Open data can create impact. It can help make governments more transparent, businesses more efficient and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) better informed. But to create impact and unlock value with open data, you need to be equipped with the right set of knowledge and skills.

Open data is a relatively new field. Its potential is being realised increasingly as it is slowly integrated into the strategies of organisations.

Those working with open data or on open data initiatives often have to learn the skills as they go. There is no clear language to describe the knowledge and skills of those working with open data; nothing with which to benchmark a single individual’s expertise, and point to where they are in their learning journey. This is why the ODI has created the Open Data Skills Framework.