Timor-Leste has among the world’s highest rates of rural population. Almost 70 per cent of the Timorese population live in rural areas, and face daily challenges related to geographic isolation. Access to state and non-state services remains problematic for this large portion of the population, whose levels of poverty remain above the national average – 47 per cent, compared to 28 per cent in urban areas. Other issues such as social exclusion, unemployment, non-participation in decision-making processes, lack of human resources and capacities at a municipal level are also prevalent within this group, with women and young people being the most severely affected.

Against this demographic background, improved service delivery at municipal and suco level is a major priority for state institutions in Timor-Leste as a way to tackle inequality. The big question is: where to start? How do we ensure all citizens have access to public services and equal opportunities? And further: how do we implement evidence-based planning to improve the targeting of development priorities? This is where ‘Open Data’ comes in.

Open Government Data for Sustainable and Inclusive Development in Timor-Leste

Open Data – understood as freely available data that anyone can access, use and share – is increasingly recognized worldwide for its transformative potential for local governance.

For all state institutions, improving the effectiveness of service delivery requires informed decision-making. Open Data enable governments and policymakers to identify inequality and to employ evidence-based decisions to ensure inclusive and effective policies.

Moreover, the public availability of data helps investors and development partners direct their contributions where they are most needed, whilst increasing transparency and accountability. Improved access to public information can also increase citizens’ awareness of local development projects and raise participation in decision-making processes.

In Timor-Leste a lack of systematized and reliable data hinders decision-making at the local level. The Ministry of State Administration, in partnership with the UNDP, launched an ambitious data project aimed at tracking and monitoring development at municipal and suco level. The objective of this new platform is to identify inequality gaps.

The web portal – officially known as Portal Municipal – is based upon a set of development indicators which allow users to explore and compare data from the twelve municipalities of Timor-Leste through an interactive and data-friendly format. Additionally, the second phase of the project funded by the European Union incorporates a capacity-building component on data literacy which will improve the skills and capacities of civil servants at the local level.

The Municipal Portal is already bringing new possibilities for cooperation between public and private partners at the municipal level, whilst strengthening municipal capacities to provide improved service delivery.

Do you want to know more? Visit the Municipal Portal: http://www.portalmunicipal.gov.tl/