Open and Smart Government MOOC

'Open and Smart Government' is a MOOC by TU Delft, a public university in the Netherlands with a focus on engineering and technology. The aim of the course is to introduce key principles around open government and look at current trends and global developments in this field by comparing the release of data by governments in Europe and the USA. Transparency is a key goal for governments all over the world, and an indicator for success on a national level. But opening government data and digitalising public records also holds challenges.

Technologies, supposed to support open government are fragmented: and due to the various stakeholders involved, it is yet to see how best practices for open government would change from one country (or context) to another. These are some of the topics the MOOC zooms in on, whilst providing examples and links to concrete cases and applications. You can start the course anytime: it is self-paced and requires around 4 to 7 hours of study time spread over 4 weeks. 

Why this MOOC? 

This MOOC covers the main areas of Open Government. It looks at transparency levels in government and how these can increase, whilst ensuring data and sensitive information is secure and safe. It also focuses on the benefits of Open Government data for policymakers, who want to make smart use of data and maximise their impact. The course will also show you the technologies that are already available, and deployed by some institutions, which aim to make governments more transparent and encourage opening government data. 

Who is this MOOC meant for? 

• Students interested in the basics of open government, in smart government, in data-driven governance and data-driven research.
• Professionals and researchers working on open government research and interested in strategies and challenges for opening governments.
• Professionals and researchers working on open data research or open data initiatives.
• Professionals and researchers working on topics related to public values, use of algorithms, including transparency and privacy, in a governmental context.
• Senior administrators, policy advisors, government officials or agency members, who are interested in how ICTs change governments and how ICTs can be used in public administrations.

Basic knowledge of information and communication technology is required, as well as basic knowledge of multi-actor systems.

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this MOOC, you will learn the foundational concepts of Open Government and data. You will also be able to analyse and discuss the potential advantages and drawbacks of a specific open government case from a public administration point of view, and discuss best practices in the field. You will gain knowledge of Open Government principles and you will learn how to make use of open data via basic algorithms and AI techniques.