Open-Data Governance and Reuse of Administrative Datasets

Abstract

Background: The expansion of policy activity around open data has exposed a potential gap between formal design and day-to-day implementation, particularly in relation to administrative data.

Objective: We evaluated the administrative operation of policy concerning open data, emphasizing transparency, practical implementation conditions, and administrative data.

Methods: An original dataset of 13,308 administrative, contractual, case-level, or transaction records from 16 public bodies was examined. Variables represented timing, procedural steps, organizational characteristics, and outcomes, with fixed-effects, multivariable, or survival-type modelling applied to match the data structure.

Results: The analysis identified sizeable differences in open data across institutions. A combination of procedural clarity and coordination corresponded to an approximately 14% improvement in the principal outcome. Administrative capacity explained around 49% of between-unit variation, whereas fragmented oversight and information gaps were associated with poorer results.

Conclusion: The study suggests that variation in outcomes related to open data is driven substantially by how institutions organize implementation and oversight. This means that effective information governance depends on turning formal data or records obligations into routine, auditable administrative practice.

Study design: agency dataset and user study.

Publication history: Originally published in print on 15 June 2025, Volume 5, Article 14. Online abstract record added on 16 September 2026. Full-text PDF will be added when the digital galley is ready.