Open Data Standards

This Annex complements Masaar’s paper “Egypt’s Open Data Policy: From a Transitional Framework to Effective Governance,” along with the “Proposed Foundational Principles for the Egyptian Data Governance Authority (EDGA),” and the “Proposed List of Entities Mandated to Publish Their Data via the National Open Data Portal.”

Public data today represents one of the most important strategic resources for modern societies and serves as a lever for transparency, accountability, innovation, and economic growth. Hence, there is a need to establish clear Open Data Standards to ensure that data availability is genuinely usable rather than merely a formal declaration. These standards are not limited to technical aspects; they also encompass legal, regulatory, rights-based, and economic dimensions, making data a tool that serves the public interest.

In the Egyptian context, and in light of the general principles set out in the National Open Data Policy as well as the proposal in Egypt’s Open Data Paper to establish the Egyptian Data Governance Authority, defining these standards becomes a crucial step in translating the institutional vision into measurable, actionable rules for which entities can be held accountable.

These standards also provide citizens, researchers, companies, and civil society with practical tools to assess the quality of data availability and to request correction, improvement, or redress whenever entities fall short. They furthermore establish a common language that links Egypt to international efforts, enabling cross-border data exchange and supporting the digital economy.

1. Open by Default

This principle means that the default approach is to publish public data unless there is a narrowly defined and justified legal reason for withholding it. Its importance lies in shifting the burden of proof to the entity restricting publication, rather than the citizen, making access a right rather than a grant. The Egyptian Data Governance Authority (EDGA) implements this principle through a limited set of exceptions, written justification templates, and a schedule for reviewing withholding decisions.

2. Legal Framework

This refers to the legislative system and national policies that regulate access and reuse, similar to the European Open Data Directive or corresponding national laws, while ensuring alignment with the personal data protection law. Its importance lies in providing legal certainty for users and entities and preventing conflicts between laws. The Authority must also establish unified executive regulations and official interpretations for frequently asked questions.

3. Enforceability

Principles alone are insufficient without binding tools. Enforceability means that an independent body possesses the powers of inspection, assessment, and graduated sanctions mechanisms in cases of non-compliance or unjustified delay. Its importance lies in turning standards into sustained institutional behavior and providing the public with an effective grievance channel. The Authority undertakes the investigation of complaints and issues binding decisions that are subject to judicial appeal.

4. Data Governance

Governance defines roles and responsibilities: who collects data, who reviews it, who decides on its publication, and how disputes are resolved. Its importance lies in reducing duplication and conflict while enhancing public trust. The Authority issues a matrix of competencies, standards for the separation of functions, and ensures balanced representation of civil society, academia, and the private sector without domination.

5. Security & Privacy

This pillar covers the protection of individuals through anonymization, data minimization, and privacy impact assessments. Its importance lies in balancing openness with individual rights, preventing risks of tracking or re-identification when multiple datasets are linked. The authority implements pre-publication review protocols and rapid correction mechanisms.

6. Open Data Cybersecurity

This pillar focuses on protecting infrastructures and platforms from misuse without restricting access. It includes threat modeling, API rate limiting, key management, error monitoring, and bug bounty programs. Its importance lies in preventing the exposure of exploitable details while maintaining the right to open access.

7. Sensitive Data Safeguards

Certain data are classified as sensitive- whether for security, commercial, or social reasons. This requires segmentation, delayed release, or redaction of detailed information, while publishing anonymized or aggregated versions when possible. Its importance lies in protecting public safety and legitimate interests without eliminating the right to information. The Authority publishes a sensitivity matrix and provides periodic updates on risk levels.

8. Rights Alignment

This means ensuring that data availability is consistent with citizens’ rights under data protection laws, such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including lawful processing, purpose limitation, data minimization, and rights of access and correction. Its importance lies in preventing conflicts between openness and privacy protection, while providing users with clear legal tools. The Authority issues practical guidance to entities to implement this balance.

