[okfn-discuss] Fwd: [Sunlight International] Introducing the Open Contracting Data Standard!

Tue Nov 18 13:21:35 UTC 2014

See:
http://bit.ly/opencontractingstandard

Congrats all for the hard work. I'll be curious to see how pro-active
governments are in releasing data in this format more directly. I've just
passed this around my state of Minnesota via our large Open Twin Cities
Google Group asking that question and I encourage you to pass this around
your country/state/region encouraging uptake by governments directly. -
Steven Clift

From: Felipe Estefan <felipe.estefan.g at gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Nov 18, 2014 at 5:45 AM
Subject: [Sunlight International] Introducing the Open Contracting Data
Standard!
To: Open Contracting Partnership <partnership at open-contracting.com>

Dear all -

At the Open Contracting Partnership we are thrilled to share with you Version
1.0 of the Open Contracting Data Standard
<http://standard.open-contracting.org/>.

The Open Contracting Data Standard <http://standard.open-contracting.org>seeks
to serve as a guiding best practice for all those wishing to disclose or to
advocate for the disclosure of contracting data. It was developed through a
year-long process of consultations, and we are grateful to many of you who
provided key inputs as part of that process.

We are hopeful that the Open Contracting Data Standard will help us ensure
that all public contracting becomes truly public, and by doing so, enhance
government effectiveness, foster private sector growth, empower civil
society, and, ultimately, lead to better outcomes for all.

If you have questions or comments on the Standard
<http://standard.open-contracting.org>, or ideas on how it could applied in
the context of your own work, please don't hesitate to let us know. We look
forward to continue collaborating with many of you.

With best wishes, and with apologies for any cross-postings,

Felipe
--------------------------
@FelipeEstefan
+1 (315) 420-7464

   Open Contracting Data Standard launches globally today

*November 18, 2014: *Governments around the world are adopting and
implementing a new data standard that has launched today and which seeks to
make public procurement more robust, transparent and accessible. Countries
at the forefront of this process include: Canada, Costa Rica, Colombia,
Mexico, Paraguay and the UK.

The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)
<http://standard.open-contracting.org> - a product of the Open Contracting
Partnership
<http://www.open-contracting.org?e=dd07b5f4ee805dadedc34b71b173b62d45e392a6&utm_source=opencontracting&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ocds_announce&n=1>,
developed by the World Wide Web Foundation
<http://www.open-contracting.org/r?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.webfoundation.org&utm_campaign=ocds_announce&n=2&e=dd07b5f4ee805dadedc34b71b173b62d45e392a6&utm_source=opencontracting&utm_medium=email>
through
a project supported by Omidyar Network
<http://www.open-contracting.org/r?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.omidyar.com&utm_campaign=ocds_announce&n=3&e=dd07b5f4ee805dadedc34b71b173b62d45e392a6&utm_source=opencontracting&utm_medium=email>
and
the World Bank
<http://www.open-contracting.org/r?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.worldbank.org&utm_campaign=ocds_announce&n=4&e=dd07b5f4ee805dadedc34b71b173b62d45e392a6&utm_source=opencontracting&utm_medium=email>
-
will shine a light onto how trillions of dollars of public money are spent,
helping to fight corruption, improve service delivery and enhance market
efficiency.

Challenge

Every year, governments worldwide spend more than 9.5 trillion USD on
contracts but when, where and how the money is spent in the contracting
process is, at the moment, largely invisible.

Now, for the first time, governments are being given the tools to open
their contracting data in a consistent, visible and accessible way. Through
the OCDS, governments are able to be more effective, to drive growth and to
increase public engagement and trust in their contracting systems.

About the Standard

The first version of the OCDS sets out key documents and data that should
be published at each stage of a contracting process, alongside a fully
documented open data specification.It was created through a year-long
development project, looking at the existing supply of contracting data in
over 15 countries, and working with users of contracting data to understand
their needs. It ensures contracting data that is published is accessible
and consistent for everyone to compare and analyze, and promotes a fairer
playing field for businesses.

The ongoing development of the Standard will be led by the Open Contracting
Partnership, which will continue to collaborate with publishers and users
as they adopt the Standard to further develop specifications and guidance.

