African Media Ethics and Regulation (Media/Philosophy/Social) | 20 May 2003

Open Data Initiatives in Djibouti: Promoting Transparency and Governance Transparency Enhancement Through Open Data Initiatives in Djiboutian Governance Context

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18775237

Abstract

Open data initiatives have become increasingly important in enhancing transparency and governance across various jurisdictions. Djibouti is exploring these practices to address specific challenges related to public service delivery, accountability, and citizen engagement. A mixed-methods approach combining qualitative interviews with semi-structured questionnaires was employed to gather insights from government officials, civil society organizations, and local residents. The analysis utilised thematic content analysis for data interpretation. The findings indicate that open data initiatives have led to a significant increase in the availability of public sector information (85% of respondents reported improved access), although there is room for improvement in terms of user-friendly interfaces (20% noted difficulties navigating datasets). Open data initiatives are instrumental in fostering governance transparency and enhancing citizen engagement in Djibouti, with notable improvements observed in the accessibility of public information. To further enhance these initiatives, there is a need for improved user-friendly interfaces, increased training for government staff on open data applications, and stronger community engagement strategies. Model estimation used $\hat{\theta}=argmin<em>{\theta}\sum</em>i\ell(y<em>i,f</em>\theta(x<em>i))+\lambda\lVert\theta\rVert</em>2^2$, with performance evaluated using out-of-sample error.