Open Data Policy Lab: 100 examples of how non-traditional data serves the public interest.
This collection includes data from satellites, connected devices, commercial transactions, and online communities. It covers specific use cases like detecting disease outbreaks in wastewater, assessing disaster damage with satellite imagery, and analyzing evacuation behavior through mobile network data. The compilation organizes these examples into seven domains, such as public health, urban planning, and environmental monitoring. These sources help answer questions that traditional surveys or censuses often cannot address quickly enough. Because the field remains fragmented, these examples illustrate the different methods needed for collection and privacy.
For public sector professionals, this matters because it shows how to move from research projects to operational decision-making. The report suggests that non-traditional data works best when it complements traditional evidence. It also emphasizes that while AI expands our ability to process complex information, it requires stronger human oversight and validation. For those in governance, the collection identifies key challenges regarding privacy, data stewardship, and trust. It provides a practical guide for understanding the institutional work needed to turn these data sources into reliable public services.
Is your team considering how to integrate these types of data into existing public services?
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