How opening up government source code improves everything!

Everything? Really? It’s a bold statement, but it’s true. The City of Sault Ste. Marie in Ontario, Canada has been sharing code openly on the GitHub platform since 2017 and has seen the real value in developing government code in an open-source environment. Here are five big ways that open-source has improved the development process for The City of Sault Ste. Marie.

Adds much-needed resources for little to no cost

There is no question that governments need to constantly find ways to get the best value for the money they spend. Open-source development offers ways to add resources to stretched-thin IT departments for little to no cost.

Other government bodies are looking to solve the same problems. By working to solve those problems in an open-source environment, those other governments can more easily join forces to work towards solutions.

For example, when working on a way to reduce the burden of regularly checking the insurance status of contractors hired to work for the City, a purchaser from a public purchasing department in another municipality reached out and offered assistance with testing the solution. Together, we were able to improve both of our processes.

Increases code quality

We all strive to do our best when others are watching. When you share your code openly with the world, you put that additional effort into it. You consider what you’re saying. You document things. You put forward your best self.

In addition to your own drive to be better, many automated tools are freely available to open-source projects that can help scan code for common mistakes, enforce quality standards, and maintain security.

Significantly reduces software licensing costs

Not every government project is a good fit for being developed internally in an open-source environment, but when the available solutions come with significant costs and ongoing fees, it should at the very least be considered.

For example, the City of Sault Ste. Marie was able to eliminate ongoing monthly fees for automated website accessibility audits by switching to regularly scheduled scans taking place completely on GitHub at no cost.

Instils trust with the citizens you serve

How often do you hear public outcry over secret, closed-door meetings? Whether there’s truth in those claims or not, initiatives like prioritizing open-source development increase the transparency of the government. Any citizen can look at the code that is running their government. They can even improve it for you.

For example, during the annual Hacktober programming event, several local developers discovered the City’s presence on GitHub and submitted improvements to the City’s code. One mentioned how he appreciated being able to help out his municipality while working to earn a free Hacktober t-shirt.

Increases contacts

When it comes to solving problems in government, having contacts is a valuable resource. Perhaps there is a solution out there to your problem that someone in a similar role somewhere else knows about. Perhaps your contact is facing a similar problem, and together you can put together a solution.

Since embracing open-source development, the City of Sault Ste. Marie has gained valuable contacts locally, provincially, federally, and worldwide. Those contacts have all added value to the code that is running our operations, and are all greatly appreciated!

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(Image Credit: Unsplash)