9. Accessibility

This principle mandates that data and portals be understandable and usable by non-specialists and persons with disabilities, with simplified language and support for basic languages. Its importance lies in turning availability into a tangible public benefit rather than a privilege for the technically proficient. The Authority adopts digital accessibility standards and monitors compliance through periodic testing.

10. Free & Non-discriminatory

This principle guarantees access without fees, or with only justified marginal costs, and without discrimination among users. Its importance lies in preventing information monopolies and empowering startups, civil society, and researchers on an equal footing. The Authority monitors for preferential terms and conditions, eliminates them, and publishes a transparent pricing policy when necessary.

11. Open License

The license specifies what can be done with the data, including commercial and non-commercial use with source attribution, such as Creative Commons or Open Data Commons. Its importance lies in removing legal uncertainty, increasing trust, and facilitating reuse. The Authority issues nationally adapted license templates that are internationally compatible.

12. Machine-readability

This refers to publishing data in formats that can be processed automatically, such as CSV or JSON, instead of scanned images or PDFs that cannot be analyzed. Its importance lies in reducing effort and time, while broadening the range of beneficiaries. The Authority specifies preferred formats and enforces minimum structural quality standards.

13. Reusability

This principle goes beyond file format to encompass clear licensing terms, quality of metadata, consistent table structures, and illustrative examples or sample code. Its importance lies in enabling developers and researchers to build upon ready, reliable foundations rather than reinventing the wheel. The Authority publishes sample datasets, templates, and guidelines to facilitate reuse.

14. Interoperability

This means adopting unified standards, persistent identifiers, and reference links that enable seamless integration across multiple datasets. Its importance lies in multiplying value by creating a coherent picture from diverse sources. The Authority issues standard data schema guidelines and establishes linkages with core national registries.

15. Documentation & Transparency

This encompasses data dictionaries, user guides, and a log of processing operations. Its importance lies in clarifying meaning for non-specialists, preventing misinterpretation, and revealing data limitations. The Authority mandates a minimum level of descriptive metadata to be published alongside every dataset.

16. Completeness & Accuracy

Good data presupposes the inclusion of essential fields, precise measurements, and disclosure of error margins and methodologies. Its importance lies in preventing misguided decisions and unintended harm. The Authority monitors quality through automated tests and public quality reports.

17. Timeliness

Announced updates on a clear schedule make data reliable and fit for use. Announced updates on a clear schedule make data reliable for decision-making

18. Discoverability

Means that users can easily find the data they need through robust indexing, an effective search engine, and clear tagging. Its importance lies in the fact that undiscoverable data is effectively nonexistent. The Authority implements a unified metadata schema across the national open data portal.

19. High-Value Datasets

These are datasets that generate substantial public value, such as budgets, maps, weather data, and vital statistics. Their importance lies in delivering the highest early impact. The Authority maintains regularly updated lists of such datasets and closely monitors their quality.

20. APIs Access

APIs provide live and automatically updated data streams for applications. Their importance lies in reducing reliance on manual downloads and enabling real-time services. The Authority establishes standards for the stability, documentation, and security of these interfaces.

21. Data Infrastructure

This includes national portals, repositories, search tools, and reference data sources. Its importance lies in being the backbone of the open data ecosystem, ensuring continuity and scalability. The Authority is responsible for long-term planning, maintenance, and operational funding.

22. Sustainability

This entails providing stable funding, qualified personnel, and digital archiving and preservation plans to ensure data remains available in the long term. Its importance lies in preventing service disruptions or the loss of digital assets. The Authority establishes a sustainability strategy with periodic key performance indicators.

23. Data Quality Management

Before public release, datasets undergo validation using specialized tools to ensure they are free from errors. These tools detect anomalies or illogical values and check the internal consistency of figures and information. Identified issues are then corrected, or their sources are clearly documented.

The benefit of this step is that it spares users the burden of correcting data themselves and increases their trust in the publishing entity. Moreover, the responsible institution commits to using unified quality standards and publishes public reports on the quality level of its datasets, ensuring transparency and enhancing credibility.

