Background
Open Development Cambodia (ODC) is an ‘open data’ website, the first of its kind in Southeast Asia. The open data movement is based on the simple premise that data collected for public interest should be publicly available without restrictions. Information or data in the public domain should be freely available to everyone to use and republish as they wish. Open Development Cambodia does not promote any particular perspective, agenda or bias other than to provide objective information about Cambodia and its development.
As an online hub compiling freely available data in a ‘one-stop shop’, Open Development Cambodia provides the public with up-to-date, accurate information about Cambodia and its economic and social development. Its open data approach guarantees materials and information are available to all users for use and download. ODC hopes that the site and the data will facilitate research and communication between the public, private companies, civil society and governments.
As Cambodia continues its economic and social development, and as foreign investment in Cambodia grows, openness and transparency have become an imperative. ODC contributes to openness and transparency in both the public and private sectors, in the belief that open data will enhance Cambodia’s development and sustainability benefiting all segments of its society.
The Open Development Cambodia platform is also an open source site related to both the software used and methodology. Cambodian government information technology policy has encouraged the use of open source programs and the uncensored transmission of information, resulting in an energetic IT community that has produced Khmer Unicode and indigenized software. ODC continues this tradition.
Arising from the philosophy of the open source software community, open data initiatives are common in the developed world and continue to grow globally as an international standard
By applying international standards to local challenges, ODC’s open data, open source approach to consolidating and referencing Cambodian economic information provides an excellent opportunity to continue cultivating a culture of openness and transparency, while also encouraging the public to use the data made available for their own analyses.
All data published on ODC is publicly available and collected from a variety of sources. ODC’s policy is to ensure that all data shared on the website has clear sources. ODC, however, cannot guarantee the accuracy of the data as this usually depends on its source. Any copyrighted material is cited and /featured according to internationally recognized ‘fair use’ standards. Users are welcome to download and use information, including ODC original materials, in keeping with its Creative Commons license.
ODC was conceived by East-West Management Institute in consultation with local and international partners. The project is implemented by a young and dynamic Cambodian staff and a web of partnerships that are contributing to collaborative information sharing and engaging students and others in contributing to the site and increasing their skills through volunteer opportunities.
ODC is governed by a diverse board, and supported by a variety of donors, including USAID, the Spider Foundation, American Jewish World Service, the Open Society Foundation and other partners. ODC officially registered as a local NGO in August 2015.
ODC seeks partnerships to expand and enhance operations, acquire data, and increase accessibility and participation. If you have questions, comments, suggestions or information to help enhance the site we’d love to hear from you through this email contact@opendevcam.net