Gavin Hayman, incoming Executive Director of the Open Contracting
Partnership said:

*"It is time to end secret deals between companies and governments to make
sure public resources are spent openly, effectively and efficiently. Having
accessible, comparable data covering the key items of information in a deal
is key to achieving this objective."*

Anne Jellema, CEO of the World Wide Web Foundation said:

*"Corruption adds an estimated $2.3 trillion to the cost of government
contracts every year. This new standard is a big step forward in the fight
to eliminate fraud and waste in public procurement, enabling contracts to
be published online in a transparent, consistent and user-friendly format
so that anyone can monitor them."*

Laura Bacon, principal on the Government Transparency policy and advocacy
team at Omidyar Network, said:

*“Omidyar Network congratulates the open contracting team on the launch of
its Open Contracting Data Standard. This technical standard has the
potential to make contracting data more accessible and searchable around
the globe, and we are pleased that early adopting governments will pioneer
this specification. An open contracting process holds the promise of more
engaged citizens, improved services, and more accountable governance.”*

The benefits of open contracting

   - For governments - open contracting creates a fairer system, results in
   more robust and reliable contract outcomes and delivers efficiency, as well
   as provides the potential to increase trust and transparency with the
   public.
   - For non-governmental organisations (NGOs)/data businesses - open
   contracting enables them to access and review details of public contracting
   processes and to monitor spending to ensure that citizens are getting the
   best outcomes
   - For businesses - open contracting increases  transparency by allowing
   them to access data, analyse markets and grow more efficient and more
   competitive. They can bid for government contracts on a level-playing
   field.
   - For the general public - by making contracting data available to be
   analysed and interpreted, governments enable citizens to see how and why
   their money is being spent, creating the opportunity for the public to get
   involved in decision making.

Robert Hunja, Director for Public Integrity and Openness of the World Bank
and the Chair of the Advisory Board of Directors of the Open Contracting
Partnership said:

*"The path to a better future for all begins with an informed citizenry.
Making contracting data more open builds trust between citizens and
governments and allows them work together to ensure public resources are
spent in the best way possible.”*

Jeni Tennison, Technical Director of the UK Open Data Institute and OCP
Advisory Board member said:

*“Publishing open contracting data does not just help increase transparency
and accountability, but also provides a vital source of information that
can be incorporated into decision making by governments and businesses”.*

The OCP is inviting governments and businesses to adopt and implement the
standard to publish contracting data, and it is asking NGOs and citizens to
access, monitor and use the data published.

*The Standard is available at* http://standard.open-contracting.org
<http://www.open-contracting.org/r?u=http%3A%2F%2Fstandard.open-contracting.org&utm_campaign=ocds_announce&n=5&e=dd07b5f4ee805dadedc34b71b173b62d45e392a6&utm_source=opencontracting&utm_medium=email>
 *About the OCP: *(www.open-contracting.org
<http://www.open-contracting.org?e=dd07b5f4ee805dadedc34b71b173b62d45e392a6&utm_source=opencontracting&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ocds_announce&n=6>
) The Open Contracting Partnership is a collaborative effort founded in
2012 aimed at increasing disclosure and participation in all stages of
public contracting, including tendering, performance, and implementation.
The Open Contracting Partnership focuses on ensuring that governments are
as effective and efficient as they can be, that private sector can grow and
prosper, and that citizens receive the goods and services that they need
and deserve.

*About the World Wide Web Foundation*: (www.webfoundation.org
<http://www.open-contracting.org/r?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.webfoundatin.org&utm_campaign=ocds_announce&n=7&e=dd07b5f4ee805dadedc34b71b173b62d45e392a6&utm_source=opencontracting&utm_medium=email>
) Established by the inventor of the Web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the World
Wide Web Foundation seeks to establish the open Web as a global public good
and a basic right, creating a world where everyone, everywhere can use the
Web to communicate, collaborate and innovate freely. Represented by more
than a dozen nationalities working from hubs in London, Washington DC and
Cape Town, the World Wide Web Foundation operates at the confluence of
technology and human rights, targeting three key areas: Access, Voice and
Participation.

*About Omidyar Network: *(www.omidyar.com
<http://www.open-contracting.org/r?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.omidyar.com%2F&utm_campaign=ocds_announce&n=8&e=dd07b5f4ee805dadedc34b71b173b62d45e392a6&utm_source=opencontracting&utm_medium=email>)
Omidyar Network is a philanthropic investment firm dedicated to harnessing
the power of markets to create opportunity for people to improve their
lives. Established in 2004 by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and his wife Pam,
the organization invests in and helps scale innovative organizations to
catalyze economic and social change. Omidyar Network has committed more
than $730 million to for-profit companies and non-profit organizations that
foster economic advancement and encourage individual participation across
multiple initiatives, including Consumer Internet & Mobile, Education,
Financial Inclusion, Government Transparency, and Property Rights.
 Open Contracting
You can also keep up with Open Contracting on Twitter
<http://www.open-contracting.org/r?u=http%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fopencontracting&utm_campaign=ocds_announce&n=10&e=dd07b5f4ee805dadedc34b71b173b62d45e392a6&utm_source=opencontracting&utm_medium=email>.

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