24. Versioning

Providing access to historical versions and change logs enables researchers to verify and trace data. Its importance lies in ensuring the integrity and reproducibility of scientific results. Entities are required to adhere to a clear version numbering system.

25. Traceability & Provenance

Indicates who collected the data, how it was processed, and who authorized its publication. Its importance lies in revealing potential biases and promoting accountability. The authority publishes standardized provenance chains as part of the metadata.

26. Quality Standards

Adherence to frameworks such as the G8 Open Data Charter provides a globally recognized baseline. Its importance lies in facilitating comparability and interoperability across countries. The authority adopts such charters as official reference frameworks.

27. Extended FAIR Principles

The FAIR framework ensures that data are Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. Its importance lies in turning quality into measurable, actionable principles. The authority translates the FAIR concepts into practical operational checklists.

28. International Standardization

International Standardization refers to the adoption of standardized vocabularies and frameworks such as the Data Catalog Vocabulary (DCAT) and the ISO 19115 geographic metadata standard. Its importance lies in reducing technical friction and enabling seamless international data integration. The Authority issues alignment guides.

29. Cross-border Exchange

Alignment with frameworks such as the European INSPIRE Directive for spatial data facilitates the integration of environmental and regional data. Its importance lies in supporting cross-border policies and collaborative research. The Authority facilitates secure and consistent sharing channels.

30. Multi-level Governance

Linking municipal, governorate, and national-level data creates a comprehensive view and prevents duplication of effort. Its importance lies in enabling integrated planning and efficient resource allocation. The authority coordinates standardized exchange protocols.

31. Monitoring & Evaluation

Tracking progress through tools such as the Open Data Maturity Report helps identify advancements and gaps. Its importance lies in guiding evidence-based improvement and ensuring accountability. The Authority publishes periodic public assessment results.

32. KPIs & Compliance

Defining indicators such as number of datasets, update frequency, and actual usage rates makes performance measurable and accountable. Defining indicators such as number of datasets, update frequency, and actual usage rates makes performance measurable and accountable.

33. Impact Metrics

Measuring applications, research outputs, and societal benefits justifies investment and guides future expansion. Its importance lies in focusing efforts on areas that create real impact. The authority adopts transparent methodologies for impact assessment.

34. User Engagement

This involves opening channels for suggesting new datasets, correcting errors, and providing input on priorities. Its importance lies in improving data quality and building trust. The authority holds regular consultation sessions and provides mechanisms for reasoned responses.

35. Participatory Open Data

This enables citizens to contribute to data collection and verification, thereby enhancing inclusivity and the accuracy of coverage. Its importance lies in adding new eyes and hands to the ecosystem. The Authority coordinates citizen science projects with transparency.

36. Continuous Co-creation Mechanisms

This entails periodically updating standards and priorities in partnership with civil society, the private sector, and academia. Its importance lies in preventing stagnation and ensuring adaptability to emerging developments. The authority leads open-source participatory platforms to sustain this collaborative process.

37. Contract Transparency

Publishing tenders and contracts using the Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) and the Open Contracting for Infrastructure Data Standard (OC4IDS) links expenditure to outcomes. Its importance lies in combating corruption and improving efficiency. The authority coordinates with procurement entities to ensure regular and structured publication.

38. Sectoral Standards

These introduce specific requirements for sectors such as transport, environment, and health to ensure contextual relevance. Their importance lies in tailoring data availability to professional needs without compromising general standards. The authority issues detailed sector-specific annexes accordingly.

39. Social & Environmental Justice

Providing data on climate, poverty, and rights empowers vulnerable groups to demand policy corrections. Its importance lies in transforming data accessibility into a tool for equity, not merely transparency. The Authority is mandated to publish datasets that address structural gaps.

40. Gender & Inclusion

Bridging data gaps on women and underrepresented groups improves policy targeting and services. Its importance lies in preventing the reproduction of bias through data.
The authority adopts mandatory indicators to measure these gaps.

41. Digital Inclusion

Training and support programs for civil society and small entities reduce the skills gap and broaden the benefits of data accessibility. Their importance lies in distributing the fruits of data access geographically and across different demographics. The Authority sponsors continuous capacity-building pathways.

