy must be pragmatic about the demands it places on agencies.

The existing policy principles impose wide-ranging requirements on custodians which are difficult to comply with. For instance, the central pillar of the existing policy is the requirement that all data is released unless it falls into an exception. This is a significant resourcing impost on agencies that is not practical, given resourcing and system constraints. A pragmatic response is shifting the emphasis of the principles away from ‘open by default’, to a requirement on agencies to ‘proactively release open data to achieve the policy outcomes’ (see Principle 1 of the draft policy). This gives agencies a frame of reference for prioritising data for release.

40 Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner, Victorian Protective Data Security Framework.41 Suneel Jethani and Dale Leorke, Researching government worker attitudes to open data, (May 2019).42 Ibid.

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5. Consult with OVIC to mitigate the risk that open data could be used to identify individuals

A small proportion of open data might contain unit-level de-identified data. Feedback received from the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner (OVIC) highlighted the risk of re-identification arising from the publication of unit-level data about individuals. While the risk can be reduced by applying de-identification techniques, some level of risk remains. The likelihood of re-identification becomes greater the more data can be combined.43

It is recommended that DPC consult with the independent regulator OVIC to provide clear guidance to agencies in the management and publication of open data to reduce the risk of re-identification.

6. Publish open data under permissive licences, with public domain being the default

Principle 2 of the DataVic Access Policy states that data is to be made available under flexible licences. This is further elaborated in the guidelines, which discuss the use of creative commons licences.44 The guidelines recommend release under the most permissive creative commons licence which requires attribution. The licence provides a non-exclusive use of the data.

It is recommended to continue the use of permissive licencing. The most permissive licence would be releasing data into the public domain. Such an approach would ensure that the release of open data accords with granting rights to intellectual property with the fewest possible restrictions.45

43 Vanessa Teague, Chris Culnane and Benjamin Rubinstein, Protecting unit-record level personal information, (OVIC, May 2018).44 DataVic Access Policy Guidelines, (2015), 19.45 Whole of Victorian Government Intellectual Property Policy (2012), cl 2, 3.

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7. Develop a category of ‘specialised data services’ to allow agencies to recover costs of releasing data to sophisticated users, where the costs of doing so are significant

The existing policy settings restrict the capacity to recover costs of providing data. This can result in the provision of access to services that may not meet the requirements of some sophisticated users. For example, the user may have specific bandwidth or data volume needs or require a guaranteed level of service that government is not able to subsidise.

The Whole of Victorian Government Intellectual Property Policy (IP Policy) restricts the application of commercialisation and cost-recovery to those circumstances where there is ‘an explicit statutory function’,46 or if there is explicit authorisation ‘by the Treasurer to do so because of a clear net benefit to the Victorian community’.47

Cost-recovery could be an option to increase access and utility where there is a clear cost to the government in providing access to data for a specific commercial or research purpose. Paid access is a mechanism to provide a service that would not have been possible otherwise.

New Zealand has a sensible approach regarding pricing. It imposes an expectation that government data is free and discourages charging.48 However, it allows for pricing to cover costs where appropriate and clearly demonstrated that ‘pricing will not act as a barrier to the use or re-use of the data’.49 The ‘price should be transparent, consistent, reasonable and the same cost to all requestors’.50

South Australia allows cost-recovery in limited circumstances, developing an approach that balances public and private benefits and restricts cost-recovery to circumstances where the benefits are predominately private.51

Adopting a similar approach in Victoria would provide a safeguard, limiting cost-recovery to the provision of specialised data services. This will enhance access to data, allowing for organisations to negotiate increased access based on bandwidth, throughput, or updates. Such access would supplement open data and allow for greater downstream use of data.

If this approach is endorsed, DPC will work with the Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF) to seek authorisation from the Treasurer for cost-recovery for a ‘specialised data services’ category of open data in accordance with the Cost Recovery Guidelines.52

This review makes no recommendation regarding other commercialisation and cost recovery arrangements under the IP Policy.

46 Ibid cl 8 (a).47 Ibid cl 8 (b). 48 New Zealand, Data and Information Management Principles (2011). 49 Ibid.50 Ibid.51 South Australia, Open Data Framework: Principals and Agency Planning. 52 Department of Treasury and Finance, Cost Recovery Guidelines (January 2013).

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8. Work with agencies to prioritise the publication of datasets that further policy outcomes and build release into their data management practices

Given the breadth of data being created and acknowledging practical realties, agencies should be actively encouraged to prioritise the publication of datasets that further the policy outcomes.

There is a perception of risk concerning the release of data by custodians, meaning many are reluctant or do not release appropriate data sets. Data custodians fear that the data contains errors or might be used in a manner that results in negative analysis.

Not all uses of open data can be contemplated in advance and risks can never be entirely eliminated. However, risks can be appropriately managed by actively considering the suitability of data for public release as part of collection. Establishing the release profile of data at collection will ensure open data is a key component of data management.

9. Engage the public on the proposed Open Data Policy

The Victorian Government recognises the public benefits arising from the provision of access to open data. Updating the policy settings will impact a wide variety of stakeholders including the public, users of government data, the public sector and data custodians. The data landscape is evolving rapidly with new technologies and practices emerging that have the potential to radically transform the scope, dimension and parameters of the policy.

To ensure that the policy settings are pointing in the right direction, public engagement is essential. As part of this review, it is recommended that there is active public engagement on the draft Open Data Policy through Engage Victoria.

10. Ensure policy and guidelines are easy to follow, relevant, and up-to-date

During the review, stakeholders identified that the guidelines are too long and difficult to follow. The guidelines will need to be updated to reflect the changes to the policy, and it is important that they be as concise and user-friendly as possible.

As the data landscape is rapidly evolving it is important to ensure that Victoria’s approach to open data aligns with best practice. The policy and guidelines should be regularly reviewed and updated where appropriate to ensure Victoria continues to realise the benefits of open data.

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