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The Ultimate Exit Strategy: Why a Brexit Could Sink the EU
March 23, 2016 • 13 min read
The U.K.'s Brexit referendum in June could have serious but not likely calamitous economic effects on the nation over the long term. The bigger worry, as was the case with Greece, is that an exit by one country might lead others to follow.
Joao Gomes
Mauro Guillén
On June 23 the British people will vote on a historical referendum on whether they want the United Kingdom to stay in the European Union. Just what the economic impact will be is hard to assess, say Wharton experts, because no nation has ever left the 28-member economic and political bloc.
"No one knows what the economic impact will be" and most analysis "is just speculation at this stage," says Wharton finance professor Joao Gomes. "There are no firm studies. There is no hard data." What's more, it is the political consequences that may have the biggest impact on the E.U.'s future, at least in the short- and medium-term because should one nation leave the group, others could follow.
Specifically, the U.K.'s referendum will determine if Britain will exit the European Union, popularly called a Brexit. The idea of a possible British exit from the E.U. was seeded in a campaign promise. David Cameron, now Prime Minister, promised the referendum should the Tory Party win No. 10 Downing Street. There would be a vote by the end of 2017, Cameron pledged at the time, in part to win over the "euroskeptics" in his own party and among the British population more generally.
Olivier Chatain, strategy and business policy professor at HEC business school in Paris and a senior fellow at Wharton's Mack Institute for Innovation Management, adds: "The people who want the referendum didn't want to be in the E.U. in the first place." They have made different arguments against membership at different times. But "the point is they don't want to be in the E.U." In his view, however, it's better for the U.K. to exert influence from inside of the E.U. rather than the outside.
Referendum Mechanics
Recently, Cameron flew to Brussels to negotiate concessions favoring the U.K. from European leaders in order to persuade the British people to vote to stay in the European Union. If the British people vote to leave, the U.K. has two years to renegotiate all of its treaties and trade deals, among other things. It would not be simple. After notification that Britain planned to withdraw, negotiations would begin for how that exit would play out and for figuring out the U.K.'s future dealings with the EU's remaining 27 member states. On the EU side, negotiations are conducted by the European Council. Any deal would have to be agreed upon by both sides. For the EU, that would mean the deal has the approval of the remaining EU leaders via qualified majority vote, as well as the European Parliament.
No one knows what will happen with the politics of it all because no one has done this before, says Chatain. "People want the U.K. to stay in the E.U. because they don't want uncertainty."
With a migrant crisis underway, which transplanted more than a million people last year on a scale not seen since World War II, the British people were agitated at the prospect of being forced to comply with European quotas to take in more refugees than they want to support. Gomes adds that the "next few months will be tougher with migrant pressures increasing. Fundamental trends will work against an E.U. vote. There's no doubt that that will throw in more fear.… Migration is not going to help as it increases in the spring."
"Economically, it won't be a catastrophe but it's manageable. The political consequence will be worse. Everyone will be worse off politically and the U.K. and E.U. will be weaker."–Olivier Chatain
Franklin Allen, Wharton finance professor and Brevan Howard Centre director at Imperial College in London, explains that the number of refugees allowed through the U.K.'s borders is "low anyway and not complying with E.U. quotas." He adds that if there was a Brexit, the "change would be low-skilled people would find it difficult to come [to the U.K.]. For educated people, it won't change that much."
More generally, according to Chatain "this is purely a political issue between Cameron and his own party." He adds the rise of right-wing elements is happening in many nations, notably with Donald Trump in the U.S. and Marine LePen in France. "What distancing oneself from international organizations like the E.U. is supposed to fix is almost beside the point. It's a deeply political thing. It's not an economic calculus."
Moreover, the eurozone recession is also scaring some Britons into thinking that they will be dragged down by a stagnant European economy while the British economy is recovering at a decent pace from the 2008-2009 downturn.
Straws in the Wind?
As the countdown to the referendum ticks closer, the value of the pound has been sliding. According to The Daily Telegraph, Goldman Sachs believes the pound could lose a fifth of its value and plummet as low as $1.15-$1.20 by the time of the vote this summer. Allen adds that the pound will recover rather quickly if the British vote to stay in. However, "if it's an exit vote, there will be a lot of uncertainty. The value of the pound will probably go down. In 20 years though, it won't make that much difference."
Wharton management professor Mauro Guillén points out that the pro-Brexit campaign is downplaying the fact that the "U.K. is tightly integrated in trade and investment with the E.U. They don't understand or fully grasp the extent of that relationship."
One of the most vital aspects of the British economy is its financial services sector. Known as the City, London is an international hub for banking, investment services, capital markets etc. By staying in the E.U., the U.K. would retain access to the single market. "The U.K. is more integrated to financial services in the E.U. They get access to euros so the U.K. does really well without being part of [the common currency regime]," says Gomes.
On the macro-economic side, the U.K. has a large current account deficit, the difference between the money flowing in and out of the U.K., and capital could flee the U.K under a Brexit scenario, inflating the current account deficit even more. The Bank of England warns that a Brexit could endanger the U.K.'s economic stability.
Allen notes that the pro-Brexit campaign is arguing that the U.K. will still have access to the single market even if it chooses to leave the E.U. "That's true in the long run, but in the short and medium-term, it's not all clear that will happen." In addition, Guillén explains that the British financial services sector doesn't like the idea of additional financial integration with the rest of the E.U., and what that could mean for salaries, bonuses and more stringent bank regulations, but they have been resisting some of the regulations that would facilitate this anyhow.
"This will have a disruptive effect. You're putting everything at risk and you don't know if you'll come back to the current status."–Mauro Guillén
Chatain notes that one of the demands the U.K. has made in recent negotiations is that it should continue to vote on euro-related matters even if the country is no longer part of the eurozone. "Yes, there's a lot of financial business in London, but they are pushing their luck with eurozone countries. On the one hand, the U.K. is saying the E.U. is terrible and doomed to failure, but on the other hand, they want to help make decisions because they're profiting from it. The U.K. is not making friends with that stance."
Killing the Golden Goose?
Would financial services firms relocate out of the U.K. if a Brexit were to happen? Allen notes "It's difficult to say how much of that would happen. It depends on what negotiations happen for the short-term and medium-term [prospects]. In the long term, the U.K. has a lot of advantages in terms of language and culture. Other countries would find it difficult to compete in the long run. For example, American and Chinese financial services firms investing in the U.K. would stay in the U.K., partly for the simple fact that people are speaking English. The number of Chinese people who speak German is quite small. And I don't think Europeans will change very much about what they're doing in the U.K."
