Open Data Initiatives and Governance Transparency in Senegal: A Technological Perspective

Open data initiatives have gained traction globally as a means to enhance transparency and governance. In Senegal, these efforts are still in their nascent stages, with varying degrees of success across different sectors. The research employs a mixed-methods approach combining qualitative interviews with quantitative analysis of open data platforms. Data were collected from government websites and social media platforms. Analysis reveals that while some initiatives have led to increased public engagement (35% of respondents reported improved access), others face challenges such as limited content quality (40% of datasets are classified as low-quality). Open data in Senegal shows potential for enhancing transparency, though substantial improvements are needed in both quantity and quality of available information. Enhanced government support for data providers is recommended to improve the overall quality and accessibility of open data. Training programmes should also be implemented to increase user proficiency. Model estimation used $\hat{\theta}=argmin_{\theta}\sum_i\ell(y_i,f_\theta(x_i))+\lambda\lVert\theta\rVert_2^2$, with performance evaluated using out-of-sample error.