Improve User Experience
Making it easier for all New Yorkers to request, find, understand, and use data.
Provide a User-friendly, Dynamic Platform
| Strategic Initiative | Notes | Timeline | 2023 Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Explore an open source platform that allows for continuous design, development, piloting, and implementation of new features—while ensuring equitable access to the underlying code for this public service. | In 2020, we started an initial exploration into building more open source tools around NYC Open Data, collaborating with Two Sigma Data Clinic to launch the scout data discovery tool. Since then, we've continued to both look at the capabilities of open source open data platforms and how our current platform might be extended to offer more collaborative opportunities. | Ongoing | Core Principle |
2. Embed platform users as stakeholders when gathering requirements for future development to ensure that a diversity of user needs are represented. | This ethos continues to inform our work, from the 2020 workshop with City staff on data sharing platforms, to the 2021 discussions with Open Data Coordinators about their own dataset review processes, to our School of Data 2022 workshop on the new data dictionary template. | Ongoing | Core Principle |
3. In collaboration with the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD), work to make the platform more accessible for people of all abilities. | Open Data continues to collaborate with both the Mayor's Office of People with Disabilities and our vendor on continued accessibility improvements. This has included a guide to navigating the platform with a screen reader, improvements in screen reader and keyboard navigation, and increased compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). | Ongoing | Core Principle |
4. Streamline communications around NYC Open Data by improving the transparency and responsiveness of our help desk for all users | In 2021, we gathered requirements for a new help desk platform, conducted an assessment of available platforms, and ran user testing with Open Data Coordinators who are responsible for answering inquiries. In 2022, we finished this research and moved into further testing and scoping. | Ongoing | Core Principle |
5. Collect user feedback around data and metadata standards, and update to ensure standards reflect current needs | In 2021, we collaborated with Open Data Coordinators on ideas for improvements to our existing templates and held a public feedback session at School of Data 2022. In July 2022, we released a new simplified data dictionary template that reflected our conversations and research. | Complete | Complete |
6. Connect Open Data to existing citywide performance reporting, allowing equitable access to the data underpinning some of NYC’s reports, dashboards, and tools. | In 2020, the Open Data compliance report looked at data on agency websites as part of the groundwork for making more formal connections between website tools used for performance reporting and the underlying open data. | Long-term | In Progress |
Create a Repository for Data About New York City
| Strategic Initiative | Notes | Timeline | 2023 Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7. Revamp dataset request process so the most popular requests can be prioritized to be released first. | As of 2022, a new tracker makes the dataset request process more transparent by sharing information on what agency each request is assigned to, when requests are due, and when they're supposed to be completed. | Medium-term | In Progress |
8. Formalize publishing process for non-City publishers such as public libraries, district attorneys, and citizen-science initiatives. | In 2022, we released a simplified data dictionary template and a new quality assurance standards and review process lay the groundwork for opening up our publishing process. | Long-term | Future |
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