Some trade treaties between the U.K. and all of the countries it does business with, however, would have to be renegotiated under a Brexit. The trade deals the U.K. now has fall under the agreements the E.U. has negotiated jointly. In October, U.S. trade representative Michael B. Froman said there would be no free-trade agreement between Britain and the U.S. if it left the EU, and that Americans wouldn't want to negotiate one, according to The New York Times.
But nearly half of the U.K.'s exports go to Europe and the E.U. has a trade surplus with the U.K, so new trade agreements between the U.K. and E.U. would certainly have to be negotiated. "This will have a disruptive effect. You're putting everything at risk and you don't know if you'll come back to the current status," says Guillén.
The U.K. will look at countries like Norway and Switzerland, which are not E.U. members, for what kind of trade rules make sense for non-E.U. members. However, no one knows what kind of position the bargaining parties will hold, says Chatain. Both non-E.U. countries comply with the notion of the free movement of people. They also contribute to the E.U. budget, with Norway paying twice as much per head as the U.K., according to Euronews.
What kind of deal the U.K. would get following an exit will depend on who's doing the negotiating, says Allen. Guillén adds that both Norway and Sweden have had very different historical developments of their economies than what has happened in the U.K. Switzerland has always been a neutral country while Norway doesn't have a global financial services sector.
Internally, a Brexit will pose yet another set of problems. Scotland, which is more pro-euro, will hold another referendum to leave the U.K., says Allen. The ruling Scottish National Party has been quiet in supporting the campaign to remain in the E.U. because it doesn't want to be seen as supporting the Tory party, which is unpopular in Scotland, and would like to have another referendum to secede from the U.K., Allen explains. "Scotland will most likely leave the U.K. If they held the referendum again today, they might vote to leave."
"Scotland will most likely leave the U.K. If they held the referendum again today, they might vote to leave."–Franklin Allen
Northern Ireland is another country that might potentially hold a referendum to leave the U.K. should it vote to leave the E.U. According to The Daily Telegraph, around 58% of Northern Ireland's population support remaining in the E.U., higher than the U.K. average. Northern Ireland also neighbors Ireland, a separate E.U. country, with no border control necessary if both are in the E.U. Some experts have said a Brexit could destabilize the current peace between Ireland and Northern Ireland that has only been in place since 1998. A Brexit could "complicate the relationship quite a bit," notes Guillén.
As far as the global stage, the U.K.'s clout in the world is "marginal," says Gomes. As a member of the European Union, the U.K. has more influence and can vote in trade matters. For instance, Allen points out the situation with Iran. "I don't think Iran would care if the U.K. [carried out sanctions on its own] but Iran clearly cares if the E.U. does it." Guillén adds that though the British have their own approach to international affairs, they "have more to lose if they leave" since they would not have much political clout.
The Biggest Risk?
Outside of the U.K., fallout from a Brexit could affect other E.U. countries in ways that may pose the biggest risk of all. Just as threats of a Greek exit prompted worries that other countries might follow its lead, the same holds true in the case of a U.K. exit, underlining the huge potential for political fallout. Discontented Eastern European countries, for example, might follow suit and hold an E.U. referendum themselves. Gomes points out that the French presidential election is coming up in 2017 and Marine LePen might use the issues brought up in the EU referendum to close borders and push away immigrants.
Thus, apart from economic concerns, European leaders won't smooth the path for a Brexit in an effort to discourage others from following.
Adds Chatain on the likelihood of other referendums or exits: If other EU members also face a major crisis, due to a migrant crisis for example, "and turn to the far right, yes it is possible. I would have never thought I would write that even three years ago."
"It makes no sense to make great changes to leave this relationship. Even if the U.K. were to leave the E.U., the situation will be very similar to what it is now, maybe with the exception of border control and possibly some aspect of social programs like benefits."–Joao Gomes
Moreover, the subject of the U.K. exiting the EU may not end on June 23. "One wild card will be who the new prime minister will be, even if the vote is 'no' to leaving," says Gomes. Cameron has said he will not run for re-election again in 2020 and the new Tory leader may be more pro-Brexit than Cameron has been.
"Economically, it won't be a catastrophe, but it's manageable," says Chatain. "The political consequence will be worse. Everyone will be worse off politically and the U.K. and E.U. will be weaker. There will be a lot of economic uncertainty, but it won't be a disaster."
Gomes adds, "It makes no sense to make great changes to leave this relationship. Even if the U.K. were to leave the E.U., the situation will be very similar to what it is now, maybe with the exception of border control and possibly some aspect of social programs like benefits. That aside, in terms of free trade, mobility of free capital, the impact on the City, the impact will be slow.… Nothing on the business side will basically change."
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Tissues Are Recommended: STOP A Preview
22nd January 2017 OxStu Editor
A brand new musical focusing on issues of mental health, STOP looks to be the theatrical event of the term. Attending one of the cast's rehearsals I was witness to what is very much a work in progress, but from what I saw this show has the potential to be something really special.
The story is centered around four characters, Justin, Chloe, Lewis and Martha, as they wait at a London bus stop. The characters have a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences but what they have in common is that they are struggling with their daily lives. Each character has a different kind of mental health issue; Chloe has bipolar type 2, whilst Lewis has body dysmorphic disorder and bulimia. One of the writers, Annabel Mutale Reed, explains to me the importance of each character having a specific, diagnosable mental issue and tells me of the extensive research that was undertaken in writing the musical; this included interviewing clinical psychiatrists and a PhD candidate who was researching uncertainty in mental illness. This elaborate research results in characters who are complex but reflective of real life experiences and struggles.
Whilst the characters are waiting for the bus they engage in discussion, allowing for an exploration of the problems they face. The audience is presented with alternate futures for each on the characters, a 'good' and 'bad' day; the bad day reveals the tragic consequences of their mental health issues going unaddressed, whilst the good day is more optimistic. The good day is not a 'happily ever after' but it does reveal the potential for the characters to change their paths.
The audience may be able to see parts of themselves in the characters and this contributes to the emotional poignancy of the show.
STOP has a small but extremely strong cast. The musical numbers that I saw performed in rehearsals were wonderful; they highlighted the great vocal abilities of the cast as well as their capabilities to convey deep emotion through song. As Annabel, who stars in the show as well as having co-written it with Leo Munby and directing, sung her character's principle song 'You Matter Today', I was almost moved to tears, as did it seem were some of the other cast members. Jack Trzcinski and Kathy Peacock were equally brilliant in their renditions of their character's solo numbers, even at this early morning rehearsal. The cast of STOP really sell themselves and are one of the reasons I think this show will be spectacular.
