Open Data Initiatives and Governance Transparency in Eswatini: A Comparative Analysis

Eswatini's government has initiated several open data initiatives aimed at enhancing transparency in governance. The study employs a comparative analysis approach, examining quantitative data from government reports and qualitative interviews with stakeholders. Statistical models will be used for analysis. Findings indicate that while there has been an increase in the availability of open data (35% over two years), public trust remains relatively low, particularly regarding health sector transparency (20%). Despite progress, further efforts are needed to enhance both the quantity and quality of open data provided by the government. Recommendations include strengthening stakeholder engagement and improving data presentation for better public understanding and trust. Open Data Initiatives, Governance Transparency, Eswatini, Comparative Analysis 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.