Enhancing Citizen Engagement with Open Government Data

The research deals primarily with the research question – How can engagement of civil society organizations with open government data be enhanced? To answer the question, an action research was conducted in two provinces in the Philippines. The research showed that for capacity building programs to be effective, they should be relevant to the condition of the CSOs and the individual needs of learners; conducted with a long-term view of ensuring use and actual impact to the organization and the constituencies that they serve; and focused on higher-order results like changes in practices and behavior of organizations and individuals

Opening the gates : will open data initiatives make local governments in the Philippines more transparent?

The research investigates whether the provision of local government information through government websites has affected both providers of the information, and its audience – the public, as represented by citizen groups. It argues that openness is not just about governments putting meaningful government data out into the public domain, but also about allowing the public to meaningfully engage with governments through the use of open government data. Policies will require observance of open government data standards, and ensuring that the public are made aware of, and are able to use the data