The new technology and digitalisation that we see in today’s society increases the amount of data that is gathered. Data is a valuable resource that enables the development of better services for inhabitants, increases value creation in businesses, and makes public administration more efficient.

Currently only a very few of Norwegian municipalities are able to exploit the value of its data internally. The data is of low quality and a lot of the data is locked in trade systems, and largely controlled by system providers. As regards sharing data, the municipalities have weak incentives, at the same time that the demand from external actors is low.

Smart Data will enable municipalities to exploit their data in a secure way across the municipality’s different sectors in order to develop user adapted and continuous services.

The contracting authority needs a future orientated and general system for handling data that covers the complexity and breadth of the municipal service production and organisation. The system must be user friendly and not require high digital competence to use. The goal is to make it easier to use data in everyday life, at the same time that personal protection is seen to and there is compliance with the current legislation.

‘We envisage that Smart Data not only makes it possible to use our data in a smart way, but that the developed system is itself smart’.