The Canadian Council on Social Development (CCSD) established the Community Data Program (CDP) to provide municipalities and community organizations access to government and private sector data. The CDP aims to advocate for open data, reduce data acquisition costs, and invest in data literacy. An example is Wellbeing Toronto, a partnership between government and academics that integrates national and local data to empower citizens and promote transparency. Lessons learned include the need for a culture shift towards open data and government, interoperable systems, civic engagement, and ensuring data is relevant and accompanied by tools for public use and analysis.

1. Canada:
Leveraging Data & Technology for greater
accountability, transparency, and citizen
engagement…
Community Data Program (CDP)
Canadian Council on Social Development
(CCSD)
Civil Society Resources
Harvey Low &
Tracey P. Lauriault
INNOVATION VILLAGE
Open Government Partnership
Brasilia, Brazil, April 17, 2012

2. Canadian Council on
Social Development (CCSD)
Community Data Program (CDP)

3. Canadian Council on Social Development
Canadian Council on Social Development
(CCSD):
- non-governmental & not-for-profit org.,
- founded in 1920
Mission:
- develop and promote progressive social & economic
policies to shape resilient, hopeful and thriving
communities across Canada & inspired by:
-social justice,
-equality &
-empowerment of individuals and communities.
- We do this through:
- research,
- consultation,
- public education and advocacy.
Our main product is information.
Vision
Equity & Opportunity for all

4. National Community Data Program (CDP)
 The Canadian Council on Social Development (CCSD) mission: To develop and promote
progressive social and economic policies that inspire and shape resilient, hopeful and
thriving communities across Canada
 CCSD established the Community Data Program (CDP) in the mid-1990s as a gateway for
municipalities and community sector organizations to access data from the Federal
Government and private sector sources, in order to monitor and report on social and
economic trends within their communities
 Objectives of the CDP are to:
• advocate for a national community data and reporting strategy
• acquire data at community level
• reduce acquisition costs and promote OPEN DATA initiatives
• invest in “data literacy” and foster technology tools to USE DATA! - Contributes to
OGP grand challenges of Improving Service Delivery, Enhanced Public Resources,
Increasing Integrity, Safer Communities and Responsibility, through “data and
technology for evidence based decisions”!
http://communitydata-donneescommunautaires.ca/

5. Community Data Program - Portal
http://communitydata-donneescommunautaires.ca/

6. Community Data Program - Members
http://communitydata-donneescommunautaires.ca/

7. CDP Member – Winnipeg (MB)
Social Planning Council of Winnipeg
7
http://www.spcw.mb.ca

8. CDP Member – Peel (ON)
Peel - Neighbourhood Profiles for Service Providers

9. CDP Member – Hamilton (ON)
Social Planning and Research Council of Hamilton
http://www.sprc.hamilton.on.ca/CommunityMappingService.php

10. CDP Member – Montréal
Collectif Quartier
http://collectifquartier.org

11. Multisectoral - Case Study
Toronto Wellbeing

12. Case Study - Wellbeing Toronto
• Integrate national &
local data, with
technology
• Empower citizens
• Promote Government
transparency
• Open Data -> Open
Analysis -> Open
Government
www.toronto.ca/wellbeing

13. Wellbeing Toronto –
Partnerships & Collaborations
Academic Expert Panel
- FindHelp Info
-McMaster University
Works
Services (211)
(Health)
- TDSB TDCSB School
-Ryerson University
Bds
(Geography,
- LHIN
Journalism, Politics,
- United Way
Public Policy, Urban &
- St. Christopher
Regional Planning)
House Social Development -St Michael’s Hospital
- Centre for Inner City Lead -University of Toronto
Health at
Employment (Geography, Medicine,
St.Michael's Hospital Wellbeing Toronto Indices & Social Services Planning, Social Work)
- Social Planning
-Wellesley Institute
Toronto GeoSpatial
-York University
- Housing Competency Centre
(Geography)
Connections (Infrastructure)
- TCHC
- Toronto Community - Citizenship
Foundation Immigration Canada
- Woodgreen - Statistics Canada
Community Services
- YMCA of Greater
Toronto
- Academia

14. Wellbeing Toronto – Main Screen

15. Wellbeing Toronto – Combining Statistics

16. Wellbeing Toronto – Detailed Statistics

17. Wellbeing Toronto – Comparing Neighbourhoods

18. Wellbeing Toronto – Public Data Access

19. Small selection of Canadian
Civil Society Groups
The Innovation Village
Includes More Examples
See
CCSD OGP Page
http://www.ccsd.ca/

20. FCM Quality of Life Reporting System
Federation of Canadian Municipalities
Municipal Data Collection Tool
Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM)
http://www.municipaldata-
donneesmunicipales.ca/Site/Reporting/en/reporting_tool.php

21. Open Gov & Open Data & Access & Law

22. Open Data Citizen Groups

23. Democracy, Accountability…

24. Some Lessons Learned
• CULTURE SHIFT: Open Data is not Open • STANDARDIZED LICENSING: What is considered
Government! Technology should also be used open use?
to leverage not hinder! • RAW DATA IS NOT ENOUGH!: Data must be
• ENHANCED STRUCTURES AND PROCESSES: accompanied by descriptions on limitations and
Commitment to create/revise/monitor use! Data must also be accompanied by
government legislation and policies that technology tools to provide user-friendly access.
enforce OGP principles! Right to access • COMMON DEFINITIONS & FORMATS:
government data! “Consistency” permits comparability and thus
• INTEROPERABILITY: Foster diverse systems, helps informs issues. “Commonality” embraces
communities of practice, and organizations to definitional as well as technical considerations.
work together! • BI-LATERAL OPENNESS: Governments in Canada
• CIVIC ENGAGEMENT FOR ALL!: are getting better at OUTBOUND data (releasing
Representation for all population groups data), but are not equipped to deal with
regardless of specialty, background or INBOUND (value-added data that communities
disability. want to share back).
• RELEVANT DATA PLEASE!: Data must be • THE NEW CURRENCY: Creative collaboratives to
relevant for ALL COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE share “data” instead of money, but how do we
and include ALL TYPES OF DATA (e.g., service do that under current funding and fiscal
availability, program use, government resourcing?
transparency & accountability).

25. For more Canadian information contact:
CCSD, Community Data Program
Peggy Taillon
taillon@ccsd.ca
Harvey Low
416-392-8660
hlow@toronto.ca
Canada Civil Society
Tracey P. Lauriault
tlauriau@gmail.com, datalibre.ca, http://lists.pwd.ca/mailman/listinfo/civicaccess-discuss