Introduction
The open data policy is considered one of the leading
practices that reflect the desire of the organization in continuous development
through opening up to its customers by providing all the data and information
they need in a transparent and seamless manner to enable them to follow up as
well as to give their feedback about the services and activities of the
organization.
The invitation to follow up this policy at the level
of the federal authorities in the United Arab Emirates comes in consistency
with strategic objectives which include the provision of user-centered
government services. The concept of open data requires making available the
information and data for each person so that he can access, reuse and redistribute
such information and data without any restrictions. As part of the transparency
policy pursued by the Federal Customs Authority, which aims to strengthen the
confidence and participation of the user, the FCA has published on its website
the information that represents an essential foundation for a knowledge-based
economy and society, which helps to strengthen partnerships to create
innovative solutions.
Objective
This policy aims to present the guidelines that shall
be followed by adopting the open data policy on the website (Open Data).
General specifications of available data
The government entities adopting the open data policy
on their websites shall abide at least by the following guidelines:
The published data shall cover the services and
activities of the government entity that would be of value to the customer /
website visitor.
The website visitor shall be able to access the data
without any obstacles (for example: the request to register).
The published data shall be in a downloadable format,
available for "Cut and paste".
The best versions of the files used for the available
data are Word and Excel as the users may use them easily
The website visitor shall be able to express his
opinion about the published data.
The data shall be published in a readable way.
The website visitor shall be able to know the size and
type of the file and the time required to download it before starting the
downloading process.
In the event that the file needs a specialized program
to run, the website visitor shall be notified of the same.
All the possible interaction platforms with data users
shall be made available, links to electronic platforms shall be als published
where the said data are discussed, such as forums, blogs, Facebook pages, etc.
The open data page shall contain the open data policy
giving the users a clear and unambiguous permit to use and distribute the data.
Conclusion
The guidelines herein represent the minimum
requirements for the government entities wishing to pursue the open data policy
with its users. The commitment to these guidelines reflects the seriousness of
these entities to bring success to this policy and take advantage of its
results reflected in the increase of trust with customers and continuous
improvement of their services.
