Policy paper

UK Open Government Partnership National Action Plan 2016-18: Commitments from the Welsh Government

Published 7 December 2016

1. UK Open Government Partnership National Action Plan 2016-18: Commitments from the Welsh Government

  • Commitment 1: Open data plan
  • Commitment 2: Open data service
  • Commitment 3: StatsWales
  • Commitment 4: Administrative Data Research Centre Wales
  • Commitment 5: Government Social Research Publication Protocol
  • Commitment 6: Gov.Wales
  • Commitment 7: Code of Practice for Ethical Employment in Supply Chains
  • Commitment 8: Well-being of Future Generations Act – National Indicators for Wales
  • Commitment 9: Well-being duty on specified public bodies in Wales

2. Commitment 1: Open data plan

2.1 Develop and implement an open data plan for Welsh Government and work towards achieving the commitments outlined within the plan.

Objective

To develop a plan that outlines Welsh Government’s ongoing commitment to open data and increase awareness of open data across Welsh Government.

Status quo

Within Welsh Government we are already striving to increase the accessibility to our data through websites such as Lle and StatsWales. However there is more that can be done to increase the openness and transparency of our data.

There also needs to be greater awareness of the potential opportunities and benefits that open data can provide to the people of Wales, businesses, the public service sector and Welsh Government. Implementation of our Open Data Plan and its commitments should help address these issues.

Ambition

Whilst work is already ongoing in the field of open data within Welsh Government we hope that implementation of this Open Data Plan will raise awareness, consolidate ongoing work and demonstrate Welsh Government’s commitment to open data. The plan will hopefully also provide a practical opportunity to work with and encourage public service organisations to increase their publication and use of open data.

Lead implementing organisation

Welsh Government

Timeline

March 2016 – March 2018

OGP value

Access to information

New or ongoing commitment

New and ongoing

Other actors involved - government

None

Other actors involved - CSOs, private sector, working groups, multilaterals

None

Verifiable and measurable milestones to fulfill the commitment New or ongoing commitment Start Date End Date
Implement commitments outlined within the Welsh Government Open Data Plan New and ongoing March 2016 March 2018

3. Commitment 2: Open data service

3.1 Develop an Open Data Service for Wales with a focus on helping improve public services.

Objective

To increase the openness and amount of data about Wales that is published by Welsh Government and other public sector bodies.

Status quo

Only a subset of data about Wales held by Welsh Government and other public sector partners is currently published.

Ambition

Developing an Open Data Service for Wales will increase the accessibility and the amount of data published by Welsh Government and other public sector bodies in Wales. Furthermore making more data openly available will hopefully help improve public services in Wales.

Lead implementing organisation

Welsh Government

Timeline

March 2016 – March 2017

OGP values

Access to information; Technology and innovation

New or ongoing commitment

Ongoing

Other actors involved - government

Welsh Government initiative publishing data for Wales, some of which may emanate from other government departments.

Other actors involved - CSOs, private sector, working groups, multilaterals

Users have been involved in the development of the StatsWales site, e.g. providing feedback, and being updated in various user forums. This has included our user group covering the third sector.

We’re working to allow other public sector partners to publish via StatsWales with their own logo. To date only the Welsh Language Commissioner has done so.

Verifiable and measurable milestones to fulfill the commitment New or ongoing commitment Start Date End Date
StatsWales data published in machine readable format Ongoing June 2016 Ongoing
StatsWales training material on improvements prepared and delivered New November 2016 December 2017
Lle developed to allow users to build their own maps Ongoing January 2016 January 2017
Open data catalogue produced Ongoing October 2016 December 2016

4. Commitment 3: StatsWales

4.1 Develop StatsWales, the Welsh Government’s online repository for detailed statistical data, to increase its openness rating to 4*.

Objective

To increase the openness and amount of structured data that is published by Welsh Government and other public sector bodies.

Status quo

Only a subset of data about Wales held by Welsh Government and other public sector partners is currently published. Whilst StatsWales publishes structured data openly there is a need to increase its openness rating.

Ambition

Through this commitment we will improve the openness of data published by Welsh Government, enabling our data to be freely shared and used by others.

Lead implementing organisation

Welsh Government

Timeline

March 2016 – December 2017

OGP values

Access to information; Technology & innovation

New or ongoing commitment

New

Other actors involved - government

Welsh Government initiative publishing data for Wales, some of which may emanate from other government departments.

Other actors involved - CSOs, private sector, working groups, multilaterals

Users have been involved in the development of the site, e.g. providing feedback, and being updated in various user forums. This has included our user group covering the third sector.

