Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Current Status | Adopted internationally; well-funding; rapidly maturing |
| Version Number | 1.0 |
| Key Contacts | Twitter: @ocdata |
| Implementing Agencies | San Mateo County, UK.gov |
| Documentation | http://standard.open-contracting.org/ |
| Founding/Sponsoring Organizations | Open Contracting Partnership, World Wide Web Foundation |
Background
Governments around the world spend an estimated US $9.5 trillion every year through vendor contracts, but information about the contracting process is generally not made public and, even when public, it is scattered across multiple systems and websites. Public contracts are particularly vulnerable to waste, mismanagement, and corruption. This new standard is intended to give stakeholders access to a unified picture of contracting data and support more effective understanding of how public money is spent on contracts.
Analysis
This is a well-funded effort to improve transparency in government contracting. The standard is clearly aimed at international usage and has the potential for use across all levels of governments. The directory of agencies shows almost 30 governments now publishing using the standard, though most are international.
Additional Resources
- OCDS GitHub - https://github.com/open-contracting/standard
- Directory of contracting data publishers - http://ocds.open-contracting.org/opendatacomparison
- Software tools and resources: http://standard.open-contracting.org/latest/en/support/tools/