Measuring the Promise of Open Data: Development of the Impact Monitoring Framework

Measuring the impact of releasing data to the public can be challenging since the effects may not be directly linked to particular open data activities or substantial impact may occur only several years after the data is published. This paper proposes a framework to assess the impact of releasing open data by applying the Social Return on Investment (SROI) approach. SROI was developed for organizations intended to generate social and environmental benefits thus fitting the purpose of most open data initiatives. We link the four steps of SROI (input, output, outcome, impact) with the 14 high-value data categories of the G8 Open Data Charter to create a matrix of open data examples, activities, and impacts in each of the data categories. This Impact Monitoring Framework helps data providers to navigate the impact space of open data, laying out the conceptual basis for further research.