An analysis of open government portals: A perspective of transparency for accountability

• ‘data.gov’ type of portals have become flagship initiatives of open government
• A framework was defined to assess their structural adequacy for public accountability
• Seven ‘data.gov’ portals were analyzed according to the framework
• Portals structure and data organization were found not entirely appropriate for public accountability purposes
• Public accountability ‘data.gov’ portals strategies need to address specific structural and data organization requirements

This study aims to assess whether the current structure and organization of some of the most prominent open government portals (‘data.gov’ type) is adequate for supporting transparency for accountability. A set of requirements was established based on key characteristics of desired data disclosure proposed by the literature on open government and transparency assessment. These requirements were used as a framework to analyse the structure and data organization of the selected portals. Results suggest that this type of open data portal does not possess important structural and organizational elements needed to fully support ordinary citizens engaged in public accountability efforts. Examples of good practices were found in some portals and should be considered by those responsible for open government programs.