This musical is quite pertinent to British society and has a specific political message: Annabel tells me they want to highlight the danger of people not having a place where they can just stop. The fact that the musical is set on whatever day the show is performed, and the insertion of various references to figures such as Theresa May, serve to contribute further to these feelings of relevancy. The characters themselves are also relatable; Kathy Peacock mentions the fact that for many in Oxford her character's incessant and hyper manic worry over exams will be something identifiable. The audience may be able to see parts of themselves in the characters and this contributes to the emotional poignancy of the show.
The one of piece of advice the cast and crew would give to the audience is 'bring tissues'. Whilst STOP isn't a tragedy, it looks like it will be an incredibly moving, and at times relatable experience for the audience, I certainly would agree that tissues will be a necessity.
STOP will be performed in the Burton Taylor from the 24th to the 28th of January, the show had sold out.
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Bengals bring in Kevin Hogan, Alex McGough for tryouts at quarterback
Curtis Crabtree
With No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow out for the season after injuring his knee Sunday against the Washington Football Team, the Cincinnati Bengals brought in a pair of quarterbacks for tryouts on Tuesday.
Kevin Hogan and Alex McGough were the two quarterbacks the Bengals took a look at as possible ways to bolster their depth at the position.
Hogan, a former fifth-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2016, appeared in eight games with one start for the Cleveland Browns between 2016-17. After spending the 2018 season with the Denver Broncos, Hogan was not on a roster last season. He did have a tryout with the Chicago Bears earlier this year.
Hogan completed 60 of 101 passes for 621 yards with four touchdowns and seven interceptions in his eight games played for the Browns. He went 20 of 37 for 140 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions in his only start.
McGough, a former seventh-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 2017, has not appeared in a regular season game in his four years in the NFL. He spent his first year on Seattle's practice squad, the following year on the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad, and has spent portions of the last two seasons with the Houston Texans. He was released by Houston in October.
The Bengals have Ryan Finley and Brandon Allen on their active roster with Burrow now on injured reserve. Either Hogan or McGough could head to the practice squad as additional depth moving forward.
Bengals bring in Kevin Hogan, Alex McGough for tryouts at quarterback originally appeared on Pro Football Talk
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Financial reporting remains core to the investment process
Nick Anderson: Financial reporting remains core to the investment process
When: 18 December 2017
Where: ICAEW's Information for Better Markets event, London, UK
Nick Anderson delivered a 'practitioner view' response to a speech by Professor Baruch Lev with the title 'Financial reporting for Investors—do the financial statements give them what they need?' at ICAEW's Information for Better Markets event for academics in London on 18 December 2017. As a former buy-side investor, he shares his views on the important role financial statements continue to have in enabling investors to make investment decisions.
Response to Professor Lev
I would like to thank Professor Lev for his thought-provoking presentation, and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) for inviting me to respond. (Before I start, let me be clear that the views expressed here are my own and not necessarily those of the International Accounting Standards Board (Board) or the IFRS Foundation.)
I joined the Board in September, 31 years to the day after I started my career as a buy-side investor. For me, analysing reports and accounts has always been a critical element when making investment decisions. So, on a personal level, I find Professor Lev's thesis curious. While he asserts that the relevance of financial reporting has declined, and although I would admit that sometimes one has to work a little harder when using some aspects of a company's accounts, my stock-picking seemed to improve with time! Perhaps the wisdom of years?
But let me take a more considered approach to the arguments put forward by Professor Lev.
Growth of intangibles
As Professor Lev noted, the growth in intangible assets—and their importance in generating value—is indisputable. Intangible assets, of course, come in many different guises—from, for example, software, research and development (R&D), patents, brands, and customer relationships through to workforce and corporate culture. There is a spectrum from the more tangible intangibles to the more intangible intangibles.
It's interesting to note that some investors are seeking to analyse corporate culture within a more systematic framework. In my experience, a strong culture embedded across an organisation can transform a good business into an outstanding one. But, equally, culture can be a liability; one only needs to think of the misselling of financial products or the scandals around car emissions.
Measuring the impact of financial reporting
The central tenet of Professor Lev's proposition is that financial reporting fails to recognise many intangible assets and, as a consequence, the relevance of financial reporting has significantly declined. He chooses to calibrate this decline through share-price reactions at the time companies report their results. This perspective of both 'financial reporting' and 'relevance' is, however, a narrow one.
Financial reporting in its entirety provides a much richer set of information than the data points available on the day a company reports its results. Perhaps sell-side analysts are frustrated by fewer 'actionable' price movements. Yet, as a buy-side investor, irrespective of whether I start analysing a new company in March or November, the first document I reach for continues to be the report and accounts.
Professor Lev seeks to augment his case by looking at other measures, such as the dispersion of analyst forecasts. But taken together, these arguments appear inconsistent. According to his research, financial reports are said to 'provide only about 5% of the information used by investors'. However, when seeking to explain the increased dispersion in forecasts, the same reports are described as the 'analysts' main information source' and 'at least partly' to blame for increased dispersion.
The proliferation of non-GAAP metrics is also flagged as an indicator of discontent with the current financial-reporting model; more of this later.
New sources of information
While financial reporting has remained central to the investment process and relevant in an absolute sense, new and valued sources of information have continued to develop.
Companies have lifted their game through the increased professionalism of investor relations and regular events such as capital markets days. Technology has been a major factor. The internet has become both a delivery mechanism and a data source in its own right. Drones flying over car parks to assess retail activity is an example of more recent innovation.
Consider how much more we know about executive compensation than we did 20 or 30 years ago together with the recent explosion of environmental, social and governance data. Given the development of new and valued information sources, we should not expect financial reporting to have maintained its relevance on a relative basis. Still, for many buy-side investors, audited financial reports remain an essential element of the investment process.
A buy-side perspective
Managing ever-increasing flows of information is a challenge for investors. Within the standard-setting community, the perception is that the appetite of users of financial information for more disclosure is insatiable. However, a key issue for buy-side investors is the need to focus on the information and issues that really matter. Significant information from a number of sources is weaved together to build an investment case. Words such as 'jigsaw', 'mosaic' and 'holistic' are often used to describe the process.