42. Public Data Economy

Treating data as a digital commons establishes rules that prevent the privatization of added value without public return. Its importance lies in preserving the public interest while promoting innovation. The Authority defines policies for fair access.

43. Economic & Social Value

Open data stimulates innovation, improves public services, creates job opportunities, and enhances transparency. Its importance lies in justifying financial and political sustainability. The Authority publishes impact stories and case studies.

44. Commercial Reuse Enablement

Removing barriers for startups and small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) and providing technical guides lowers the cost of market entry. Its importance lies in expanding the development of valuable applications and services. The Authority provides data-driven accelerators and innovation challenges.

45. Investment Guidance

Linking public funding and innovation programs to high-quality open data policies ensures optimal social return. Its importance lies in directing limited resources toward what creates the greatest impact. The Authority issues evidence-based funding priorities.

46. Green & Climate Data

Mandating the publication of high-quality climate and environmental data supports adaptation to and mitigation of the effects of climate change. Its importance lies in its direct impact on people’s daily lives and environmental security. The Authority establishes mandatory lists and clear update frequencies.

47. Open Research Data

Making publicly funded research data openly available under clear licensing terms accelerates scientific progress and reduces duplication. Its importance lies in enhancing transparency and reproducibility. The authority coordinates with funding bodies to adopt open data policies.

48. Real-time Data

Live data streams for transportation, weather, and emergencies enable instantaneous decision-making and the provision of immediate services. Their importance lies in improving safety and efficiency. The Authority defines standards for update frequency and reliability.

49. Linked Data Model

Transitioning from isolated tables to semantic linking through standardized identifiers and references enhances both meaning and value. Its importance lies in providing rapid answers to complex queries. The Authority provides reference vocabularies and reference schemas.

50. Open Algorithms & Models

Publishing the models used to produce indicators and training data, whenever possible, enhances verifiability and reduces the “black box” effect. Its importance lies in promoting scientific and institutional accountability. The authority defines clear criteria and procedures for when and how algorithmic materials should be made open.

51. AI Integration

Preparing data for machine consumption through rich metadata and standardized schemas makes it ready for use in artificial intelligence solutions. Its importance lies in reducing development costs and minimizing errors. The authority issues AI-friendly data specifications.

52. Responsible AI Integration

This means establishing controls for the use of data in model training that respects privacy, reduces bias, and prevents societal harm. Its importance lies in making innovation sustainable and ethical. The Authority publishes codes of conduct and auditing standards.

53. Generative AI Readiness

Setting boundaries for the use of certain datasets in generative AI, and providing provenance signals and digital watermarks where possible, reduces misinformation and protects rights, thereby contributing to generative AI readiness. The Authority establishes specific policies for sensitive datasets.

54. Anti-monopolization

This aims to prevent private companies from capturing the added value generated from public data and converting it into exclusive profits without any return to society. This is achieved by imposing fair access conditions to essential digital resources and obligating dominant companies to share outputs or access interfaces when their market control threatens competitiveness.

Its importance lies in protecting pluralism and supporting open innovation. The competent authority monitors market concentration levels and, when necessary, recommends regulatory interventions to curb monopolization and maintain a fairer and more diverse digital environment.

55. Policy Standards

Avoiding bias and promoting fair access and use places people’s interests at the center. Its importance lies in making ethical quality an integral part of data quality itself. The Authority adopts binding ethical principles and periodic auditing procedures.

56. Data Justice Frameworks

These frameworks assess who benefits from and who is harmed by data accessibility, and propose structural corrections for these gaps. Their importance lies in transforming data into a tool for reducing inequality rather than deepening it. The Authority publishes periodic justice reports.

57. Public–Private Partnerships

These partnerships organize collaboration through hackathons, innovation labs, and competitions, under transparent conditions that safeguard the public interest and prevent disproportionate private benefit. Their importance lies in accelerating data-driven solutions. The authority establishes clear, measurable memoranda of understanding (MoUs) to govern such collaborations.