We’re working to allow other public sector partners to publish via StatsWales with their own logo. To date only the Welsh Language Commissioner has done so.

Verifiable and measurable milestones to fulfill the commitment New or ongoing commitment Start Date End Date
StatsWales data published in machine readable format Ongoing June 2016 Ongoing
StatsWales guidance and training videos prepared and published New November 2016 December 2016
Accreditation of StatsWales carried out successfully New September 2016 March 2017
StatsWales training material prepared and delivered New November 2016 December 2017

5. Commitment 4: Administrative Data Research Centre Wales

5.1 In partnership with the Administrative Data Research Centre Wales, the Welsh Government will work to ensure that access to government datasets is available in a secure and safe manner for the purposes of academic and public sector research. Furthermore, such access is promoted to maximise the use of such data for research that is published and made available to support better decisions.

Objective

Secure and ethical access to data held by government to accredited academic and public sector researchers in approved safe environments with appropriate controls in place, leading to published research for the public good.

Status quo

To overcome barriers to access to data for academic or public sector research purposes.

Ambition

Through this commitment we will improve the public value of government data by ensuring it is available to use to produce high quality, published, research that will inform public policy and improve the lives of citizens.

Lead implementing organisation

Welsh Government

Timeline

Continuous

OGP value

Access to information

New or ongoing commitment

New

Other actors involved - government

UK Statistics Authority

Other actors involved - CSOs, private sector, working groups, multilaterals

Administrative Data Research Centre – Wales (academic partnership); ESRC; Administrative Data Research Network Board

Verifiable and measurable milestones to fulfill the commitment New or ongoing commitment Start Date End Date
Publish further research in partnership with the Administrative Data Research Centre-Wales by the end of the financial year Ongoing March 2015 March 2017
Increase the number of public sector datasets available for Welsh researchers through the ADRC-W by the end of the financial year Ongoing March 2015 March 2017
Pilot techniques for local authorities to supply data for research in the ADRC-W by the end of the financial year New September 2016 March 2017

6. Commitment 5: Government Social Research Publication Protocol

6.1 Welsh Government will continue to publish government research according to the Government Social Research Publication Protocol, with reports pre-announced and published on the ‘Statistics & Research’ pages of the Welsh Government website. Publication of social research reports, according to the GSR publication protocol, is a key part of the Welsh Government Principles for Research and Evaluation.

Objective

To publish research according to the Government Social Research publication protocol.

Status quo

The Government Social Research publication protocol has been adopted to increase the transparency of evidence used by the Welsh Government.

Ambition

Publication of research puts the evidence Government uses in its decisions in the public domain and also provides research findings useful for other public and third sector bodies to inform their own decision making.

Lead implementing organisation

Welsh Government (Social Research and Information Division)

Timeline

While the GSR publication protocol has been in use by Welsh Government since its introduction in 2010, there has been Ministerial commitment to the use of the protocol from March 2014.

OGP values

Access to information; Public accountability

New or ongoing commitment

Ongoing

Other actors involved - government

Welsh Government

Other actors involved - CSOs, private sector, working groups, multilaterals

None

Verifiable and measurable milestones to fulfill the commitment New or ongoing commitment Start Date End Date
Using the GSR publication protocol for all research publications. Ongoing March 2010 Ongoing
Ministerial commitment to use of Government Social Research publication protocol. Ongoing March 2014 Ongoing

7. Commitment 6: Gov.Wales

7.1 We will make our information and services easier to find and consume by consolidating our digital content on a new Welsh Government website that is focussed on meeting user needs. The site will include an improved consultation service.

Objective

Build a new GOV.WALES to improve access to Welsh Government information and services

Status quo

The Welsh Government publishes information on more than 150 websites. Information is presented inconsistently and is sometimes duplicated. Users do not know whether they have found all Welsh Government information on a particular issue.

Ambition

GOV.WALES will accommodate practically all Welsh Government information and services, making it easier for users to understand what we do and how we are performing. It will provide a clearer picture of the public sector in Wales, increasing accountability by allowing the public to see and access those bodies that are working on their behalf. The new consultations service will provide a better way for the public to participate in our decision-making process.

Lead implementing organisation

Welsh Government

Timeline

1 April 2015 – 30 June 2019

OGP values

Access to information; Civic participation; Public accountability

New or ongoing commitment

New

Other actors involved - government

None

Other actors involved - CSOs, private sector, working groups, multilaterals

Welsh citizens are involved in the testing of the website.

