Open Policy Network Launched

A new network has been launched with the aim of promoting open policies worldwide. The network brings together dozens of nongovernmental organisations, universities, international organisations, foundatioins and individuals under guiding principles and a work plan.

According to its website, Open Policy Network (OPN) “supports the creation, adoption and implementation of open policies around the world. It does this by:

• mapping the open policy space across open sectors;
• identifying open policy gaps and opportunities within and across sectors;
• communicating the social and economic value of open policy;
• networking together those trying to develop open policies with organizations, communities and individuals who have open policy expertise; and
• curating case studies and open policy exemplars for others to use or adapt.”

In a post on infojustice.org, Timothy Vollmer of Open Policy Network said, “When open licenses are required for publicly funded resources, there is the potential to massively increase access to and re-use of a wide range of materials, from educational content like digital textbooks–to the results of scholarly research–to troves of valuable public sector data.”

At the network’s launch in late May, a first project was announced called the Institute for Open Leadership.