LBLOD

Lokale Besluiten Linked Open Data

A short introduction

Lokale Besluiten als geLinkte Open Data (Local Decisions as Linked Open Data) is a project by the Flemish Agency for Local Government (Agentschap Binnenlands Bestuur - ABB), launched in 2015 to increase the quality of the data streams between local administration, the Flemish government, and the public. The aim is to increase the efficiency of administration and provide better access to public information.

Redpencil is proud to have helped the Flemish agency for Local Government develop an award-winning new framework for sharing, recording, and publishing the policy decisions of municipalities, provinces, and other local organizations as Linked Open Data

A ‘data first’ application framework

LBLOD is a web of distributed applications working together to create an ecosystem on top of a Linked Open Data platform. Redpencil worked with ABB to create a domain-specific data model and linked data vocabularies. We helped design exchange specifications between over 800 independent parties. We also collaborated with ABB to create an application for finding information about local officeholders (Mandatendatabank). Relevant data is also available through a SPARQL endpoint (Centrale Vindplaats). LBLOD data is published as Linked Open Data for easy integration with third-party applications, web pages, and tools.

Gelinkt Notuleren — Linked minutes

Streamlining processes and data flows is a central part of LBLOD. To achieve this, Redpencil developed a new semantic word processor.

Gelinkt Notuleren simplifies the process of creating official meeting minutes and documents for local officials. It works in a browser, suggests text, imports links, and data — and automatically semantically annotates, reports, and publishes the decisions.

Gelinkt Notuleren was made public as the Open Source project: Say-editor.

editor

Awards for LBLOD

LBLOD has been repeatedly recognized as a project that improves the efficiency and openness of local governance in Flanders

  • 11 Dec 2020
    Gold prize Technology

    The Publica Awards reward the best public projects and in this way put public actors and their partners in the spotlight.

  • 6 Dec 2019
    ‘Open Data’ category at Agoria e-gov Awards

    Agoria is the trade association for the Belgian technology industry

  • 11 Nov 2019
    Best Large ICT-project

    Awarded by Belgian computer magazine DataNews

  • 14 Dec 2018
    Gouden Byte’ by V-ICT-OR

    Awarded for best intergovernmental IT project

Key elements

LBLOD is an ensemble of many elements that work together in harmony. A true revolution in the way in transformed the way the flemish government handles data.

  • Data architecture

    To ensure a smooth flow of data throughout the project applications we have adapted the Open Source semantic.works microservice framework to the domain of reporting on the decisions at the level of the community council. project.

  • Digitaal Loket

    `Loket voor Lokale Besturen’ is a digital portal for sharing data between the Agentschap Binnenlands Bestuur and the local governments of Flanders.

  • Gelinkt Notuleren

    A cornerstone of LBLOD, ‘Linked Minutes’ is a semantic word processor. When used with official documents related to local governance decision making, it collects and distributes relevant information as structured data. The open source Say-editor is derived from this project.

  • Data distribution services

    Local government data is made available as Linked Open Data through services like Mandatendatabank and Centrale Vindplaats.

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