S4E7 - The beauty and benefits of transparency: Ontario's public institutions rise to the challenge with innovative projects

Guests and Transparency Showcase exhibits

Council of Ontario Universities
Steve Orsini, President and CEO
Josh Lovell, Director, Policy and Planning 

Town of Innisfil
Mike Melinyshyn, Chief Financial Officer, Director of Corporate Services and Innovation
Damien Mainprize, Business Performance Specialist

Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
Andrea Roberts, Director, Information Management Strategy Branch

Council of Ontario Universities

• What motivated the Council of Ontario Universities to create an open data platform? [2:43]
• Data that is publicly available on the platform and how it can benefit students, policymakers and educators [4:48]
• What goes into keeping the data up to date [7:01]
• How sharing data has led to new partnerships and real-world impacts [9:05]
• How the open data platform could evolve in the future [11:12]

Town of Innisfil

• About the Helpful Places initiative [13:53]
• Participating in the first cohort of the project with other cities from around the world [15:18]
• Using sensors to improve waste management efficiency in real time [16:03]
• Using QR codes and DTPR signage to let residents know about what data was being collected and why [18:56]
• The impact of transparency on public engagement and trust within the community [23:24]

Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks

• The story behind high volumes of freedom of information requests [26:43]
• A two-stage approach to providing environmental property information records faster, using a new digital tool [28:32]
• Feeback from users of the system [30:55]
• Lessons learned from leveraging the FOI system in a new, innovative way [33:40]

Resources:

• IPC Transparency Showcase
• IPC Transparency Challenge
• Ontario Universities Open Data Platform
• Helpful Places
• Digital Trust for Places and Routines (DTPR)
• IPC Annual Reports and Statistics
• Environmental Property Information Program
• Environmental Property Information (EPI) search tool

Info Matters is a podcast about people, privacy, and access to information hosted by Patricia Kosseim, Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario. We dive into conversations with people from all walks of life and hear stories about the access and privacy issues that matter most to them. 

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