ODIN 2024/25 New Round of Assessments Begins in June

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ODIN 2024/25 Begins in June

By Open Data Watch

18 April 2024

The importance of open data for fostering transparency, innovation, and societal progress, promoting democratic processes, and paving the way for a transparent AI revolution has never been more evident. Against this backdrop, the seventh round of the Open Data Inventory (ODIN) beginning in June marks a significant milestone in the journey toward a more open, data-driven world. ODIN — the only independent global measure of the openness of official statistics—continues its mission to evaluate and enhance the coverage and openness of official statistics across countries, facilitating evidence-based policymaking and fostering deeper citizen engagement.

In its 2024/25 edition, ODIN has expanded its assessment process to capture data published by line ministries. Additionally, the presentation of indicators and categories in the ODIN Methodology Guide has been updated to enhance transparency and usability.

Read more about the forthcoming 2024/25 ODIN below.

What’s new in ODIN 2024/25?

A more comprehensive assessment of national data ecosystems

The Open Data Inventory (ODIN) has always been a measure of official statistics produced by the entire national statistical system (NSS), not only the national statistics office (NSO). However, in previous ODIN editions, data were only assessed if they appeared on the NSO’s website or portal, the government’s SDG portal, or a line ministry website or portal that could be accessed from the NSO’s website. Starting with the 2024/25 edition, ODIN will include data from other government ministries’ websites even when they lack a direct link to the NSO.

For many countries, this change will have little effect because their NSO already publishes data from line ministries or provides links to the line ministries’ websites. This update, however, underscores ODIN’s commitment to providing a comprehensive view of a country’s entire statistical offerings and their openness.

Enhanced / improved understanding of the assessment process

ODIN assesses the data coverage and openness in 22 categories by evaluating a specific set of indicators in each category. Previously a single indicator was shown accompanied by a list of alternative indicators that a country could also publish for credit. The presence of both a primary indicator and alternative indicators sometimes led to confusion over which indicator a country received credit for. In the 2024/25 Methodology Guide their presentation has been simplified for greater clarity.

Now, instead of a single, principal indicator, indicators are categorized under broader “Topics.” For each topic, a list of equivalent indicators is provided that can count towards a country’s score. These include SDG indicators that are relevant to the topic. This presentation will not impact how data are scored. However, it is intended to enhance clarity for country representatives, aiding their understanding of the research behind ODIN scores. The new format is illustrated with the Data Category: Pollution in the table below.

Data Category: Pollution
Topic	Accepted Indicators
(21.1) Greenhouse gas emissions	Greenhouse gas emissions CO2 emissions Emissions of ozone depleting substances SDG indicator 9.4.1: CO2 emission per unit of value added SDG indicator 13.2.2: Total greenhouse gas emissions per year
(21.2) Air pollution	The amount or density of ambient air pollution from particulate matter, CO, O3, NO2, or SO2 SDG indicator 11.6.2: Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (e.g., PM2.5 and PM10) in cities (population weighted)
(21.3) Water pollution	The amount or density of water pollution from PCBs, pathogens, metals, pesticides, or other pollutants SDG indicator 14.1.1a: Index of coastal eutrophication SDG indicator 14.1.1b: Plastic debris density

How are ODIN results used?

ODIN is widely utilized by organizations and countries worldwide to monitor open data status. Several international indexes, including the World Bank’s Statistical Performance Indicators, the Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG), the Open Government Partnership’s Annual Report, and Equal Measures 2030 SDG Gender Index, utilize ODIN for their assessments. Additionally, our website analytics demonstrate consistent usage by numerous countries throughout the year. Between assessments, Open Data Watch provides technical support to nations seeking to understand their ODIN results and improve their statistical systems, a service that many countries have utilized. Notably, rising open data champions like the United Arab Emirates, Palestine, Ecuador, and Uzbekistan have improved their ODIN rankings following this support. Most recently, ODIN has been selected as an indicator for SDG 17.18.1, alongside the World Bank’s Statistical Performance Indicator.

How do these changes affect reporting on SDG indicator 17.18.1: Statistical Capacity Indicators?

SDG indicator 17.18.1 is based on the coverage score of the ODIN. Although there have been minor adjustments to the list of accepted indicators, the same types of data have been assessed in previous rounds of ODIN, and we foresee no comparability issues. However, some countries may see changes in specific categories if those data were previously published only by line ministries with no connection to the country’s national statistical office.

How can countries participate in the review process?

Before the ODIN 2024/25 evaluation begins, an email will be sent in May to our contacts at the national statistics office in each country inviting them to participate in the ODIN review process and to complete the sign-up form (available in English, Spanish, French, and Arabic) by the end of May. After the first round of internal reviews, NSOs will be invited to review the results from their assessment from July through November to provide feedback on the sources used and datasets found. Adjustments to a country’s assessment will be completed during this time. A final review will be conducted to incorporate all relevant feedback and to finalize coverage and openness scores.

If you have not participated in the review process before, or if your contacts have changed and you do not hear from us, you can reach out directly at ODIN-input@opendatawatch.com. We will also save this contact information so we can communicate all updates dealing with ODIN during the process.

Is the ODIN 2024/25 Methodology Guide available?

The 2024/25 Methodology Guide is available in English. Versions in Spanish, French, and Arabic will be available in May and linked from the English version. In the meantime, a list of the indicators and disaggregations can be downloaded in English, as well as in Arabic, French, and Spanish.