Brent.fm • a technology mixdown

The first step to getting started is to build consensus . After you read the primer please comment at the bottom with edits you’d like to see etc.

Recommendations

1. A “Hawaii County Data Policy Statement” which includes the following (derived from the data.gov data policy statement);

Proposed Hawaii County Data Policy – draft

Public Information

All datasets accessed through http://co.hawaii.state.gov are confined to public information and must not contain National Security information as defined by statute and/or Executive Order, or other information/data that is protected by other statute, practice, or legal precedent. The supplying Department/Agency is required to maintain currency with public disclosure requirements.

Security

All information accessed through http://co.hawaii.state.gov is in compliance with the required confidentiality, integrity, and availability controls mandated by Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 199 as promulgated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the associated NIST publications supporting the Certification and Accreditation (C&A) process. Submitting Agencies are required to follow NIST guidelines and OMB guidance (including C&A requirements).

Privacy

All information accessed through http://co.hawaii.state.gov must be in compliance with current privacy requirements including OMB guidance. In particular, Agencies are responsible for ensuring that the datasets accessed through http://co.hawaii.state.gov have any required Privacy Impact Assessments or System of Records Notices (SORN) easily available on their websites.

Data Quality and Retention

All information accessed through http://co.hawaii.state.gov is subject to the Information Quality Act (P.L. 106-554). For all data accessed through http://co.hawaii.state.gov, each Department/Agency has confirmed that the data being provided through this site meets the Department/Agency’s Information Quality Guidelines. As the authoritative source of the information, submitting Departments/Agencies retain version control of datasets accessed through http://co.hawaii.state.gov in compliance with record retention requirements outlined by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

Secondary Use

Data accessed through http://co.hawaii.state.gov do not, and should not, include controls over its end use. However, as the data owner or authoritative source for the data, the submitting Department or Agency must retain version control of datasets accessed. Once the data have been downloaded from the agency’s site, Hawaii County cannot vouch for their quality and timeliness. Furthermore, the County of Hawaii cannot vouch for any analyses conducted with data retrieved from http://co.hawaii.state.gov.

Citing

Data The agency’s preferred citation for each dataset is included in its metadata. Users should also cite the date that data were accessed or retrieved from http://co.hawaii.state.gov. Finally, users must clearly state that “http://co.hawaii.state.gov and the County of Hawaii cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from http://co.hawaii.state.gov.”

Public Participation

In support of the Transparency and Open Government Initiative, recommendations from individuals, groups and organizations regarding the presentation of data, data types, and metadata will contribute to the evolution of http://co.hawaii.state.gov.

Applicability of this Data Policy

Nothing in this Data Policy alters, or impedes the ability to carry out, the authorities of Hawaii County Departments and Agencies to perform their responsibilities under law and consistent with applicable legal authorities, appropriations, and presidential guidance, nor does this Data Policy limit the protection afforded any information by other provisions of law.

This Data Policy is intended only to improve the internal management of information controlled by the County of Hawaii and it is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity, by a party against the County of Hawaii, its Departments, Agencies, or other entities, its officers, officials, employees, or agents.

2. Access to the data contained in all government records.

• Prioritized by a committee of government and citizens focused first on sustainability for residents.
• Example data access point at USGS : http://waterservices.usgs.gov/rest/WaterML-Interim-REST-Service.html

3. Data should be provided in standards-based formats eg; XML. Human readable formats should be the province of private business as this is the point where usability, accessibility, information and interaction design and other interpretive uses are defined to create value added products and services by private enterprise.

4. Reduce the number of websites built and maintained by the County of Hawaii. Any required informational sites should be developed by private enterprise in a competitive bidding process. Whenever possible, the County of Hawaii’s role in information technology should focus on providing data, not information as defined above.