GAO Watchblog: “From health and education statistics to budget and spending information, the federal government produces a lot of information, or data. Agencies are making more and more of this data open for everyone to use. Our recent report identified 5 key practices that can help the government’s open data reach a wide range of users. Today’s WatchBlog explores these key practices. What is open government data? Open government data is government-produced information that anyone can freely use, modify, and share for any purpose. For example, the Treasury Department publishes open data on its new USAspending.gov website, which provides detailed information to help track government spending. Open data can foster accountability and public trust by giving citizens information about government activities and results. It can also promote private sector innovation and help industries generate revenue, such as by providing demographic, financial, or geographic information. For example, some real estate websites use Census data to provide information on the neighborhoods where homes for sale are located. [h/t Pete Weiss]

How can agencies make their data more useful? For open government data to be most useful, it needs to be presented effectively. We found that managers of open government data programs can consider 5 key practices to ensure that their data is as transparent as possible…”