Formulating Open Data-Based Value Propositions: An Evaluation and Comparison of Two Canvas Tools

Abstract

The publication of Open Government Data (OGD) is expected to deliver economic value creation through innovation. In any OGDbased value creation, it is essential to formulate a value proposition (VP). However, previous literature has devoted little attention to the tools that support the formulation of OGD-based VP, and none has evaluated the performance of such tools with OGD infomediaries. In this article, we evaluate and compare the Business Model Canvas (BMC) and the Open Data Canvas (ODC) performance in supporting the formulation of VP. Questionnaire feedback was obtained from infomediaries who formulated OGD-based VP using the BMC and the ODC. The results show a superiority of either the BMC or the ODC in terms of perceived usefulness, depending on the focus of the feasibility evaluation of the VP. The ODC provides OGD-specific guidance on evaluating technical feasibility while the BMC covers economic feasibility more extensively. We recommend investigating the emerging field of OGD-based VP formulation tools by replicating our research with other types of infomediaries, in other settings, and completing it with qualitative insights.