How citizens can become true watchdogs Presentation at the first HackDemocracy meetup in Brussels, December 2010. Presented by @jonvanparys of @wheresmyvillo

1. Open data in
public-private partnerships
How citizens can become true watchdogs
@wheresmyvillo
www.wheresmyvillo.be
HackDemocracy.Org | 16th December 2010

2. The problem

3. Why it matters
๏ Villo!‘s a great initiative but no staying
power unless done well
๏ Private partners in PPPs have a tendency to
do just enough to stay out of trouble
๏ It’s a strategic asset for JCDecaux -
legitimate to demand pristine service
๏ JCDecaux: “it’s the topography stupid, it’s
normal and it ain’t so bad”

4. Let’s fix it: Where’s My Villo?
๏ Villo!’s data is “open” - let’s use it
๏ Scrape data from Villo!’s servers every 5
minutes - store it
๏ Rate Villo! stations - confirmed anecdotal
evidence
๏ Straightforward goal: shed light on the
problems for users, media & politicians
๏ Get sufficient traction & JCDecaux will move

9. Did JCDecaux move? *
* partial evaluation - more work still needs to be done

10. Open data & citizen-watchdogs
๏ No denying the problems: empirical evidence
๏ Politicians relieved of being sole monitors [!]
๏ Obviously impossible without open data
๏ City2020 Project calls for “data publication
[when] public transport is outsourced”
- flip the burden
๏ From ex-post evaluation to ex-ante
discouragement