Demonstrating the public value of open data infrastructure: the case of SIAgroBD

Presentation for csv,conf,v7.

We present the strategies we have implemented to demonstrate to users and funders the public value of the Agrobiodiversity Information System (SIAgroBD) developed by the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO). CONABIO, a governmental agency, coordinates biodiversity data collection and analysis in support of the sustainable management of natural resources in Mexico. SIAgroBD is part of the Mexican Agrobiodiversity GEF project, with FAO as the implementing agency, and its objective is to generate and systematize open data related to native crops of global importance. We will share the challenges we have faced in advocating for the development and maintenance of SIAgroBD. In particular, we highlight the need to build a common ground with users and funders with respect to what an information system is and what it is designed to do. We develop this common ground through capacity building activities, establishing feedback processes, and designing narratives tailored to different stakeholders. These strategies have helped us better communicate the value of SIAgroBD, and we hope they are useful to other open data infrastructure projects.