Transparency of COVID-19 information: a comparison of open data transparency dashboards

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze the transparency features of COVID-19 dashboard created by Brazil, Germany, The Netherlands, and, United Kingdom governments. These dashboards are webpages that present data in different format, such as text, maps, graphs and tables, and can reduce information asymmetry between the government and people. This paper relies on a combination of varied literature to build a Dashboard Transparency Evaluation Framework: Open Government Data, websites transparency assessment, dashboard functionalities and information flowchart, and collaborative stakeholder participation in open government processes. Based on an exploratory approach this paper adopted the structured search and evaluation method to investigate and evaluate the dashboards portals. This paper concludes that data are shown in different formats in all countries and with different functionalities and thus can help people follow the evolution of the disease and also the policy decision. However there is room to improve transparency, such as the integration of dashboards with open data policies and access to information or the interoperability with legacy systems. Future research can advance in the analysis of the users demand, articulation between stakeholders, state technological capacity among others.