Presentation by Junior McIntyre at the Caribbean Open Data Conference & Code Sprint Jan 26th & 27th 2012

1. Ministry of Local Government:
Government of the Republic of Trinidad and
Tobago
Caribbean Open Data Conference & Code Sprint:
Opportunities in Local Government
Mr. Junior McIntyre
Manager, Management Information Services
Ministry of Local Government
Government of the Republic Of Trinidad & Tobago

2. Opportunities in Local Government

3. Clarifying Roles
The Ministry of Local Government is…
• “… the central coordinating agency for fourteen Municipal
Corporations, comprising two cities, three boroughs and nine
regions, each with an elected Council and administrative staff”
The Municipal Corporation…
• "… ensures the satisfactory delivery of those basic communal
services necessary to maintain a proper standard of living within
the region Municipality, and to provide all other public facilities
aimed at improving the quality of life of its citizenry"

4. Promote the concept of people in communities’ playing an
active role in the governance and democratic processes,
shaping and charting their destiny and quality of life within
the broader National Governance Framework
Provide citizens with the opportunity to
determine and prioritize the projects and
services to de delivered within their respective
communities
Develop an efficient and well-managed local
government system organized on a citizen-
centric basis
Broad Governance Mandate

5. MORI
Improvements for the Local Area
Caribbean
Q What improvements to facilities and services do you feel are
most needed in your particular neighbourhood?
% Top Ten Mentions W15*
Roads 38% 19%
Drainage 34% 28%
Facilities for young people 23% 23%
Policing 19% 18%
Water Supply 17% 25%
Community Centres 17% 13%
Parks and Open Spaces 13% 10%
Jobs 13% 12%
Maintenance of the area 12% 12%
Sports/Health facilities 11% 10%
Base: 2,887 TT adults, 18+, 24 May – 15 July 2011 (*Wave 15 = Feb 2010)

6. Satisfaction with
Caribbean Local Government Body
Q How satisfied or dissatisfied would you say you are with your local
government body?
Very satisfied 2003:
No opinion +30
33%
Fairly
satisfied 2008:
-6
Very -8
dissatisfied 2010:
-28
41% Neither 2011:
-8
Fairly dissatisfied
Base: 2,887 TT adults, 18+, 24 May – 15 July 2011 6

7. Strengthen executive decision Offer the local authorities
making capability by involving technology-based facilities to
the sectoral and community ensure greater coherence in the
interests in policy making in a delivery of all public services
structured way locally
Some keys to developing the local government system

8. Governance and Public Policy Process
5 1
• Evaluate Policy • Understand
Consequences the Issues
Public
Information
and
4 2
Community
• Implement • Evaluate the
Policy Engagement Options
3
• Select the
Policy

9. Accountability &
Transparency
Continuous
Equitable service
capacity
delivery
development
Core
Principles
Inclusiveness &
Social cohesion
Participation
Development
through local
leadership

10. Important open data considerations:
What are some appropriate open data
strategies for local government?
What are the expected outcomes of
these open data strategies and what
opportunities do they possess?
What does local government need to
do to open up their data/information?

11. A look at our open data strategies:
Open and Accountable Services (OAS)
Services will provide more information about plans, priorities and performance, encouraging
public consultation and supporting local government representatives in keeping in touch with
the citizens they represent
Open and Accountable Councils (OAC)
Minutes and agenda of statutory council meetings will be made available to the public on the
internet along with podcasts and live streaming content. The public will be able to follow and track
discussions and engage in dialogue using social media networks such as twitter and RSS news
feeds
Open and Accountable Policies (OAP)
promoting self-governance of people in a given area through public policy that is formulated on
data/information that is relevant and available to the people,
•intimate knowledge of the needs and how they are affected by policy,
•help citizens understand all the implications of public policy issues and provide information throughout the policy
formulation process

12. Ownership and participation in Awareness of issues affecting
maintaining clean and sanitary sanitary drainage and water
community facilities course ways
Outcomes &
Opportunities:
Open and
Accountable Service
Input in the planning Partnership and collaboration
construction and maintenance in municipal policing and
of minor roads and bridges emergency response

13. Transparency in
Tendering
Process
Efficiency in
Mission Critical
Service
Service
Implementation
Identification
& Delivery
Open
Procurement
Services
Open &
Value for
Accountable
Money
Services
Good
Governance

14. Online podcasts and Online access to minutes
streaming content of public and agenda of statutory
council meetings meetings
Opportunities:
Open and
Accountable
Councils
Online access to reports of
Ability to track discussions
working committees and
and engage in dialogue
financial transactions
through the use of social
(requires legislation
media
change)

15. Ensure that
Promote and encourage Burgesses/Citizens can freely
local initiative, express their views and
experimentation, creativity participate in and influence
and entrepreneurship policy and decision making
process
Opportunities:
Open and
Accountable
Policies
Local Government as partner in
Ensure that basic social and all aspects of Social ,economic
physical infrastructure are and political development
provided in an equitable and thereby promoting greater
non discriminatory manner social cohesion, inclusiveness
and equal opportunity

16. Social Services
Community
Education Libraries Health
Facilities
Regional
Education Secondary Primary Tertiary Public Community Recreation
Hospitals Health
Districts Schools Schools Institutes Libraries Centres Grounds
Authorities
Geospatial Data Relationships Impacting the
Delivery of Services

17. Local Government Core Services
Infrastructure Services
Burial Secondary Areas
Markets &
Grounds & Public Recreation & Tertiary Disaster requiring Waste
Abattoirs
Cremation Restrooms Areas Roads & Management truck-borne Management
Sites Drains water
Geospatial Data Relationships Impacting the
Delivery of Services

18. Administrative & Political
Boundaries
Communities Places Electoral
Electoral Local Gov’t
Communities
Communities Cities and Urban Polling Electoral
according to Villages
by RC Towns Centres Division Districts
2000 Census
(2010) (2010)
Geospatial Relationships Among Data
Impacting Governance & Public Policy

19. An effective highly responsive
F Impact Government Organization
e
e
d Desired Outcome
Modernised Local Government
b System
Continuous a
Public
Engagement
c Local Government
k Output E-Citizens E-Views Competence &
Capacity
M
e
c
Activities
E-Government
h
a Integrated Platforms / Services
n Input (Open Architecture; Open Data; Open
i Standards)
s
m Local Government GovNeTT WAN Unified Local Gov’t
Challenges Infrastructure Infrastructure