Services that matter
Annual report of the Department of Service & Innovation 2024
Data must be accessible
Þorbjörn Þórarinsson is data product manager at the City's Data Services. He started working for the City five years ago, first as a data specialist. In that role, he handled diverse projects and often had to combine project management and product management. He says it quickly became clear that someone was needed to manage the big picture.
The job basically involves being the bridge between service users and the development team. Making sure everyone is on the same page and understands where we're headed and why. I sometimes call this data interpretation, which describes the role pretty well.
Data that creates value
The City's services are extremely wide-ranging, and every day enormous amounts of data are generated throughout the City administration. Data Services' role is to create value from this data and organize the City's data environment.
"The data is incredibly diverse and holds tremendous value,“ says Þorbjörn. "Reykjavík collects data on countless different topics, and it's so rewarding to transform this data into something useful. I get the most satisfaction when we can present complex data in a simple and understandable way."
Open data dashboard
"When I started with the City, there was something called the Citizens' Dashboard. It was supposed to share public data but never gained widespread use. We wanted to take this a step further and design a solution that would be accessible and helpful for service users."
The result of that work was the Data Dashboard, which went live in February 2023. The Data Dashboard is a website where you can view the City's open data and read analyses in plain language. You can also download data there and use it for various projects.
You don't need to be a specialist to use the Data Dashboard.
Meet people where they are
Þorbjörn says the goal is to promote more transparent information sharing so everyone can use the City's data in an accessible way. He also says it's important to meet people where they are, since people's ability to interpret data varies so much.
"You don't need to be a specialist to use the Data Dashboard."
"You start with a simple data story, then move to the dashboard and from there to open datasets. That way, everyone can go as deep as they want. The data stories are short and focused, but if you want to explore more, you can dig deeper. Everyone can find something suitable for them, whether you're a teacher, programmer or just a curious citizen."
The main point is this: data should be accessible.
Possibilities nearly endless
Þorbjörn says Data Services works on specific solutions and can only cover so much at a time. But the possibilities are nearly endless.
"The main point is this: data should be accessible."
"It's often someone from outside who sees new opportunities. University students, startups or just other staff within the City. Data can become the source of new services or policy making, and we want to create a platform for that."
Þorbjörn says it's very satisfying when things work well and people benefit from the solutions the City creates. "For example, we heard from a teacher who used the Data Dashboard in class, showing students how to work with open data and set it up in Excel. The uses can be very diverse."
He also mentions positive feedback from public institutions that use the data in their own analysis and decision-making. "Institutions access data on services and process it further according to their own needs. This shows how important it is for data to be open and accessible."
Artificial intelligence and other new technology are built on data, so it matters that the data is accurate and accessible. When people can make data-driven decisions, both in life and work, it simplifies things and improves services.
Data culture in development
Þorbjörn says the dream is to build a strong data culture across the entire City. For that to happen, secure and reliable data infrastructure is needed. He also mentions that with the arrival of artificial intelligence in general work, it's equally important to support data quality and monitor how the data is used.
"Artificial intelligence and other new technology are built on data, so it matters that the data is accurate and accessible. When people can make data-driven decisions, both in life and work, it simplifies things and improves services."
Best way to show
People's attitudes toward data have changed. Þorbjörn says people generally have more interest in data and are ready to trust what the data is telling them. "When we show what can be done with simple solutions, all kinds of ideas spark."
He mentions as examples data solutions like the City's waste collection calendar and polling station search. "When that went live, it sparked ideas in others – we have that kind of data too, couldn't we do something similar? That's how you create synergy."