Most investors will spend time thinking about the nature and motivation of management, for instance. As part of my research process, I sought to understand where a specific company sat on the spectrum from—at one end—being a management-remuneration vehicle to—at the other end—being focused on generating sustainable economic and shareholder value. Information from a number of sources, including financial reports, MD&A reports, management meetings, sell-side conversations and compensation reports, is drawn together to form a judgement. But the foundation of the process, and the basis for looking forward, remains the financial-reporting framework. Not only is there an interdependency between information sources, but audited financial reports remain a pivotal element.
The role of standard-setters
Professor Lev asserts that standard-setters are responsible for the apparent demise of financial reporting that he seeks to portray. Standard-setters are charged with the 'abandonment of the traditional income model in favour of asset valuation'. He asserts that the 'two boards [in other words, our Board and the Financial Accounting Standards Board] pursued vigorously the balance-sheet approach in standard-setting.'
I can only speak as one member of the Board but I strongly refute this argument. It simply doesn't stack up against any reasonable assessment of the facts. The May 2015 Exposure Draft of the Board's forthcoming update to its Conceptual Framework clearly states that 'General purpose financial reports are not designed to show the value of a reporting entity; but they provide information to help existing and potential investors, lenders and other creditors to estimate the value of the reporting entity.' The Conceptual Framework also acknowledges that the objective of financial reporting 'is likely to result in the selection of different measurement bases for different assets, liabilities and items of income and expense.' Information about income and expenses is 'just as important as the information provided by assets and liabilities.'
The Board has been careful—deliberately so—not to express a preference for either historical cost or current measurement, but rather to consider the specific nature of the economic activities that are to be portrayed. The role of the relevant business model, for instance, is considered when determining the measurement of financial instruments within IFRS 9. If the business model in question is to hold assets to collect contractual cash flows, then measurement is amortised cost; whereas, for a business model where financial assets are for trading, measurement is fair value through the profit or loss.
Furthermore, most users acknowledge that current values have a role to play in financial reporting in combination with the use of a traditional accruals-based approach. Accounting for pension liabilities and stock-based compensation are two examples where investors appreciate that current values better portray the underlying economics.
While I profoundly disagree with Professor Lev's diagnosis, needless to say, there remains room for improvement in financial reporting. Professor Lev proposes two accounting changes to, in his words, 'restore the income statement matching.'
Capitalise selected intangibles
Professor Lev's first proposal is to capitalise and amortise expenditure on identifiable long-term investments such as R&D, IT and customer-acquisition costs. Under existing IFRS Standards, development and software costs can, of course, be capitalised.
The new Standard for insurance contracts, IFRS 17, issued by the IASB in May 2017, requires a company to capture in its measurement of insurance contract liabilities all fulfilment cash flows, including directly attributable customer-acquisition costs. So, although not recognised separately, customer-acquisition costs are effectively capitalised.
Are there other categories of intangible assets that might be better capitalised than expensed? Here the balance to be struck is between decision-usefulness, practicalities and cost. For some of the most defining intangibles, such as culture, I suspect that Professor Lev and I would agree that they are beyond the scope of financial reporting.
In relation to intangibles, Professor Lev is right to flag the inconsistent treatment of acquired intangible assets, such as brands and customer lists, and those developed organically. Of course, this inconsistency can be resolved in one of two possible ways. It is also interesting to note that there is little evidence to suggest that investors have found recognition of these assets useful.
Treatment of 'one-off' costs
The second change proposed by the Professor is to characterise what are described as 'numerous one-off items like goodwill write-offs and restructuring expenses' as other comprehensive income (OCI) rather than profit or loss. He cites the growth in non-GAAP performance measures as an indicator of discontent with GAAP accounting.
The proposal to post restructuring costs through OCI troubles me. Restructuring costs have grown in frequency over recent years and in most cases these are cash costs. Putting these through OCI would be like giving companies a blank cheque. (It would certainly encourage investors to pay greater attention to OCI!)
It's also interesting to note that the recent trend among US companies has been for fewer of them to adjust for stock-option expenses in non-GAAP metrics. The IASB is considering measures of management performance as part of its Primary Financial Statement project, including the issue of persistency.
Finally, I would like to comment on two other suggestions that Professor Lev makes in his book The End of Accounting, which I read with interest.
Focus on residual cash flows
Investors are advised to focus on cash flows, specifically residual cash flows, rather than reported earnings. In this respect, it's worth distinguishing between sell-side analysts, focused on earnings, and those on the buy-side, where the importance of cash flows and reinvestment opportunities has been well understood for many years. In response to feedback from users of financial information, the Board has introduced a requirement for companies to reconcile the movement in debt from one year to the next. This will help analysts ensure that they capture changes in cash and debt and provide a stronger foundation to forecast cash flow.
Analyse strategic assets
The second piece of advice in Professor Lev's book is for investors to focus on the strategic assets of a business and for companies to develop a new report on their strategic resources. This would seem to be a key element to any fundamental assessment of a company's prospects; the development of something akin to a strategic-resources report by more companies would be welcome. Indeed, the greater prevalence of intangible assets was one of the reasons why the Board agreed to add a project to update its Management Commentary Practice Statement.
The Professor recognises that producing a strategic-resources report would be an additional reporting burden for most companies and suggests that we should do away with quarterly reporting as a quid pro quo. While I miss some aspects of managing money, it's fair to say that quarterly reporting isn't one of them. It's a joy no longer to be subject to the tyranny of the quarterly reporting cycle—and this is one change that many buy-side investors would welcome.
Financial reporting remains a fundamental element in the investment process. Over my last five years managing money, working with my co-manager, our fund delivered top-quartile returns. Could we have achieved these returns without access to financial reports that we knew we could trust? I don't think that would have been very likely. Of course, that's not to say that today's reporting is perfect. There will always be room for improvement and the Board remains committed to its mission to develop standards that bring transparency, accountability and efficiency to financial markets.
Once again, let me thank ICAEW and Professor Lev for stimulating the debate. Although we have some different views, discussing these issues is important, especially given that we share the same objective: to improve the effectiveness of financial reporting. Thank you.


