Objective

To determine the extent of implementation of the two recommendations included in our initial audit report, Compliance With Executive Order 95 (Open Data) (Report 2020-S-36).

About the Program

State government entities possess large amounts of valuable information on subjects such as health, business, public safety, parks, recreation, labor, and transportation. Executive Order 95 (EO 95), issued March 11, 2013, established an Open Data Website (Open Data) for the collection and public dissemination of publishable State data maintained by covered State entities (generally, those headed by individuals appointed by the Executive). EO 95 implementation was phased in beginning in March 2013, with covered entities required to be in full compliance by December 2019. As of March 2022, there were over 5,400 data items on Open Data.

Open Data should provide ongoing “one-stop” access to publishable State data and make such data freely available in accessible formats for public use. Publishable State data should include comprehensive metadata and documentation to help maximize citizens’ understanding, and the public should be able to easily access the data using common software applications. Each covered State entity was required, within 180 days of the issuance of EO 95, to provide the Office of Information and Technology Services (ITS) with a catalogue of its publishable State data, along with a proposed schedule for making the data available on Open Data.

The Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) is headquartered in Lake Placid. It is responsible for operating and maintaining the facilities developed for the 1980 Winter Olympics, including the Olympic Center, the Olympic Jumping Complex, and the Olympic Sports Complex in Lake Placid and the Whiteface Mountain Ski Center. ORDA is also responsible for operating and maintaining Gore Mountain and Belleayre Mountain. ORDA published its first data item to Open Data on September 22, 2021, and as of March 2022 had published three data items (two data sets and one filtered view).

Our initial audit report, covering the period March 11, 2013 through September 9, 2020, was issued on February 8, 2021. The audit objective was to determine whether ORDA was complying with EO 95, including providing, in a timely manner, publishable State data to ITS under EO 95. The audit found that ORDA had not taken steps to meet the requirements of EO 95 until after we began our audit. Prior to our audit, ORDA did not have any data items published to Open Data. In addition, it did not designate a Data Coordinator, complete a comprehensive catalogue of publishable data, submit a master schedule of publishable data sets to ITS, or incorporate Open Data into its ongoing core business planning and strategies. However, since then, ORDA has taken steps to comply with EO 95, including appointing a Data Coordinator, contacting ITS for guidance, creating a data catalogue, and developing policies related to EO 95.

Key Finding

ORDA made significant progress addressing the issues identified during the initial audit, having implemented both recommendations.