District of Columbia`s Data Feeds Wins Innovations in American Government Award

Harvard Kennedy School`s Ash Institute Recognizes Program`s Efforts to
Democratize Access to District Data

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(Business Wire)--
The Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the John F.
Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University today announced the District
of Columbia`s Data Feeds: Democratization of Government Data as the winner of
the 2009 Innovations in American Government Award in Urban Policy. Designed to
increase civic participation, government accountability, and transparency in
D.C. government practices, this is the first initiative in the country that
makes virtually all current district government operational data available to
the public in its raw form rather than in static, edited reports. The program is
one of six government innovations honored at yesterday`s Innovations in American
Government Awards ceremony and will receive a grant towards the dissemination of
its innovation around the country. Yesterday's event concluded with the premier
of 2009 Visionaries, a PBS-produced documentary highlighting this year`s
Innovations winners.

The Innovation in Detail

Spearheaded by the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO), raw data from
multiple D.C. government agencies is housed at the District`s Citywide Data
Warehouse (CityDW) and supplied via over 320 data feeds to online sites,
citizens, and government agencies to increase civic awareness. The city`s
informational websites include

* Digital Public Square: This virtual town hall offers citizens access to
current government information along with avenues for involvement and
collaboration through social networks.
* D.C. Data Catalog: This online site allows users to subscribe to real time
data feeds of information ranging from public space permits and completed
construction projects to juvenile crime data and government employee credit card
transactions.

District residents have also created their own informational websites populated
by CityDW data feeds including JDland.com, a site dedicated to news and
information in Southeast Washington. The site recently received the
Knight-Batten Citizen Media Award for Innovation in Journalism.

Apps for Democracy

In addition to these online sites, OCTO launched an annual Apps for Democracy
contest awarding the best applications that use CityDW data feeds. Its 2008
contest received 47 applications from software developers in 30 days - avoiding
an estimated $2.6 million in internal development costs. Winning applications,
many crafted with the developer`s own community interests in mind, include
Ilive.at, an application that allows residents to locate banks, grocery stores,
crime data, and demographics in their areas. Other applications include a D.C.
biking guide, historical building data, and parking meter locations. Many of
these applications are now featured on the Digital Public Square.

Improving Government Performance

Making raw data publicly available has lessened the burden on city
infrastructure. Since its implementation, city administrators report less time
spent fielding questions and requests for information. Data feeds also serve as
the informational backbone for the city`s CapStat program, an internal
performance management system used by the mayor and city officials to track
agency performance against established goals. Such readily available metrics
create a culture of accountability that has resulted in improved performance in
key areas such as reduced health care wait room times, lowered city fixed costs,
and institutional improvements in fighting crime.

"The District`s Citywide Data Warehouse allows residents to hold their
government accountable," said Washington, D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty. "By
providing District residents with the resources to make highly informed
decisions, my administration can more directly align the services we provide
with District residents` wishes."

"The District`s efforts to democratize access to data create increased
government accountability and transparency while opening up new arenas for
substantial citizen engagement in government," said Stephen Goldsmith, director
of the Innovations in American Government Program at Harvard Kennedy School`s
Ash Institute. "Any citizen with access to the internet can learn up-to-date
information about everything from parking availability to crime statistics in
their neighborhoods. We commend this program`s efforts and hope that other
jurisdictions will adopt its innovative practices."

About the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation

The Roy and Lila Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation advances
excellence in governance and strengthens democratic institutions worldwide.
Through its research, education, international programs, and government
innovations awards, the Institute fosters creative and effective government
problem solving and serves as a catalyst for addressing many of the most
pressing needs of the world`s citizens. The Ford Foundation is a founding donor
of the Institute. Additional information about the Ash Institute is available at
www.ashinstitute.harvard.edu.

Ash Institute
Kate Hoagland, 617-495-4347
kate_hoagland@harvard.edu
or
D.C. Office of the Chief Technology Officer
Ayanna Smith, 202-724-5178
ayanna.smith@dc.gov

Copyright Business Wire 2009