This paper mainly discusses the development status, existing problems and development prospects of public data operation in China, aiming to propose a complete set of public data operation mechanism based on the bilateral effect of the platform, so as to better release the value of data and promote the development of digital economy.
With the introduction of a series of national policies on digital economy, new quality productivity, data element market, etc., the marketization and application of public data has become an important task actively promoted by all provinces, municipalities and localities. According to the National Data Resources Survey Report (2023), the amount of public data opened in mainland China in 2023 increased by 16% year-on-year, and the amount of open data opened by provincial governments increased by 18.5% compared with 2022.
With the attention and support of public data marketization in various places, many data companies have also joined the general trend of public data operation exploration. From the perspective of "public data operators", this paper will discuss how to systematically establish a public data operation mechanism based on bilateral effects.
1. What is public data?
"Public data" refers to data produced or processed by public management and service bodies in the course of lawfully performing public management duties or providing public services. This includes, but is not limited to, all kinds of data resources collected and generated by administrative organs at all levels, public institutions and social organizations authorized by laws and regulations to have the function of managing public affairs, as well as public utility operating units such as postal services, telecommunications, water affairs, electricity, gas, heat, public transportation, and railways.
The openness and use of public data is of great significance for improving government transparency, promoting economic and social development and innovation.
II. The current status of public data operations
1. Laws and regulations on the openness of public data are still not complete
Because data involves security and there are huge application risks, reasonable laws and policies are the legal foundation and important basis for promoting public data openness. Although various localities have issued laws and policies related to data governance and data openness, and clarified the relevant requirements for public data openness, as an emerging transaction asset, there is still a lack of national-level and more complete and feasible laws and policies.
2. The data supply is insufficient, and the data quality needs to be improved
In terms of the scope of data openness, most of the data opened by local governments are government data opened by various functional departments of the government and public institutions performing public management and service functions, and although datasets from social entities such as state-owned enterprises, public institutions, private enterprises, foreign enterprises and social organizations have also begun to appear on the data open platform, the overall number of open data is still very low.
In terms of data quality, data quality directly affects the user's experience of using open data, and even relates to the public's trust in the government, which is one of the key factors that determine the value generation of open data. In general, there are still quality problems in open data in various places, such as rigid format conversion, fragmentation, low capacity, and high missing, and some dataset names are not clear enough, or the text is too long and too complex, making it difficult for users to understand. At the same time, in terms of continuous updating of datasets, the proportion of continuous updates of open datasets is low.
3. The function and experience of the data open platform need to be strengthened
The platform is the hub of data openness, and the data openness platform connects the two ends of data supply and demand, and is an important carrier for the performance of public data openness. However, at present, most public data open platforms are still very limited in terms of functions and services, focusing on data display and query, and the platform experience and interaction also need to be improved. Many open data platforms are difficult to achieve efficient and continuous operation, and there are problems such as low data quality, data fraud, template-based response, low degree of openness, unstable supply, and slow updates, and there is a lot of room for improvement.
III. Public Data Operations Participants
The authorized operation of public data is a new business with a system and complexity, which involves three major links: high-quality supply of data elements, development and utilization of data elements, and market circulation of data elements. It can be imagined as a platform ecological model, which mainly consists of a two-sided platform relationship between data providers, data operators, and data users.
1. Data Provider
The data provider is the data provider and is responsible for ensuring data security and regularly maintaining and updating highly available and valuable data resources within the scope of authorized operations. At present, there are two types of local authorization models: one is unified authorization, that is, only one unique authorized party in the whole city authorizes the authorized party, whether it is directly authorized by the municipal government (such as Wenzhou) or authorized by a representative agency (such as Hangzhou); Second, multi-track authorization, such as the typical multi-track authorization in Jinan, which carries out comprehensive authorization through the big data management agency, and carries out sub-field authorization through the data provider. Beijing's special zone mechanism also prefers a multi-track authorization model.
From the perspective of the platform, the authorized institution of public data represents the data provider, and if it obtains the corresponding authorization, it can use and transfer the data according to the corresponding needs.
2. Data Operator
The data operator is the actual executor of public data operation, and its main responsibility is to build the functions and ecology of the public data platform, attract more partners to participate in the platform, and release data products and conduct business in the platform efficiently and conveniently, and ultimately realize the healthy development of the entire ecosystem. The functions of a public data operator can be summarized in the following three aspects:
(1) Build a stable and convenient public data platform and ecology, and realize the integration of the supply, development and circulation of data elements
(2) Expand the scale of public data supply and expand the application scenarios of public data
(3) Formulate a secure and standardized data transaction and circulation system and an efficient and stable data operation system
3. Data Users
Data user refers to the processing and use of the data owner's data based on data circulation technology, obtaining the right to use the circulating data from the data provider, directly carrying out non-identification of the data use, and may also identify and use the data based on the consent of the data subject or relevant laws. They can be natural persons, legal persons and unincorporated organizations.
