Open Contracting release beta data standard

A beta iteration of the Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) has just been released. The OCDS enables the widest possible range of stakeholders to use standardised contracting data and documents for various purposes.

OCDS makes it easier for governments to ensure that they are receiving value for money, private companies to gauge the fairness of competition within their sector, and citizens to hold governments accountable for the value and quality of the public goods and services they provide.

This beta version offers early adopters the chance to test the standard and suggest changes. Among the features under consideration is the ability to cross-link between OCDS and IATI, so that an IATI activity can cross-reference to a related OCDS contracting process, contract or award.

Tim Davies of the Web Foundation, part of the design team behind the standard, said, “We’re developing the Open Contracting Data Standard through an open and iterative approach, inviting feedback from all potential users, including the IATI community, so that we can ensure the standard to be released at the end of this year helps in the shared goals of increasing transparency, addressing corruption and improving project planning and delivery.”

Check out the latest version of the OCDS here.