“Roadmap for Open ICT EcoSystems”

From a recent report (Roadmap.pdf) released by The Berkman Center for Internet & Society.

The Problem:

Following last year’s tsunami disaster:

In the race to identify victims and assist survivors, Thailand’s government hits its own wall. Responding agencies and non-governmental groups are unable to share information vital to the rescue effort. Each uses different data and document formats. Relief is slowed; coordination is complicated. The need for common, open standards for disaster management was never more stark or compelling. The Royal Government of Thailand responded by creating a common website for registering missing persons and making open file formats in particular an immediate national priority.

Similar issues have arisen during Hurricane Katrina relief operations.

The Solution = Open Standards

Guiding principles: An Open ICT EcoSystem should be Interoperable, User-Centric, Collaborative, Sustainable, Flexible

Attribute	Open Standards	Open Source
Nature	Set of Specifications	Software Code
Openness of Interface	By Definition	By Design
Interoperability	Enabled	Cannot be Assumed
Licensing	Various Types	Various Types (GPL, BSD, etc.)
Development Model	Collaborative	Collaborative

Who was involved?

Members from various countries, including one from Canada – Gary Doucet of the Treasury Board Secretariat.

The Results:

An Openness Maturity Model:

Level 0 – Mainly Closed
Level 1 – Ad Hoc
Level 2 – Open Aware
Level 3 – Defined and Developing
Level 4 – Managed Openness
Level 5 – Measured and Sustainable

Plus – A Framework for a Business Case

Comment: An excellent starting point prior to the development of any regional, national or international web initiative that involves more than one organisation. For instance, the roadmap could inform the initial structure of national learning or health portals.