The Chair of the Locus Association presents the first of a series of articles that explores how the private sector is working with the Government and EU institutions to effectively commercialise public sector information in EU.
The Locus Association is a group of private sector companies operating in the Public Sector Information (PSI) marketplace, who come from a range of sectors within the PSI marketplace including Environmental Consulting, Legal information, the Mapping Industry, Nautical Charts Industry, Aerial Imaging Industry, Weather Industry. Locus works on their behalf as they have faced increasing difficulties in their relationships with Public Sector Information Holders and speaks on behalf of the industry to raise the profile of the issues to Government.
The Locus Association will celebrate its second anniversary in January, and in this time the Association has celebrated many successes as the campaign to have Government redress the current situation gains traction and momentum. Since its inception, Locus has achieved significant success on behalf of its members, including:
- The recent Office of Fair Trading (OFT) study into the Commercial Use of Public Sector Information and the Power of Information review, commissioned by the Government, were both drafted after Locus representations and both endorsed the majority of Locus’ manifesto commitments. Locus’ engagement with the Government has played a significant role in the Government commissioning an independent study of a cost-benefit analysis of the Trading Fund model due to be published by the end of 2007.
- The awareness and momentum Locus has created regarding the difficulties companies face in their work with Ordnance Survey helped lead to the Communities and Local Government Select Committee launching an inquiry into Ordnance Survey, their business model and relationship with private sector companies. This study is expected to be published by the year end and Locus will work hard to ensure positive recommendations for the membership are followed through.
- In the past 18 months, Locus has developed relationships with key Ministers, opposition spokesmen and special interest MPs to ensure that our members’ voice is clearly heard in the ongoing debates on Public Sector Information. The next 12 months will be crucial in the future of the PSI marketplace and Locus’ positioning will help ensure we influence the debate to our members’ advantage by overcoming those barriers that exist in the marketplace and hinder business development. Debates we are engaged in include: the future of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, the Pan Government Agreement, accessing local search information and derived data.
Since the creation of Locus 18 months ago, PSI is now very clearly on the Government’s radar and Locus is working with Public Sector Information Holders to secure a fair and level playing field in the sector. Members have seen business develop and grow over a relatively short period of time thanks to the work of Locus.
One of the offshoots of this success is the recent decision to establish a pan-European trade body based on the Locus model that would focus on a European campaign to secure a fair and more dynamic environment for Public Sector Information re-use. This will be a new industry body of private sector companies who all use or would like to use PSI as an essential part of their business models, and by acting collectively will aim to persuade Governments across Europe, the Commission, MEPs and the wider EU institutions to address and remove anomalies which are inherent in the current system, through which PSI is managed and utilised for the public good of all European citizens.
The coming months should be an exciting time for those operating in the PSI marketplace with the Government publishing the results of their review of the Hydrographic Office and their cost/benefit analysis of the Trading Fund model. Locus will ensure we continue to remain at the heart of these debates and over the coming weeks will outline our thoughts on these and other issues through the pages of eGOV monitor.