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Home » Enceladus » How Can We Search For Life On Icy Moons Such As Europa?
How Can We Search For Life On Icy Moons Such As Europa?
Our solar system is host to a wealth of icy worlds that may have water beneath the surface. The Cassini spacecraft recently uncovered evidence of a possible ocean under the surface of Saturn's moon, Mimas.
Mimas is not alone in the possibility of having a global ocean, which would potentially provide a foothold for life to exist. Other worlds under examination include Jupiter's moon, Europa. In 2013, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope observed evidence that Europa erupts water, while the Cassini spacecraft has observed geysers spewing on Saturn's moon, Enceladus.
How likely is habitability on such icy worlds, and how would we search for it? This is one of the questions driving a research team led by Isik Kanik at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Kanik's team was selected for a new grant from the NASA Astrobiology Institute for a five-year project looking at how metabolism could come about by way of chemical differences on icy worlds, and how signatures of these unbalanced states can be detected. This is assuming that metabolism works similarly on these other worlds as it does on Earth.
One of the ways Kanik's team will look for these signatures is to use analog environments on Earth. These are locations that scientists believe are similar, in certain respects, to what could be present on other worlds. In theory, life on another world could evolve from a chemical soup similar to that of certain places on Earth, such as within hot springs.
The Cedars, in California, and Cabeco de Vide, in Portugal, host natural springs that represent two extreme metabolic environments, with energy sources produced by water-rock interactions and particular types of organisms that find a way to take advantage of them, Kanik said.
"The sites are accessible field analogs to deep-sea hydrothermal systems on Earth's seafloor, which are very costly to explore. These are life-supporting environments similar to those that could exist on Europa or early Mars, Kanik said.
Members of Kanik's group have been at work with some of their research for decades, long before astrobiology was considered a distinct study of its own. This is their second grant with the NASA Astrobiology Institute; the first proposal, selected five years ago, focused on how life could have emerged from hydrothermal vents in the ocean.
Another major part of the research was modeling how life could evolve in the laboratory environment. Championed by the NASA Astrobiology Institute's Michael Russell, the sub-team set up experiments in a hydrothermal reactor in the laboratory using simulated ocean water, some organic molecules, and then "mixing them and looking at what comes out," Kanik said.
The new research focuses on four questions that are related to the possible emergence and evolution of life in icy environments, particularly in locations in the Universe such as Europa, Enceladus and Jupiter's moon Ganymede.
The first question asks, "What geological and hydrologic factors drive chemical disequilibria at water-rock interactions on Earth and other worlds?" The researchers will conduct laboratory experiments and field investigations to understand more about the chemistry, including factors such as acidity and electrochemistry.
"There are three basic ingredients for life to emerge: water, free energy and chemicals. Chemical reactions need to keep happening in one direction or the other — either using or giving off energy," Kanik said.
A part of the investigation will involve going to geological field sites in California and Portugal using portable scientific instruments that were developed through past NASA funding. Under the first Icy Worlds project, team members Lance Christensen and Steve Vance have been developing tunable laser spectrometers (TLS) to investigate methane and other small molecules produced by serpentinization. The JPL TLS instrument on Curiosity, part of the Sample Analysis at Mars package, has been used on Mars to analyze elements in rocks and in the atmosphere as the Curiosity rover searches for ancient habitable environments at its main science destination of Mount Sharp (Aeolis Mons).
The team also has a laboratory experiment to investigate serpentinization as it might have occurred on the early Earth before life emerged. This system provides a comparison of the natural sites where biology is present, allowing the team to understand the interaction between chemistry and biology.
The second question asks whether geo-electrochemical gradients — changes in geology and electrochemistry — in hydrothermal vents can eventually create chemistry that leads to life. Using fuel cells, the investigators will simulate how a vent system works, with the aim of understanding how they would behave on icy worlds.
Third, the research team will ask, "How, where and for how long might disequilibria exist in icy worlds, and what does that imply in terms of habitability?" This will involve making models of how seafloors may be different on icy worlds due to to factors such as temperature and pressure.
The fourth question asks, "What can observable surface chemical signatures tell us about the habitability of subsurface oceans?" Again, simulations will take place of icy bodies, including factors such as a vacuum, radiation and the appropriate surface temperatures. The aim here is to link what is seen on the surface with what is happening below.
While the exact budget has not been established yet for Kanik's team, on average the research groups awarded funding in this round received $8 million each. Kanik said the research will not only support dozens of scientists, but also provide extensive training for both graduate and undergraduate students training to become professional astrobiologists after graduation.


