Exploring the Influence of Government Data Performance on Knowledge Capabilities: Towards a Data-Oriented Political Economy

Abstract

This article is devoted to the study of the influence of government data performance on knowledge capabilities. Knowledge capabilities play a key role in open innovation and creation of citizen-oriented products and services. However, it is necessary to assess the role of the information environment in the development of knowledge capabilities, including government data as a product and a component of the information environment. Government data performance is expressed through the statistical capacity score and its three dimensions: periodicity assessment of statistical capacity, methodology assessment of statistical capacity, and source data assessment of statistical capacity. Knowledge capabilities are expressed through economic complexity, which reflects the diversity and uniqueness of the production capabilities inherent in each country’s exports. Econometric analysis is based on dynamic panel data models that quantify the effect of government data performance on economic complexity. The final dataset includes 94 countries and their indicators for the selected variables for 2004–2019. The models show that government data performance and its various dimensions influence economic complexity because government data provide a detailed and publicly available description of the economic space, including available resources and potential tasks. Based on these data, agents can produce dissimilar and unique products. This logic may be true in general for the influence of government data performance on knowledge capabilities: structured and complete government data reduces the cost of information analysis and provides information support for decisions. The results of the study contribute to the ideas of a data-oriented political economy. Government participation in value creation includes various forms of indirect influence. The provision of government data is one of these forms. The development of collective data governance and collaborative data projects makes it possible to create more complete datasets and stimulates citizen involvement and deliberation.