June and July 2012 have been a time for openings.
First of all, opening data. The UK Government’s Open Data White Paper is about creating a culture where public data is available to make public services more effective and responsive to individual needs. Big data like this remains a huge untapped resource, and has been an area of growing OECD interest, since the recommendation on access to public sector information in 2008, and as the OECD continues to make much of its data available for free online.
Second, open policy making. UK civil service reforms recognise the need to make much better use of external expertise, test our ideas, learn from others, and do ‘what works’. The OECD Centres of Government meeting in October in London will see many of the world’s leading civil servants share ideas on this subject.
Third, “open for business“. That was Prime Minister David Cameron’s message to world business leaders such as Cisco’s John Chambers and Google’s Eric Schmit at last Thursday’s pre-Olympic Global Investment Conference. The conference showcased the UK as the most business-friendly environment in the G20. The OECD Secretary-General featured on the economy panel alongside IMF chief Christine Lagarde and UK Chancellor George Osborne.
And of course the most spectacular opening came the following day with the Olympic Opening Ceremony. The Games themselves will be over in a few weeks but, as the OECD underlined in a 2010 report, the legacy has always been a key part of the bid and the impact of the Games will be long-lasting – for example three quarters of all construction spending has gone into regeneration projects in London’s poorest boroughs.
Of course not all openings are welcome. We saw the skies open for most of June and July, including yesterday on the streets of London where I watched the women’s cycling road race. Fingers crossed for clearer skies in August, and a great Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Dear Nick, it is always nice for me-if you have wrote another report.So well,your 1st-rate article (as always), “Being Open”looks to me-if reading it twice-that PM Mr. D. Cameroon and “his” entire “Government-Team, have fulfill the most important demands of some NGO ‘s ( e.g.”Transparency Int’l.”,
“Journalists sans frontieres'” or “Amnesty Int ‘l, London)much better as every -democratic – country ‘cross the world.This fact alone is -in my opinion- already “a message to the world…” and in fact it is also a striking signal to ALL 193 UN-Member-States. So,#1, “Opening Data” ,is just a masterpiece in re. of how to handle the problems in this decade.Not only cause of this “Open Data White Paper”-but surely also that you and your “OECD”-Organization are involved. I ‘m only doubting, in re. of # 2,”Open Policy Making”, if this chapter can be so easily transfered from excellent paper-work into reality. #3 and # 4 are to me “Siamnese – Twins. Going hand in hand.For the “Olympic Opening Ceremony”is to us also like an invitation to the whole earth,to “Business Leaders” and to managers too.The best way of getting an impression about the quality and variety of the British economy.So they (and we too!) can watch +enjoy these fantastic Olympics/Paralympics in London. Because the holy month of “Ramadan” is also celebrated at the same time is this a -once-in-your-life opportunity, which doesn ‘t come back again. To end my comment I want to thank you for your last 2 words:Paralympic Games.I’m also handicapped and do know that ‘s very necessary to drawing attention to this part of the games. BW’s, Ingo-Steven Wais, Stuttgart