Webinar: Developers and Federal Agencies: Can we talk? August 11, 2011.
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Webinar: Developers and Federal Agencies: Can we talk? August 11, 2011
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Transcript of Webinar: Developers and Federal Agencies: Can we talk? August 11, 2011.
Webinar: Developers and Federal Agencies: Can we talk?
August 11, 2011
Agenda
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• Introductions
– Ethan McMahon, U.S. EPA (host)
– Alex Howard, O’Reilly Media (moderator)
– Jeremy Carbaugh, Sunlight Foundation (presenter)
– Michaela Hackner, Forum One (presenter)
– Kurt Voelker, Forum One (presenter)
• Format
– Speakers (25 minutes)
– Lines are muted - submit questions as the speakers talk
– Questions and Answers (25 minutes)
– Technical issues? Send a message via webinar panel
Apps for the Environment
• Apps must use EPA data and address one of EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson’s Seven Priorities
• Judged based on usefulness, innovativeness, and usability
• Submissions are due by September 16
• Winners and runners up for Best Overall App and Best Student App, plus People’s Choice
• Recognition from EPA in Washington, D.C. in November
• Get more details at epa.gov/appsfortheenvironment 2
Background about the Challenge
A long(itude) history of contests and challenges
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Apps Contests and the passage of the America
COMPETES Act
• A new movement for
collaborative innovation in open government starts in
2008 in DC
• Around the world, apps contests are unlocking gover
nment innovation
• In 2011, the America COMPETES Act allows all
agencies to host challenges
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• Build community, not just apps
• Move from cool to useful
• Address sustainability issues
• Identify problems to solve
Key issue for “App Contests 2.0”
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• 2010 open data survey showed progress but a long
road still ahead
• Developers say only 30% of data needed is available,
50% of that unusable
• Issues: data timeliness, accuracy, usable formats,
metadata schemas, consistency, and incomplete data
sets
Key issues for open government data
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A portion of the challenges on Challenge.gov
What is the purpose of a challenge?
• Add more value to data by allowing them to be used in new ways.
• Jumpstart a community of developers with interest in mission.
• Allow citizens to invest in the public interest.
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A challenge is not a way to get free software development.
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Meaningful innovation cannot occur without expertise in the subject matter.
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SELECT *FROM hamp_20110617WHEREln_mdfc_mode_nme = “official modification”OR ln_mdfc_fout_rsn_nme != “”OR ln_trl_mdfc_dnal_rsn_nme != “”
• Make data understandable. • Direct communication with experts in
government. • Provide step-by-step examples of going
from data to a working application.
15
• Make development easier. • Provide SQL table definitions for data. • Create client libraries for Web services in
popular programming languages.
16
• Foster a community. • Provide a forum for communication with
government and public. • Be proactive in reaching out to developer
communities.
17
The success of a challenge can be judged by the self-sustaining applications and community it
creates.
18
WHAT WE BUILT: DATAMASHER.ORG
20
DOLLARS PER POINT ON THE SAT
MOST REPRODUCTIVE STATES
• Finding the “right” data
• Too many formats
• Inconsistent data models
• The data drove the solution,
not vice-versa
• Incentive problem
THE BIGGEST HURDLES
WHAT WOULD BE AWESOME
25
Socrata’s Views ServiceGoogle’s DSPL
EASE DATA DISCOVERY BY MACHINES
MAKE DEVELOPERS A PRIORITY AUDIENCE
• Code
• Recipes
• Examples
• API Documentation
• Anticipate Public Use: Become the Platform
• Ease Data Discovery by Machines
• www.Myagency.gov/Developer: Documentation, Code, APIs
ANTICIPATE PUBLIC USE
“It’s not just the API that’s a big deal. It’s the
discipline an API imposes... To build one, an
agency has to record and store data in a way
that anticipates public use. Data sharing is
no longer an afterthought. You begin with the
notion that you’re going to share information.
And you’re going to make it easy for people.” - Greg Elin, 2009
Former head, Sunlight LabsCurrent head, open data, FCC.gov
Potential topics:
• What’s the most important thing federal agencies can
do to help developers?
• How can the system be structured so apps can be
sustained (i.e., funding)?
• How to make apps that are useful to users?
Questions and Answers
• Post this webinar on EPA’s site
– www.epa.gov/appsfortheenvironment/webinar.html
• Continue the conversation on our blog at
http://blog.epa.gov/data/
• Submit your apps by September 16
Next Steps
For more information• Alex Howard, O’Reilly Media
• [email protected], @digiphile
• Jeremy Carbaugh, Sunlight Foundation
• [email protected], @jcarbaugh
• Michaela Hackner, Forum One
• [email protected], @KalaBird
•Kurt Voelker, Forum One
• [email protected], @KVoelker
• Ethan McMahon, U.S. EPA
• [email protected]• Apps for the Environment: epa.gov/appsfortheenvironment
Apps for the Environment Code-a-thon!
• September 3, 2011 from 10 AM to 6 PM EST
• Hosted by American University
– Graduate Student Lounge adjoining the School of
International Service building
• All developers are welcome!
• Get details at blog.epa.gov/data
