Oregon's Open Data Program is a new program with executive leadership from the Chief Data Officer, and supports agencies in inventorying, prioritizing, and publishing data assets as open data.  Oregon's Open Data Program is codified within ORS 276A.350-374.  This statute requires that state agencies identify data used within agency information systems, contribute this information to an enterprise data inventory maintained by the Chief Data Officer, and that agencies publish data defined as “publishable” under the Statute to a centralized open data portal.

Open data, defined as “data that can be freely used, modified and shared by anyone for any purpose,” has increased in popularity and use throughout the last decade. Open Data is available at no direct cost and is made publicly accessible to a variety of users including other state agencies and employees, Oregonians, non-profit organizations, and any individual with an interest in accessing, downloading, and using data. Open data provides transparency and accountability for state agencies and creates an opportunity for communication and relationship building with our constituents and engaged public. The State of Oregon publishes open data through two specific portals, data.oregon.gov, the State’s Open Data Portal, and ArcGIS Online, the State’s data portal for geospatial data assets such as map layers.

Oregon's Open Data Standard provides the requirements for State Agencies' participation in the State's Open Data Program and outlines expectations for inventorying, prioritizing, and publishing open data.

The Open Data Coordinator's Handbook provides detailed instructions to help appointed data coordinators in completing the deliverables of the Open Data Standard, including an agency data inventory, open data plan, and in architecting processes to publish open data.

The Open Data Technical Standards Manual provides quality, formatting, and description guidelines for release of publishable data on the web portal at data.oregon.gov, and requirements for agencies publishing open spatial data in compliance with the State’s Open Data Standard.

Additional resources for agency Open Data Coordinators are provided to assist agencies in creating and managing their open data programs.  Links to available resources are provided below.

The Open Data Webinar Series was designed to build awareness of and interest in Oregon's Open Data Program.  Links to recorded webinars and presentation slides are available below.