4.1. Accessible-by-Default Name: Accessible-by-Default Statement: Information and data is open, accessible and easy to use by default, however protected within closed environments when it includes personally identify and/or sensitive data Rationale: • The Government of Canada strives to provide Canadians with access to the data that is produced, collected, and used by departments and agencies across the federal government through a single and searchable window. • Information and Data are easily findable and consumable, in the appropriate format for a variety of users and scenarios. • Benefits of open data include: o Support for innovation o Advancing the government's accountability and democratic reform o Leveraging public sector information to develop consumer and commercial products o Better use of existing investment in broadband and community information infrastructure o Support for research o Support informed decisions for clients o Proactive Disclosure • Information and Data are ubiquitous, but to be of business value the constraints challenging its access and use must be mitigated as much as is appropriate to do so. Implications: • Unless sensitive or containing personally identifiable data, the data is accessible to all employees of ESDC. • When designing services and systems, opportunities for publishing open data must be explored. Data can be published in different formats, or made accessible through Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). • Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) provide on-demand access to large, timely or complex data. • Information and Data holdings must be aligned to business needs and functions. • Information and Data are clearly catalogued, easily discoverable and easily accessible. • Access must be closely tied to understanding of the data, otherwise inappropriate use may occur. • Information and Data consumers’ awareness and education of data sources must be sustained. • Information and Data are in the appropriate tool and format for use and users know how to access it. • Efficient / timely access to information / data and its protection are not mutually exclusive concepts. • Information and Data repositories need to be managed to reduce redundancies and duplication. • Information and Data presentation must match generally accepted internal or external standards. • Levels of aggregation or disaggregation are appropriate for consumption purposes. • Timeliness of access permits the right data to be available when it is needed. • Mashup of Information and Data will push the boundaries of user understanding and will need training and support. • Knowledge repositories should capture enterprise information in ways to be useful as a basis for designing programs and services to improve future outcomes. • Business and Information Professionals must partner to ensure user/consumer perspective is enabled. • Information and data is now found in many forms and under many constraints. • Boundaries or constraints can include legal, geographic, ownership, sovereignty, language, format, application, technology, security, privacy, etc.; the goal is to architect by considering these boundaries, not to circumvent them. • Data architecture or lineage and flow must be such that we can utilize, process, and share data regardless of constraints. • Data if possible should reside where it is and not re-created or moved. • Intellectual property must be respected and maintained regardless of constraints. • A federated management / stewardship approach may be applied in certain circumstances. • Availability must not suffer due to insufficiently designed and implemented solutions. • Third party processing (supply chain security) policies and architectures should be designed and monitored (i.e., our data must be under our rules at all times and locations). References: • Canada's Open Data Principles • CDO