[open-government] Apps4Ottawa - Open Data Cities in Canada

[Tracey P. Lauriault]

I know this is an International list, and not necessarily apps dev. focused,
but we are pretty excited about this. It is also an interesting way to
solicit & inspire techno civicness.  Anyone can send suggestions to the
contest.  I think the rules are interesting as are the categories - apps for
a variety of purposes.  Cities in Canada are also working with each other.
Edmonton just had its contest and communicated its experience with Ottawa.
Ottawa in turn was able to inform its process and judging accordingly.  I am
guessing Vancouver did the same and helped Edmonton.

There is also an entity called the G4 that has formed, funded by the City of
Toronto, which aims to assist the 4 big cities to better collaborate.
Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto and Ottawa are the key members at the moment
and have divided activities along their different areas of expertise.  They
are collaboratively working on standards, formats, catalog design, and user
agreements.  City CIOs are also talking to each other and helping each other
out.  It is a really interesting manifestation of inter city collegiality.
It is happening between staff and also citizens between cities and within.

I worked with the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic
(CIPPIC) (http://www.cippic.ca/about-us/) on revising the City of Ottawa
Terms of Use agreements (
http://traceyplauriault.ca/2010/07/21/changecamp-ottawa-2010-open-data-terms-of-use-session/).
CIPPIC submitted a report to the City of Ottawa CIO last week and it is now
being circulated between and among the G4 for comment.  CIPPIC has also
proposed the creation of a ToolKit on user agreements and the like.  See
their FAQ & Resources on the left nav bar of their site.  We will be meeting
the Cities in a face to face meeting next week in Ottawa to hear comments
about the Terms of Use and to get guidance on what should be in the
toolkit.  It is really expensive to travel in Canada and the distances are
very long, so we are capitalizing on the fact that many of the Open Data
cities will be in Ottawa next week for a conference called GTec (
http://www.gtec.ca/).

The Toolkit would be a resource for new cities coming on board (e.g.
Montréal Ouvert) and also community groups who may be data users and
producers who would want to know more about what user agreements are etc. In
essence levels of government and groups that are not bound by crown
copyright as the Federal level of government is.

Once the cities have reviewed the report and the toolkit takes shape, I will
share them to this list and write something up for Jonathan.  Bref, it is an
interesting city, citizen, legal collaboration that is leading to the
creation of public policy on open data at the level of the city in Canada.
Cities are working together on a common front, which is exciting indeed,
w/citizens and a public interest clinic to advance open government
principles operationalized with the thrust of open data.  We have not heard
much from our provinces and territories on this issue and maybe something is
coming from the feds.

*Apps4Ottawa* -
http://www.ottawa.ca/home_page_feeds/features/open_data_en.html
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*AppsPourOttawa* -
http://www.ottawa.ca/home_page_feeds/features/open_data_fr.html

*Apps4Ottawa Official Contest Rules* -
http://www.ottawa.ca/online_services/opendata/contest_rules_en.html
http://ottawastart.com/story/11974.php
*
*
*AppsPourOttawa Règlements officiels du concours *-
http://www.ottawa.ca/online_services/opendata/contest_rules_fr.html

*Ottawa Sun: City launches $50K app contest* By JON WILLING, CITY HALL
BUREAU
http://www.ottawasun.com/news/ottawa/2010/09/29/15522541.html

*Ottawa Citizen: City launches $50,000 app contest:* By Neco Cockburn, The
Ottawa Citizen
Read more:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/City+launches+contest/3597873/story.html#ixzz116yvVE1h


Cheers
Tracey

-- 
Tracey P. Lauriault
613-234-2805
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