Comparative Analysis of Policy and Practice of Kazakhstan's Open Data

The article presents an analysis of Kazakhstan’s open data policy and portal, comparing them with those of the European Union, Canada, and Estonia. It highlights the importance of both core policies and implementation measures, as well as the supporting ecosystems composed of various actors both inside and outside government. The article also includes results from a limited practical and technical evaluation of selected open data portals, focusing on usability, data functionality, and accessibility, along with use cases and directions for open data implementation. While specific proposals for improving the implementation of Kazakhstan’s open data policy are provided – together with relevant use cases and implementation directions – we hope the findings will also be of interest to readers concerned with the open data policies and portals of Canada, Estonia, and the EU. Finally, the article offers an overview of insights gathered during the research conducted in November 2022, supported by surveys of civil servants from both local and central government bodies with engagements taking place in January 2023. The survey data provides valuable information about participants’ innovative ideas for using open data to address current challenges in the country, as well as their forward-looking attitudes toward future reforms.