Transparency and open data

Open Barnet

Open Barnet is the council’s data portal, and is an important tool in pushing forward Barnet’s Transparency Agenda, bringing together all our published datasets on one searchable database. Access the portal

If there are any datasets that you would like to see published in the future, or have any other queries or feedback, please contact us on the Open Data email address.

Greater transparency of public bodies is at the heart of enabling the public to hold politicians and public bodies to account.  Where public money is involved there is a fundamental public interest in being able to see how it is being spent, to demonstrate how value for money has been achieved or to highlight inefficiency.  In addition, freeing our data for public use creates a catalyst for innovation through opportunities for the public, business and third sector. 

Declaration

The council has published a Declaration and Commitment Statement to Transparency which was agreed by Members at the Policy and Resources Committee in June 2014.

The aim of this Statement is to underline and embed the council’s efforts to be an exemplary local authority in the increasingly high profile world of government transparency.

The Statement sets out the principles under which we will work to be as transparent as possible:

  • Principle 1: open data by default - establishes an expectation that data will be published openly by default, where possible.
  • Principle 2: quality, quantity and timely - release high-quality open data that is timely, comprehensive, and accurate. 
  • Principle 3: usable by all - release data in open formats wherever possible, ensuring that the data is available to the widest range of users for the widest range of purposes. 

The intention in Barnet is to be ahead of the game as much as possible. While the Central Government's agenda continues to evolve, with the publication of the Local Government Transparency Code 2014, Barnet is developing its own agenda for transparency which meets the needs of its residents. As such the borough will aim to achieve not only the minimum requirements but strive to publish as much information as possible tailored to residents' needs.