IV. Analysis of the operation model of public data
At present, the authorization model of public data is led by the government, but the operation after authorization is formulated and promoted by the public data operator (big data group company), so this module discusses some possible business models of public data at the level of marketization and application, that is, the marketization strategy and direction of public data operators.
1. Data asset evaluation
Before data products or assets are put on the platform, provide evaluation services for data assets, such as security compliance assessment, assetization degree assessment, etc.
2. Data platform construction
Help data products or assets be put on the data trading platform, provide publicity and promotion channels, and have after-sales service, data and other functions in the use of data products or assets.
3. Data transaction matching
Provide data brokers or platform agency operations and other services for data providers that do not have operational capabilities, semi-managed or fully managed.
4. Data talent training
Provide training courses related to data productization or assetization to cultivate data-related talents.
V. Public Data Operations Sectors and Work
The work of the public data operation platform can be carried out from the following four sections:
1. Construction of data ecological resources
As an intermediary service provider for bilateral transactions, the data operator should enrich the platform ecology from both sides, with rich data resources on one side and rich user resources on the other side, and the two promote and generate rich scenario resources. Data resources and user resources are mutually reinforcing, and the more data provided, the more users there will be; The more users, the richer the demand, which will also promote the enrichment of data resources.
2. Data platform capacity building
A well-functioning data platform needs to build a good technical environment and policy environment, attract more partners to participate in the platform, and release data products and conduct business in the platform efficiently and conveniently, and ultimately realize the healthy development of the entire ecosystem.
In terms of platform functions, it is also necessary to ensure that the platform functions are continuously updated, have a good user experience, and provide friendly and efficient operation services, which are implemented throughout the life cycle of data product transactions.
3. Build a data community
On the one hand, the data community is the precipitation and sharing of data knowledge and problems, and on the other hand, it provides an open platform for communication and interaction between data supply and demand. At the same time, it will bring traffic and vitality to the platform, convey the influence of the platform, and ultimately promote the transaction and conversion of the platform.
4. Construction of service mechanism and rules
The construction of operation service mechanism and rules can provide good customer service and experience externally, and can guide the behavior standards of operation members internally, improve the operational efficiency and satisfaction of the platform, and reduce the operating costs of the platform.
VI. Difficulties and dilemmas in the operation of public data
The authorized operation of public data has gradually matured in the process of exploration, and has achieved initial results in the pilot, and has become an inevitable choice for the full development and utilization of public data. However, at the same time, as a new format, all parts of the country have also encountered many difficulties in the process of exploring the authorized operation of public data.
1. In the face of unknown challenges, it is difficult to formulate rules
Formulating rules that follow objective laws, meet actual needs, and are easy to understand is a prerequisite for achieving standardized, orderly, and sustainable development of authorized operations of public data. However, due to the lack of reference experience, different local conditions, and large digital divide, most regions have adopted a cautious wait-and-see attitude, and the data regulations and management measures formulated have not followed up the supporting implementation plans in a timely manner, and there is a lack of scientific and unified standards in all aspects of practice.
2. In the face of the barrier of trust, it is difficult to change consciousness
Influenced by the traditional hierarchical system culture, government agencies have concerns about data authorization operations. On the one hand, it is worried that there may be a risk of data leakage in the process of data authorization operation, which will harm the interests of the state and the public. On the other hand, it is worried that the operation of data authorization will affect the power operation of the department. Under the influence of traditional thinking, it is difficult to promote practical work.
3. In the face of the contest of interests, it is difficult to divide rights and interests
While the authorized operation of public data involves the interests of data providers, data processors, data users, and other parties, it will also affect the interests of the general public due to its natural public nature. At present, the confirmation of public data rights has not yet been completed, and how to define rights and obligations, how to distribute income, and how to safeguard the interests of the people have become difficult problems that need to be solved urgently in the next step to carry out the authorized operation of public data.
4. In the face of security threats, it is difficult to break through technology
In the context of the continuous escalation of data theft technology and frequent data leakage incidents, ensuring personal privacy and public safety is the basic premise of authorized operation of public data. At present, it is still in the early stage of the authorized operation of public data, and the level of data security protection technology mastered by government organs and public institutions at all levels is still relatively low, and most units have incomplete data security facilities, insufficient investment in technology research and development, and a lack of security protection technicians.
References:
(1) "Economic Perspective" 2024 No. 1, Zheng Lei, Liu Xinping. Research on the current situation, system and capacity building of open utilization of public data in mainland China[J].Economic Perspective,2024(1):86-92.)
(2) Huatai | Digital Economy Series: Discussion on Business Models of Data Elements (1)
This article is written by Everyone is a Product Manager Author [Cheng Yu Nian], WeChat public account: [Old Driver Chat Data], original / authorized Published in Everyone is a product manager, without permission, it is forbidden to reprint.
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