Verifiable and measurable milestones to fulfill the commitment New or ongoing commitment Start Date End Date
Launch beta consultations service, including response forms that users can save New July 2016 September 2016
Launch beta campaigns platform New October 2016 November 2016
Launch beta public bodies platform New January 2017 March 2017
Publish first tranche of beta corporate content New October 2016 April 2017
Publish remaining corporate content New May 2017 June 2019

8. Commitment 7: Code of Practice for Ethical Employment in Supply Chains

8.1 Welsh Government will develop a code for ethical supply chain behaviour, that will ensure awareness and understanding of actions to mitigate against ethical supply chain issues.

Objective

To achieve high levels of sign-up to 12 commitments aimed at promoting the legal and ethical treatment of workers.

Status quo

Unethical and illegal treatment of workers in public sector supply chains.

Ambition

One ambition of this piece of work is to raise awareness of the prevalence of modern slavery in our supply chains and take actions to address areas of high risk.

Another ambition is to raise and level the playing field in Wales so that suppliers that wish to employ workers ethically are not disadvantaged in bidding for public contracts.

A third ambition is to encourage the more widespread adoption of the Living Wage Foundation’s Living Wage (based on the costs of living).

Lead implementing organisation

Welsh Government

Timeline

March 2016 – early in 2017

OGP value

Public accountability

New or ongoing commitment

New

Other actors involved - government

Public sector organisations in Wales

Other actors involved - CSOs, private sector, working groups, multilaterals

Businesses and third sector organisations in Wales.

Verifiable and measurable milestones to fulfill the commitment New or ongoing commitment Start Date End Date
First draft completed and introduced at Procurex New March 2016 September 2016
Task and Finish Group established and first meeting set-up New October 2016 November 2016
Engagement with business and third sector New October 2016 Early 2017
Ethical supply chain code launch New Early in 2017 Early 2017
Sign-up New Ongoing Ongoing

9. Commitment 8: Well-being of Future Generations Act – National Indicators for Wales

9.1 To measure progress towards the achievement of the seven well- being goals for Wales set out in the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, and report on them annually.

Objective

In order to improve the social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being of Wales the Welsh Government has developed a set of National Indicators to measure progress against the 7 well-being goals outlined in the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. In doing so an open and transparent approach is being taken in the development and communication of the National Indicators and the data that underpins them.

Status quo

Measuring national progress against the seven well-being goals for Wales set out in the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015

Ambition

If we are to collectively achieve the seven well-being goals set out in the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, we need a way of measuring, at a national level, what progress is being made. The 46 National Indicators for Wales are intended to measure progress against the seven well-being goals and have been prepared following public consultation. They will be reported on annually through a ‘Well-being Report for Wales’.

Lead implementing organisation

Welsh Government

Timeline

March 2016 – early in 2017

OGP value

Access to information

New or ongoing commitment

New

Other actors involved - government

Specified public bodies under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015

Other actors involved - CSOs, private sector, working groups, multilaterals

Future Generations Commissioner for Wales

Auditor General for Wales

Verifiable and measurable milestones to fulfill the commitment New or ongoing commitment Start Date End Date
1. Lay the ‘National Indicators for Wales’ before the National Assembly for Wales. Ongoing April 2015 March 2016
Produce the first Annual Well-being Report for Wales Ongoing April 2016 Summer 2017

10. Commitment 9: Well-being duty on specified public bodies in Wales

10.1 All public bodies, listed in the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, have a duty to set and publish well-being objectives that outline how they will contribute to achieving each of the well-being goals and take reasonable steps to meet those objectives.

Objective

Requiring public bodies to do things in pursuit of the economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being of Wales in a way that accords with the sustainable development principle; to require public bodies to report on such action.

Status quo

A more consistent approach to the well-being of Wales throughout the Welsh public sector.

Ambition

It will place a legal duty on specified public bodies to take account of the importance of involving people that reflect the diversity of the population in their decision making.

Lead implementing organisation

Welsh Government

Timeline

April 2016 onwards

OGP value

Civic participation

New and ongoing commitment

New legislative commitment under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015

Other actors involved - government

The 43 Specified public bodies under the Act

Other actors involved - CSOs, private sector, working groups, multilaterals

Future Generations Commissioner for Wales

Auditor General for Wales

Verifiable and measurable milestones to fulfill the commitment New or ongoing commitment Start Date End Date
Legal duty comes into force New legal commitment April 2016 April 2016
Public Bodies publish their first wellbeing objectives New April 2016 April 2017
Public Service Boards - Assessment of local wellbeing New April 2016 May 2017

For further information please visit the Welsh Government’s web pages