Drivers and barriers towards re-using open government data (OGD): a case study of open data initiative in Oman

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to underscore the significance, drivers and barriers towards re-use of open data sets in the context of Oman’s open government data (OGD) initiative. Design/methodology/approach Following a qualitative framework, the paper invoked a documentary analysis approach to probe the OGD initiative of Oman. Specifically, the national OGD portal of Oman (https://data.gov.om/) is being investigated in the paper. Furthermore, the paper invokes a theoretical model of “citizen engagement” (“Data over the wall”, “Code exchange”, “Civic issue tracker” and “Participatory open data model”) proposed by Sieber and Johnson (2015) to assess the extent to which open data sets may be re-used. Findings As per the theoretical model forwarded by Sieber and Johnson (2015), the OGD initiative of Oman is a cusp between “Data over the wall”, “Code exchange” and “Participatory” models. Oman’s OGD initiative facilitates the re-use of the open data sets. However, there are challenges in re-using the open data sets as well. The paper underlines the prospects of better re-use of data sets by institutionalizing the OGD initiative across all administrative levels of the country. Practical implications This study holds relevance for practitioners and policy-makers in Oman to ensure the re-use of data sets is facilitated for generating public value. Originality/value Hitherto, research has underlined the significance of launching OGD initiatives in the West but studies in developing countries are few. The present study seeks to plug this research gap by underlining the significance of OGD re-usage in Oman’s context.