DataDriven

Managing Data for the City of New Orleans

The City of New Orleans has adapted these resources from the City and County of San Francisco and the DataSF initiative. The purpose of this information is to provide instruction to Data Coordinators within The City of New Orleans. Data Coordinators should use these resources to help them in their new role. We’ll update this guide as the roles and responsibilities of the Data Coordinator evolve and as we learn more about implementing DataDriven NOLA.

Why Open Data?

One of the first questions departments often ask when hearing about open data is,

“Why should my department release data?”

Stimulate new ideas and services. By releasing open data, city departments may help to stimulate new and innovative ideas from the community. There is great potential for open data to act as the fuel for new solutions and even new businesses that can address common problems or challenges facing those that live in, work in or travel to New Orleans. Check out applications that have already been built on our Data Products page.

Increase internal sharing and resilience. Open data can also help us access information from other departments that we need to improve service delivery and resilience planning. Right now, we often rely on personal relationships to access data from other departments. Knowing what data we have and who has access to it will help us during the next natural disaster or weather event. And combining information from different departments can provide valuable knowledge about how our city works and how departments may better serve those that live and work in New Orleans. 

Simplify Public Records Requests. Open data releases can be an effective way of responding to requests for information using the Louisiana Public Records law. Through our new public records online portal, one open data release may address multiple requests for information that are often repetitive and burdensome to produce on an individual basis.

Enabling better and more up-to-date processes. Are you frustrated when doing your job because you know it can and should be easier, but the technology we are using is outdated and not right for your department? The process of releasing open data will help us to realize the constraints of current City technology and processes, and then plan for future improvements.

Changing how we use data. Open data can serve as a platform to change how we use, share and consume our data externally and internally, transforming data into better services for citizens and fostering continuous improvement. Ultimately, open data is about enabling use of data to help support a range of positive outcomes.

History of Open Data in New Orleans

Date

Event

Early 2011

Launch of data.nola.gov, our open data portal.

October 2012

City is awarded a Code for America team and at the request of citizens, the team creates an app using open data to track blighted properties.

Summer 2014

Online tool, NoticeMe, is released, allowing citizens to track the usage of properties in neighborhoods they care about.

Summer 2015 RoadWork, a site to help citizens monitor the status of past, current and future New Orleans infrastructure projects, goes live.

August 2016

Data Policy is announced with Mayoral Executive Order.

August 2016

DataDriven NOLA, a hub for New Orleans' open data, goes live and the City begins an Enterprise Data Inventory.