Did you know that public data includes, for example, how much municipalities spend on keeping public spaces clean? The project Survey of Legally Required Public Data Sets and Other Registered Data Sets, and Their Regulatory Review set out to improve the transparency and availability of public data, as well as to strengthen a service-oriented approach – not only within public administration but also in related sectors, such as organizations that perform public duties outside government. Ensuring that this type of information is easy to access is a key priority.
The initiative – carried out in partnership between the Ministry of Justice and the Hungarian Official Gazette Publishing House – was designed to increase transparency, make it easier to search for public-interest data, improve access to information, and review the scope of data subject to mandatory publication under law.
As part of the project, three prototype tools were developed: the Central Data Set Register, the Data Controller-Level Public Data Management Framework, and the Public Data and Data Set Search System.
The Central Data Set Register is an information platform that provides continuously updated, easy access to the legal framework surrounding public data sets. Its content forms the foundation for the other two tools.
The Data Controller-Level Public Data Management Framework helps public bodies and their staff publish and update data sets, while also offering a unified workspace for responding to data access requests.
The Public Data and Data Set Search System makes public data more accessible and searchable: users can browse the public data sets recorded in the project and other registered data without signing up, while registered users gain access to additional features, convenience services, and the ability to submit data requests directly to the relevant organizations. Importantly, the Public Data and Data Set Search System also builds on and enhances existing portals (kozadat.hu and kozadattar.hu).
The project is expected to have a wide range of positive social impacts: from enriching university programs and teaching materials to supporting government initiatives and even contributing to new legislation. It also has the potential to increase the number of publicly available datasets and raise awareness about data use.
Economically, the project offers clear benefits. Reviewing the scope of mandatory data publication can help eliminate redundant tasks and overlapping registers, reducing both administrative burdens and public spending. Repealing unnecessary legal provisions identified in the review may also bring cost savings for both citizens and government.
Last but not least, the project could pave the way for new, data-driven business services – boosting revenues for companies and creating high value-added jobs.
The development was implemented from EU funding in the project KÖFOP-2.2.6-VEKOP-18-2019-00002 under the Public Administration and Public Service Development Operational Programme.
Find out more about the project in the Project Finder:Details