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January Teacher's Guide
The annual composition contest is announced in the January issue. The theme for 2019 is Pets. We welcome pieces by students of all levels and experience. Students who have not composed before may not know how to get started so a few basic ideas are included in the issue. The most important factor for the contest is whether a piece is creative, original, and fits the contest theme. We do not want a generic piece with just a title that matches the theme. Some of the best works we have received in past years have come from young or beginning students.
A good starting place is to come up with an idea of what they want to convey and then brainstorm about how that might sound. Many students find it helpful to play around with ideas at the piano. Recording this will help them remember what they did. Once they come up with a basic idea or melody, they can think about other elements of music such as form, key, time signature, tempo etc. They can develop the idea, add a second melody and so forth. An accompaniment is not required but most do include one. Some basic ideas for left-hand accompaniment are included on page 10 of the magazine.
We require students to submit a statement, signed by them and a parent or guardian, that indicates that the work is entirely their own. They may have assistance from parents or teachers in writing down the notes. Form
Please note that all submissions must be sent via mail or fax – no email entries. If you are outside the U.S., please check with us about exceptions to this requirement. [email protected]
Send compositions to
Good luck to everyone!
Recommended recordings
• Prokofiev – 7 Symphonies, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra with Seiji Ozawa (Deutsche Grammophon, 2001)
• Prokofiev – Complete Concertos, V. Ashkenazy, J. Bell, Lynn Harrell, A. Previn, Ch, Dutoit, London Symphony Orchestra (Decca, 2003)
• Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet, London Symphony Orchestra with Andre Previn (EMI Classics, 2010)
• Prokofiev, Piano Sonatas No. 2, 3, 5, and 9, Yefim Bronfman (Sony, 1996)
• Prokofiev, Piano Sonatas No. 1, 4, and 6, Yefim Bronfman (Sony, 1994)
Music For Piano Students
Prokofiev wrote a collection of easier pieces suitable for intermediate students – Music For Children, Op. 65. The opus consists of 12 short pieces, which are a great introduction to Prokofiev's piano music.
Instruments of the Orchestra: Use a recording of Peter and the Wolf to discuss the different instruments with students. What are the unique sound qualities of the instruments. How are woodwinds different from strings or brass. Ask students to come up with words to describe the sound of a violin, flute, or bassoon.
March: Brahms
1. Students or their teacher must subscribe to Piano Explorer. (If the teacher subscribes, he or she must have as many subscriptions as students who have entered.) Students must be 18 years or younger.
5. Do not quote other pieces of music in your compositions. We cannot print such pieces due to copyright laws. You must also include the signed statement on page 14 to participate.
While we are continuing to print the winning compositions from this year's contest, we would like to remind teachers that we also print non-contest music throughout the year (once we have published all of the winners' pieces). Students can write music on any topic (they might try a ragtime piece – see page 9 of the July issue). We cannot return music, so students should keep a copy. Write the student's name, age, address, and teacher's name on the back of the music. All music must be original work. Send pieces to Piano Explorer, Music Corner, 1838 Techny Court, Northbrook, IL 60062.
The contest theme will be announced in the January issue and online in January. We will not give out advance information about the them before then to be fair to all participants. Note you must subscribe to Piano Explorer to submit a composition.
Answers to January Puzzles
Peter and the Wolf Matchup (page 13):
Peter 4 violin
Grandfather 5 bassoon
Wolf 3 horn
Duck 2 oboe
Bird 1 flute
1. b 2. c 3. Playing too loudly or strongly 4. c 5. various answers
Print out a certificate for your students who complete the challenge.pdf
Music Corner: Encourage students to submit music to Music Corner throughout the year. Music must be a student's own work although you may help them write it down. It can be hand written or done with a music program. Please keep a copy as we cannot return music. Write the student's name, age, address, and teacher's name plus any relevant information about the music on the back of the first page.
Send music to Music Corner, Piano Explorer, 1838 Techny Court, Northbrook, Illinois 60062.


