Open data to fight corruption: the case of France.
BY KALLIOPI BELOGIANNI
A broad understanding of corruption admits that corruption isn’t just an aggregation of some isolated acts between two different agents: the one who offers a bribe, and the one who receives it. Instead, corruption is a complex crime. It is driven by networks of officials, intermediaries and private stakeholders. By extend, in order to tackle corruption effectively, it is urgently needed to have a fully developed understanding of these networks by receiving as much information as possible. Nowadays, governments around the world see the necessity for the increase of their data availability. The growing amount of open data that can be freely used, modified and shared by everyone is increasingly becoming a common demand of many different citizens around the globe, and a priority for many governments. The argument is crystal clear: open data “can reinforce anti-corruption efforts by strengthening transparency, increasing trust in governments, and improving public sector integrity and accountability by reinforcing the rule of law through dynamic citizen participation, engagement, and multi- stakeholder collaboration” (1). Many efforts have seen the light of day in various contexts, as a lot of organizations recognise the need for discussion and further engagement on this matter, the G7, the G20 and the World Bank among others. However, it is always difficult to measure the impact of open data to fight corruption and how successfully, or not, open data obliged governments to be more accountable and transparent. Thus, we have to understand that data availability doesn’t automatically translate into effective data use.
The strong political desire of France to open up its data is highlighted since 2011. The country ranked fourth in the Open Data Barometer in 2015. France has committed at the international level as it has adopted the G8 Charter and the G20 Principles (as the principle of “open data by default”), and in April 2014 joined the Open Government Partnership (OGP). Furthermore, the OGP National Action Plan was published in July 2015. Containing 26 commitments, it aims to make available in open data format some public information (but not all public data). Additionally, on the domestic level the initiative of open data is supported and fully accompanied by a dedicated agency the Etalab which is created as the taskforce for Open Data and Open Government at the Office of the Prime Minister. In February 2011, Etalab oversees the promotion and implementation of France’s open data policy by promoting open data across government institutions, encouraging the reuse of open data, fostering an open data community and managing the government’s data platform (https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/). This platform was launched on December 2011 and gathers datasets from national administrations, from public institutions and, on a voluntary basis, from local authorities and public or private entities providing public services. Since December 2013, civil society organisations can also contribute to the platform.
Finally, it is important to highlight that even if France has been engaged theoretically with different principles on the matter of open data, anti -corruption is not a top-priority objective of French open data policy. Public officials are also not trained to use open data as a means to enhance the effectiveness of corruption prevention. Nonetheless, some efforts are being made to improve the situation. Some datasets useful for anti-corruption purposes are now made public, and Etalab is working to improve the utility of this data. Moreover, when it comes to the principle of inclusive development and innovation at the national level, progress has to be made in terms of education, training and political engagement. For example, many companies in some sectors do not open up their data because they want to, but because they are forced to. When it comes to open data and open data initiatives, it is crucial to admit that there is a general tendency to merely summarize existing government processes and pay little attention to the different uses and users of the data provided, often treating open data as an end in itself.
References
(1) OECD. (2017). Compendium of good practices on the publication and reuse of open data for anti-corruption across G20 countries: Towards data-driven public sector integrity and civic auditing. Paris: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, p. 11. http://www.oecd.org/corruption/g20-oecd-compendium-open-data-anti-corruption.htm
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