Open Government Data (OGD) in Iran, Lebanon and Jordan: a comparative approach

Purpose - The main aim of this study is to do a comparison of Open Government Data (OGD) frameworks in Iran, Lebanon and Jordan and underscore the prospects and challenges in OGD implementation. Design/methodology/approach - Basing itself on two OGD models offered by Kalampokis and his colleagues (Kalampokis et al., 2011) and Sieber and Johnson (2015) and the typology of "good" and "bad" data based on factors such as "usability", "findability" and "understandability", the study uses a documentary analysis for generating evidences by scanning the websites linked with OGD across the three countries. Following a qualitative methodology, countries shall be classified in terms of these models and the typology depending upon their OGD nature and scope. Findings - OGD adoption in Iran, Lebanon and Jordan is at a nascent stage, and the OGD nature is of the "bad" type. These countries have merely "aggregated data" over their Web interfaces which are incomplete, outdated and do not permit analytics. Besides, there are a number of challenges which need to be overcome for proper OGD adherence. Nevertheless, there are a lot of prospects for harnessing OGD for improved citizen-government interaction by creating a culture of transparency, collaboration and accountability. Practical implications - The study holds immense significance for government bodies to appreciate the potential of OGD which would go a long way to add social and economic value to propel the country's growth. Originality/value - No study has been conducted so far which compares Iran, Lebanon and Jordan in terms of their OGD policies; this is the main contribution of the study. Also, conceding the significance of the three countries in terms of their socio-economic indices, academic research is warranted in relation to these countries.