Measuring Economic PSI Re-use activity

The European Commission has over the past decade commissioned at least three economic studies that have measured the economic activity from the re-use of public sector information (PSI) within the Europe namely: the PIRA, MEPSIR, and the MICUS studies. Each of these studies have employed to varying extents the cascade methodology supported by a questionnaire. The process slowly builds up the actual value added chain (separate bodies in the value chain that add value to the PSI) for each PSI holder incorporated within the study.

The cascade methodology first asks the PSI holder about their down stream PSI re-use customers. The identified customers are then asked about their down stream customers hence the term cascade. The PSI re-users immediately down stream of the PSI holder are also asked about how cost effective they have found the upstream PSI holder from whom they have obtained the PSI that they re-use. The methodology also involves either face-to-face interviews or telephone interviews to gather information.

Overall the cascade process is expensive and time consuming especially if the study embraces all PSI thematic sectors and 31 Member States of the European Union (EU) and the European Free Trade Area (EFTA). This then raises the question as to whether an alternative method could be deployed that could be run swiftly on a periodic basis – for example at six monthly intervals?

The European Commission put this proposal to the PSI Group working group on PSI indicators during November 2009. To meet the requirement the working group agreed to test the economic measurement of five thematic PSI re-use value chains. Each of the five value added chains would involve a small number of public and private sector bodies across a small number of Member States in order to make the measurements manageable. The results of these tests will be presented at the public meeting that will be held in Madrid on the 8^th June 2010.

The five value chains chosen were:

1. Cadastral Information
2. Case Law information
3. Company information
4. Postcode Information
5. Weather Observation Information

The working groups are now seeking EU Member State based organisations that would be willing to share their information and to participate in the test runs of the economic indicators that could be used in regular measurements of these value chains at six monthly intervals commencing from the summer of 2010.

If you would like to participate then please contact the European Commission's facilitator for this activity by email.