Success factors in opening data: the case of the Central Bank of Brazil

o caso do Banco Central do Brasil

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to analyze conditions of success in Open Data through the case study of the Central Bank of Brazil (BC), an institution that stands out in the Open Data Policy within the federal government. The study examines the state of the art in complying with the Open Data Policy on Federal Public Administration and how the BC was able to overcome obstacles common obstacles to the Federal Public Administration (APF). The theoretical framework discusses the concepts of transparency and open government data, in their potential and limitations. To counterpoint the BC experience - based on bibliographic research, document analysis and nine semi-structured interviews - an ideal type of federal institutions on the PDAEF was built. The main findings were: (i) the culture of transparency disseminated at BC enabled greater acceptance of data-opening regulations and less resistance to the institution's Open Data Plan, while in other federal agencies, culture of transparency does not yet seem to be sufficiently widespread; (ii) the performance of key employees in BC’s data opening process was of great relevance to its policy’s success. In contrast, high turnover in the Federal Public Administration proved to be a hindrance to Open Data; (iii) Top management support and institutional engagement also proved to be factors that favored the Open Data Policy at Central Bank, however, the issue does not yet seem to be properly addressed in many federal institutions.