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Q: android studio adding google map sdk java Hello I need help debugging something. So I'm simply trying to add a map to an app in android studio. I have a main activity and a fragment. I created a frame on the main activity xml and I want to insert the fragment into the main activity frame. I have no errors and when I run the app it closes when I try to launch the activity. I think there's something wrong with the fragment xml because the preview of the app does not appear in the editor. I'm not exactly sure though. I have added the right permissions and dependencies though.
//Fragment xml

<RelativeLayout
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    tools:context=".mapFragment">

    <fragment
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:id="@+id/google_map"
        android:name="com.google.android.gms.maps.SupportMapFragment"/>

</RelativeLayout>

    //Main xml

<RelativeLayout
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    tools:context=".Activity3">
  <FrameLayout
      android:layout_width="match_parent"
      android:layout_height="500dp"
      android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
      android:id="@+id/frame_layout"/>
</RelativeLayout>

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Main Activity Java

import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity;
import androidx.fragment.app.Fragment;
import android.os.Bundle;

public class Activity3 extends AppCompatActivity {

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_3);

        Fragment fragment = new mapFragment();
        getSupportFragmentManager()
                .beginTransaction()
                .replace(R.id.frame_layout, fragment)
                .commit();

    }
}

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//fragment java class

public class mapFragment extends Fragment {

    @Override
    public View onCreateView(LayoutInflater inflater, ViewGroup container,
                             Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        View view = inflater.inflate(R.layout.fragment_map, container, false);

