Opening up Government Spending - Was is Worth it?

Ben Worthy Birkbeck College

Methods
Focus on local government spending over 500 Requests: FOI requests to 60 authorities asking for number of hits on spending area of the site Survey of authorities: 10 question survey of local authorities on the impact of the Transparency Agenda and spending data Interviews: with officers, innovators and experts Media and online analysis: Use of the spending data

Local Spending: What Will it Do?

Financial disclosure will act as a trigger enabling local taxpayers to see how councils are using public money, shine a spotlight on waste, establish greater accountability and efficiency, open up new markets and improve access for small and local business and the voluntary sector. It would also revolutionize local government. Local people should be able to hold politicians and public bodies to account. The swift and simple changes we are calling for today will unleash an army of armchair auditors(DCLG 2012).

Local Spending: What Will it Do?

Focus on democratic aspects 1. Transparency and Accountability: challenging, holding to account and transparency. Connects to localism 2. Transparency and Participation: as spur to involvement. Connect to localism and devolution 3. Transparency and Informing: as a means of deeper understanding, choice. Connects to choice agenda and trust

Use of the Data

60% described use as low or very low with another 30% not knowing Highest use 6002 page views in a 28 month period Lowest 167 page views in a 26 month period Supported by NAO (2012), LGA (2012) and Halonen (2012 Council type District City District District District District County Number of pageviews Jan-Dec 2012 528 450 437 35 41 636 561

Use Compared (note visits not page views)

Site Police.uk Data.gov.uk TheyWorkForYou WhatDoTheyKnow Visits per month 540609 161101 200-300,000 100-200,000

Why is it so low?
Presentation-often in a excel format, no narrative and not comparable Habits-public often used to asking a question rather than searching Motivation-age old difficulty of involving public in government Not to say failed as 1. May be opinion formers 2. Lead to innovations 3. Quality not quantity e.g. MPs expenses?

Who is Using the Data?

Public: few members interested usual suspects? Media: 148 articles on spending , encourage others-clustered in controversial areas or laggards Business: heavy use in some areas NGOs: grassroots and hackers Primary Users Public Media Business NGOs Other Number 23 29 30 5 22

What are they looking for?

Spending data most popular of all Open Data Research from FOI points towards micropolitical or non-political use of local information. High level including Council Tax and Business Rates and Credit balances on NNDR accounts Low-level or micro-political matters including Public Health Funeral data, car parking data, Senior Staff Salary Data, Planning Applications data

Impact?
Possibility of being watched driving better behaviour? Mixture of anticipated reactions and professionalise. Could it also drive poor behaviour underground? 5 authorities identified use from within by officials and members but most felt it was not used internally.

Transparency and Accountability:

Use by a mix of public, media, NGOs and hyperlocal sites Wide mix of issues from broad (tax) to very specific (individual payments to particular body) Sporadic and driven by particular circumstances and interests Part of rise of monitorial democracy?

Armchair Auditors: our auditor needs

Technical skills i.e. statistical, IT Motivation to look and search Time Understanding and interest in local government finance Compare with Audit Regulations?

Armchair Auditors
Needs to link to clear and effective mechanisms Operates when there is a form of accountability vacuum or failure? Works best with other mechanisms Example of MPs expenses

Transparency and Participation

Aside from exception such as Barnet not led to a large push towards engagement Lack of context or narrative to motivate? Lack of link to other tools e.g. connect up to participatory budgeting, local referenda or Big Society Classic problem of lack of interest in local government Could be hidden use?

Transparency and Informing

Use by media and others may filter into discussion e.g. spending data on Southern Cross Enhanced by Openly Local and other applications that allow visualizing and understanding Local authorities are keen to do this (but lack resources) (LGA 2012).

Transparency and Informing: what interests the public? (Doncaster MBC Jan 2013)
Topic of page Visits per month Planning 3349 Bin collections 3694
Council Tax Chamber Transparency Procurement 2009 1708 126 88

The Politics: local government

Local vs. central government dynamics over finance and political control e.g. lack of interest due to lack of power? Local government internal dynamics. Authorities display variety of responses from enthusiasm to minimal compliance. Open Data is not yet sold to those within local government who can drive it-do not yet see the benefits .

The Politics: central government

Central government sending out mixed messages on what it wants-lack of clarity. Is it economic, political or social? Fear spending data is a political tool to portray them as reckless spenders who were wasting money. A wider concern that the Open Data may be a Trojan horse for privatization and a smokescreen for clamping down on information rights

Will it be worth it? Scenario 1

The data.gov scenario (see Peled 2011) Departmental resistance or reluctance Lack of clarity or push Lack of public interest Cycle of disinterest

Will it be worth it? Scenario 2

The Openly Local/They Work for You and Communities scenario Innovation with simple/linked interface Either localised information or linked from source to exact street where spent Useful for citizen as localised information and for authority as a policy-making tool

What does it need to be worth it?

Like FOI it requires use (either direct or innovation) high profile support Needs to have a narrative, context and linked Link to clear mechanisms of accountability and participation

Will it be worth it? Thoughts

Aims are complex and mixed-nave? Optimistic? Hidden? Open Data blurs technical and political Makes assumptions about (i) public interest (ii) behavior Technological solution to political problems e.g. spending, accountability and public engagement Neutral appearance hides deep political issues Misunderstand the internet and politics? Very early days

Thank You
What do you think? Who can I speak to? How can I contact Open Data users? What examples or innovations should I look at? Contact me b.worthy@bbk.ac.uk