8 June, Tirana, Albania

How to improve the open data portals for creating the conditions that would ensure bigger publishing and usage of open data through open data portals in ReSPA Members? How to promote the advantages of publishing and using high-value open data sets through the regional exchange of open data by initiating an open data regional challenge? These two questions were the basis of benchmarking and bench learning dialogue between public servants from the ReSPA Members dealing with open data portals.

Fourteen public servants gathered at OD Regional Workshop to discuss challenges and find solutions to improve the contents and functionalities of each OD portal, using the methodology of the Open data maturity report 2022, by sharing good results achieved in the region and getting advice from good EU practice. Cross-learning and learning from good practices have proven to result in planning concrete steps in improving the open data portals and addressing the key concerns at the policy level.

The second part of the Workshop, jointly organised with United Nations Development Programme Serbia (UNDP Serbia), explored the potential of conducting the joint initiative of ReSPA and UNDP Serbia as an Open data regional challenge.

Designed as a platform for the exchange of ideas, this part of the Workshop was used to share information on the standard elements of the Challenge, the experience and methodology used by UNDP Serbia in their implemented challenges as well as to get the first potential themes for the Open data regional challenge. In this journey, UNDP Serbia would contribute with valuable experience and knowledge in implementing OD challenges, while at this stage, ReSPA contributed with a regional review of open data portals in ReSPA Members that identified high-value data sets at the portals and potential common areas of interest for the Challenge.

Participants proposed areas for challenge and by working in groups, came up with concrete proposed potential themes for the regional challenge.