Mid-term Progress: OpenActive Phase 5 Milestones
Kanika Joshi, Impact and Sustainable Development Lead, the ODI
In July 2022 we embarked on the next phase of the OpenActive initiative with a mission to combat physical inactivity in the United Kingdom via data. The journey into open data-driven transformation in the physical activity sector continues and in this blog, we present a comprehensive summary of our progress, rooted in our monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) approach of this phase.
A Quick Recap of OpenActive’s MEL
It is essential to gauge the impact of open data solutions to ensure they truly benefit the physical activity sector and community. OpenActive’s “Impact by Design” approach has proven to be a compass ensuring robust delivery and has instilled a culture of reflection and learning as our approach to MEL isn’t static; it’s a dynamic process that encourages ongoing review and reflection. For a detailed account of our initial milestones and progress, revisit our approach and our first review blog.
Data Infrastructure — Laying Strong Foundations
Significant progress has been made in this workstream with the introduction of the data quality explorer tool, enabling the community to delve deeper into OpenActive data feeds. The progress of the tool reflects our commitment to user-friendly experiences. It is too early to talk about its impact, but we are hoping to report on it in the next milestone report.
During this reporting period, we also streamlined processes, enabling us to add 57 new activities to the Activity List and improved descriptions for approximately 400 existing activities, significantly enhancing data quality.
To maintain momentum, we are doing focused outreach and scope assessments. Furthermore, we recognize the importance of knowledge transfer to the broader community and have reprioritized these efforts accordingly. Number of organisations in our support channels have improved to 53 including booking system providers, sport governing bodies and active partnerships as compared to 30 in the previous reporting cycle.
Use Cases and Policy — Guiding Social Impact
Community enthusiasm remains high, and with the Use Case Framework underpinning how we are exploring the use cases. Notable developments include:
- A shift in focus towards mobilising use case communities, with the intent to facilitate rather than solely deliver use cases.
- An emphasis on identifying a multitude of use cases, to enable prioritisation and delivery of most viable use cases.
As we continue to work on policy, we strive for alignment with use cases, ensuring a realistic approach that aligns with our efforts through policy analyses in the youth and health sectors, demonstrating unwavering support for social impact. The policy team at ODI will be happy to share more information upon request.
A growing repository of participatory case studies now exists, contributing to enhanced communication efforts. Excellent pieces have been published on the communications side including “Overcoming barriers to participation” by Tania Nadarajah from Disability Assist; “How forward-thinking organisations use open data to get more people active” by Tom Marley from Played; “Opening up activity data in Devon” by Dave Barter from NautoGuide Ltd, and “Addressing health inequalities in the Black Country” by Michael Salmon from Active Black Country.
Oversight for the Project
As of reporting period 2 (January to June 2023), we’ve achieved or surpassed 25 out of 38 indicators related to outcome and output targets for milestone two. 8 indicators are well on track or in the pathway for achievement, while 5 are works in progress. As we look to the horizon, we remain committed to gathering impact stories in the final phase of reporting targets and securing the long-term sustainability of OpenActive. Each step forward brings us closer to our vision of a world where everyone enjoys the benefits of physical activity and leads happier, healthier lives.
Should you wish to learn more, please feel free to contact Kanika Joshi at kanika.joshi@theodi.org.
