Building Ontario’s Next-Generation Smart Cities through Data Governance: Report #4

With support of the Government of Ontario, ORION and Compute Ontario produced a series of reports that explore data governance models that can support smart cities, social well-being, and economic development. Three reports were offered in the last ICF Canada Newsletter (November 2019): https://mailchi.mp/22654d2a87f7/ykblbbvhqp-3064093.  They included a report from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences about improved access to health data; another is a report from the MaRS Discovery District about more efficient passenger mobility; and the third explores data governance models. The final, the fourth document explores the future of Ontario’s Data.

An excerpt from the document:

Lessons Learned

The emergence of the smart city raises many questions about data governance, accountability and opportunities to facilitate improved social and economic benefit for the good of the public. The following are lessons learned from the Compute Ontario and ORION smart cities project:

·       Governance is not monolithic – A clear takeaway from this examination of data governance models is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach. More sophisticated models, such as a data trust, may be needed in use cases involving personal information, stakeholder composition or where the intended uses are explicit. Multiple entities with different governance frameworks will likely exist at once within a smart city; one governance mechanism will not manage all data from all sectors with varying levels of sensitivity.

·       When developing data-driven innovation policies, policymakers have to consider the ability to transition to new governance models as users’ data needs evolve. Learning more about increasingly complex data governance models is worth further exploration.

·       All stakeholders have a unique role – The delivery of social benefit will require leveraging the unique advantages that each stakeholder group brings to the smart cities’ ecosystem. While some roles are more apparent than others, the value of researchers in investigating, testing and evaluating new technologies and ideas before they are deployed at scale, should not be diminished.

·       Education and consultation are integral – While significant emphasis has rightly been placed on informing and educating the public, it is equally important to consult with other stakeholders such as researchers and industry to ensure they understand emerging concepts and their implications. Forums for bringing together diverse groups are important as they foster the development of a common language, helping each stakeholder group understand the other’s concerns, motivations and provide feedback as governance concepts evolve.

·       Think near-term and long-term action – There are actionable steps that can be taken in the near term while investments can be made and pilots created to test concepts to understand long-term objectives around data governance and smart cities better. Awareness-building and education can promote a positive data culture helping to coalesce shared interests, agreed upon accountabilities and risks needed to explore new models while working to solve longer complex issues like regulatory requirements.

·       Modernize policy and law – As observed in the use case studies and illustrated by initiatives such as the development of a digital charter for Canada, a more agile approach to data regulation is required to keep pace with technology change and citizens’ service expectations. Modernization of information protection legislation is also needed to ensure data from people, and things deliver the value promised by our emerging data-intensive future.

·       Ontario’s smart city ecosystem is fragmented – Smart cities is an emerging sector in Ontario, driven by dynamic, rapidly changing technologies. Stakeholder groups within smart cities have different motivations and concerns, leading to fragmented perspectives on issues such as smart cities’ goals, who should enjoy the benefits, and who should participate. With no single voice or organization leading smart cities implementation in Ontario, with critical questions surrounding privacy, with trust and data management still unresolved, the region’s smart city ecosystem lacks alignment. A framework that includes technology standards and governance guidelines is needed to accelerate deployment.

For the full report see:  Building Ontario’s Next-Generation Smart Cities Through Data Governance

Part 4: The Future of Ontario’s Data- Fulfilling the potential of smart cities; Blog link: https://www.orion.on.ca/news-events/blog/smart-cities-future; Report link: https://www.orion.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Smart-Cities_The-future-of-Ontarios-data.pdf For more information contact: ORION at [email protected]