Despite ever-increasing supply and demand, data often remains siloed and unavailable to those who seek to use it to benefit people, communities and society.

In this whitepaper, the World Economic Forum and the City of Helsinki propose a new, human-centric approach to making data better available. By prioritizing the values, needs and expectations of people, policy-makers can drive meaningful actions with positive outcomes for society while maintaining the utmost respect for the people who are part of it.

This paper provides frameworks, insights, and best practices for public sector employees and elected officials –from mayors and ministers to data scientists and service developers –to adapt and build systems that use data in responsible and innovative ways.