March 4 will mark the International Open Data Day.

On this day, the Ministry of Digital Transformation will hold an online event Open Data TV: Open Data for everyone. Also during the week we will talk about what open data is and how it affects the life of every Ukrainian.

One of the priorities of the Ministry of Digital Transformation is the development of open data in Ukraine - we are working on improving the legislation, opening new data sets, and implementing various projects together with partners. High-quality open data is the basis for creating useful digital tools for the state and business.

“The development of open data is a priority of the Ministry of Digital Transformation and mine personally. This is the foundation of the transparent digital state we are building. We are currently preparing a new version of the resolution on open data. It will supplement the list of mandatory data sets with those having significant anti-corruption, economic and social impact,” said Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation.

In 2020, Ukraine for the first time took part in the European Open Data Maturity Study, and ranked 17th in the ranking, ahead of a number of European countries, and entering the category of fast-trackers, i.e. fast-growin. Our next goal is to be trendsetters in Europe.

Datasets are published on the Unified State Open Data Web Portal. At the end of 2020, the portal set a record - 1 million unique users and more than 500,000 downloads from the portal. The plan is to double the figure at least twice a year.

Services operating currently and based on open data make life easier for thousands of Ukrainians. For example, in healthcare sector, these tools help patients find a medical facility and choose a doctor. Everyone can check the availability of free medicines in medical institutions. In business, such tools help to automate and increase the efficiency of business processes, protect against raider attacks, check potential business partners, protect against economic crime and fraud.

We are currently preparing to launch the Open Data portal, which will help train at least 3,000 people to work with open data every year, as well as improve data quality.

In addition, we conduct systematic studies of the impact of open data on various spheres of public life. Together with the USAID/UK aid project "Transparency and Accountability in Public Administration and Services/TAPAS" we have prepared analytical reports in the following sectors:

• doing business

• urban planning industry

• healthcare

• repair and construction of roads.

In the near future, the impact of open data in the field of ecology, government regulation, as well as their impact on the activities of local governments will be analyzed. Meanwhile, open data primarily destroys corruption and makes government activities transparent and understandable. We work every day to build a transparent and accountable system of government in Ukraine and to demonstrate that open data is for every Ukrainian.