ODI Community Update

Dear ODI Community,

Sean has asked that I do a better job participating in the mailing list. In the hopes of sparking conversation, I wanted to take this opportunity to summarize an exciting week for ODI.

Earlier this week Sean and I had the pleasure of (digitally) meeting Paul Walsh. In my opinion Open Knowledge International is the most interesting potential partner for ODI. Their mission very much aligns with my interpretation of the mission of ODI. With my background in political theory and international law, the potential to help coordinate reporting standards and best practices across the globe is extremely intriguing. I look forward to the potential opportunity to co-host a webinar with OKI in early 2018.

We also had the opportunity to follow up with the team from the Ohio Treasurer’s office. Their work bringing OhioCheckbook online is an exemplar of the process ODI is encouraging. Ohio also provides an interesting case study in the legislative process. Further exploring the steps taken and lesson learned by the treasurers office, and monitoring and assisting the legislative push to codify the practices that have made such a dramatic impact on governance in Ohio, provide a clear opportunity to establish framework for improvement for the states we identified as failing their responsibility to publish their financial data in an accessible and digestible way.

Thank all of you for all you do to make our systems of governance more transparent and accountable to the citizens they derive their authority from. I look forward to working with you on the projects we have going in 2018.

Best, Al

crossposted from the ODI mailing list