Lviv region is among the leaders in terms of transparency and openness.
As early as 2022, the Local Open Data Portal of the Lviv Oblast https://data.loda.gov.ua/ will be launched, where 147 data sets have already been placed. Together with the USAID “Hoverla” project, the Analytical Portal of the Lviv Region (https://apl.loda.gov.ua/portal/apps/sites/#/site) has been launched, which allows you to visualize important data of the region in geospatial form. In addition, the Portal of local statistics https://stat.loda.gov.ua/ was launched, on which 112 socio-economic indicators of the region are visualized as of today.
The search for useful and interesting data for the residents of the region continues constantly, that is why the Lviv Regional Military Administration and the heads of 7 territorial subdivisions of the central executive authorities in the Lviv Region, namely: the Main Directorate of the DPS in the Lviv Region, the Main Directorate of the State Geocadastre in the Lviv Region, the Lviv Regional Employment Center , the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Lviv Region, the Main Directorate of the Pension Fund of Ukraine in the Lviv Region, the Main Directorate of Statistics in the Lviv Region, the Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in the Lviv Region signed a memorandum on cooperation in the field of data exchange, within which 56 sets of data indicators have already been made public socio-economic development of the region.
Transparency and openness require constant movement forward. Therefore, by order of the head of the Lviv Regional Military Administration No. 1042/0/5-23BA dated 01.11.2023 “On conducting an information audit of data sets to be made public in the form of open data in 2023”, an information audit of the apparatus and structural units of the administration was started. There are less than 5 such cases in Ukraine, and Lviv OVA is also among the leaders here.
Information audit is a process of analyzing the availability, state, formats, management processes and use of all information in the possession of subjects of authority (administrator), the annual conduct of which is provided for by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated 21.10.2015 No. 835 “On approval Regulations on datasets to be released in the form of open data” (as amended). The audit is conducted according to the principle of “openness by default”, that is, the manager must publish all public information in the form of open data, with the exception of that which is classified by the Law as information with limited access.
“Open data is the key to improving the quality of life of citizens and ensuring transparent and effective management,” said Oleksandr Kulepin, deputy head of the Lviv OVA for digital development, digital transformations and digitalization. — Training in tools for working with open data will help specialists implement innovations in local administration and strengthen openness and transparency in making administrative decisions. I hope this initiative will also stimulate the development of digital solutions that address wartime challenges.”
It is worth noting that the Information Audit of the Lviv Regional Military Administration is conducted with the assistance of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and the support of the USAID / UK aid project “Transparency and Accountability in State Administration and Services / TAPAS” and the Eastern Europe Foundation.
The audit process consists of several stages. Within the framework of the preparatory stage, electronic consultations with the public are held. Their purpose is to determine priority data, the publication of which is of significant public interest, and priority structural subdivisions of the administration. You, too, can influence the area of open data development in the region. You can submit your proposals to the email address of the digital development department of LOVA thedigital@loda.gov.ua and your opinion will be taken into account when determining priorities.
The next stage will be a remote audit of the apparatus and all structural subdivisions of the Lviv OVA by means of a questionnaire. And after processing all the received information, the auditors will study the information directly in the structural subdivisions, which will be determined on the basis of a questionnaire and taking into account the public interest.
The result of everything will be the auditors’ report, which will contain a number of recommendations regarding:
improving the system of working with data, using data for decision-making;
data sets that can be additionally made public in the form of open data;
correction of existing violations: lack of regulatory framework, non-disclosure of data sets, errors in the disclosure of data sets;
Conducting an information audit is not only an achievement in the field of e-democracy, but also an opportunity to improve data availability and is an important step on the way to the formation of a unified culture of working with data and a system of quality standards, transparency and accountability of authorities.