First municipal Open-Data BarCamp

At the first municipal Open-Data BarCamp on May 11 in Bochum, the approximately 70 representatives of local governments, federal and state ministries, academia and civil society took part in 16 engaging breakout sessions, contributing to the lively discussions either as session leaders or active participants. Initial topics were pitched using a pad prior to the meeting, and others were added later on site (Miro board with selected presentations). The topics discussed included metadata, transparency charters, data anonymization and data infrastructures. 

Last year, the Smart Country project joined with Difu, the German institute of urban affairs, to begin organizing digital network meetings that made it possible for participants to exchange ideas and transfer know-how. Our municipal survey from 2020 showed that the public administrators responsible for open data primarily wanted to interact with other local stakeholders in order to expand their knowledge. At the first four network meetings, attended by an average of 60 participants, experienced open-data managers from pioneering communities came together with others who are only now becoming acquainted with the topic.

The topics under discussion ranged from legal aspects (transparency charters) to technical issues (data infrastructures) and more general questions, such as how open data can help society become crisis-proof and sustainable.  

Here are some of the sessions held at the BarCamp:

• OGD Cockpit – Managing data catalogues
• Open data in rural settings: What if there’s no community?
• Metadata – DCAT-AP.de
• Licenses in practice
• 5 Stars: Inverting the path from data to benefits
• Covid 19 as a driver for open data
• Data Room: Culture

All of the BarCamp sessions are displayed on the Miro board for the event. Links are also provided to the pads that participants used to document the individual sessions. In addition, several presentations are available for download.

BarCamps make it possible for everyone to participate actively in discussions, an opportunity that the participants in Bochum gladly took advantage of. Since the people responsible for open data at the local level often work alone or in very small teams, everyone at the BarCamp was grateful for the in-person exchange with peers from other communities. As a result, the BarCamp not only promoted an exchange of experience among specialists, it also allowed participants to make new contacts. Many of those in attendance expressed the hope that similar events will be offered in the future. 

Our open-data network will continue to come together digitally (next meeting: June 13, 10:00 to 11:30 am). Anyone wishing to attend or who would like to receive information on upcoming events can register at the bottom of this page.