        SupportMapFragment supportMapFragment = (SupportMapFragment)
                getChildFragmentManager().findFragmentById(R.id.google_map);

        supportMapFragment.getMapAsync(new OnMapReadyCallback() {
            @Override
            public void onMapReady(GoogleMap googleMap) {
                googleMap.setOnMapClickListener(new GoogleMap.OnMapClickListener() {
                    @Override
                    public void onMapClick(@NonNull LatLng latLng) {
                        MarkerOptions markerOptions = new MarkerOptions();
                        markerOptions.position(latLng);
                        markerOptions.title(latLng.latitude + " : " + latLng.longitude);
                        googleMap.clear();
                        googleMap.animateCamera(CameraUpdateFactory.newLatLngZoom(
                                latLng, 10
                        ));
                        googleMap.addMarker(markerOptions);

                    }});}});return view;}}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The main panel and the predella formed the altarpiece of the church of Observation in Bologna. At both sides of the predella there were two small paintings representing St Clare and St Catherine of Alexandria, presently both in the Thyssen collection in Madrid. The altarpiece was attributed to Mantegna until the end of the 19th century.
Design Date: 1470 (signed & dated).
Cossa, Francesco del, ca. 1435-ca. 1477.
Annunciation and Nativity (Altarpiece of Observation) (detail).
b 137 x 113 cm, and 26.5 x 114.5 cm.
Bologna. Italy (Church of Observation).


text:
Лыжный хафпайп — одна из дисциплин фристайла, заключающаяся в спуске на горных лыжах в хафпайпе. Дисциплина дебютировала на зимних Олимпийских играх 2014 года в Сочи. Дэвид Уайз стал первым олимпийским чемпионом в этой дисциплине.

Организация и проведение соревнований

Требования к спортивному сооружению

Организация соревнований
Соревнования проводятся в два этапа: квалификация и финал.

В квалификации каждый участник имеет право совершить два заезда. В результаты квалификационных заездов идет лучший результат. По результатам квалификационных заездов определяются 6 или 12 финалистов.

Во время спуска спортсмены выполняют серию трюков. Судьи оценивают выступления участников, выставляя баллы. Оцениваются сложность трюков, высота и чистота их исполнения. Текущий мировой рекорд самого высокого прыжка на 7,59 м в халфпайпе принадлежит Питеру Оленику.

Примечания

См. также
 Фристайл на зимних Олимпийских играх 2014 — хафпайп (женщины)
 Фристайл на зимних Олимпийских играх 2014 — хафпайп (мужчины)

Фристайл
Виды лыжного спорта

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Originally from Ireland, Amanda previously worked in press and editorial at the Web Summit.
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text:
Disclosure Alert: Alpha Protocol: Episode 25: Exactly Like a Spoiler Warning Episode
It has been a long time, hasn't it. Let's just say that since recording the first part of Rome, Aldowyn had, and continues to have, a number of issues he needed to deal with. I hope you can forgive him, because we've sure taken him to task for the delay.
Anyway, this week we also have a very special guest joining us for the first half of our tour in Rome. Those of you who watch Spoiler Warning over at Twenty Sided will recognize Josh Viel, whom we were happy to have with us. It was a very fun recording session.
Also, funny story: Aldowyn was recording all of us, but he lost the files. Fortunately, anaphysik had backups. Unfortunately, his connection sucks. As a result, we had a few problems getting this together. There were also issues with the game audio. *sigh* >_>
This is one of the easiest and shortest non-contact missions in the entire game. Also, it's the only one of it's kind. I actually really like this mission, simply because it breaks away from other gameplay missions (And let's be honest, the parts where you aren't having conversations really aren't that good. I say that as a fan of this game.)
As for the suit, I have a theory that Obsidian originally tried to make this a mission where you had to blend in, but either realized how much effort it would be or that it looked goofy given the way Micheal Thorton looks and controls during gameplay missions. It's much easier and sensible to have this setup as a mission where Thorton scans them for Mina to get info on. I have to admit, given the recent gov't spying scandals, it's interesting how readily available all this data is to your operation. To avoid going further down the politics rabbit hole, I'll stop at that.
It's worth noting that saving or killing Al-Bara, despite him being a confirmed terrorist working with Al-Samad, does NOT affect your relationship with Shaheed if he's still alive by this point. He'll comment on it, but his reputation won't change.
Labels: Aldowyn is Dumb, Alpha Protocol, Disclosure Alert, Josh Viel, technical issues
Jacob Albano said...
I absolutely hate the sniping in this game, at least with a mouse. It's floaty and imprecise, and makes this mission incredibly tedious.
I actually hex-edited a save file once to enable the tux for standard missions. It has the same stats as the normal civilian clothes, but there was a weird bug that caused my pistol to always be oriented to the right while I was in cover, which made it impossible to aim while peeking left. It's a real shame; I was dapper as heck.
I felt like the email beep was a missed opportunity. It would have been awesome if you could get side missions, requests for intelligence from your allies, or extra goals for your missions through email. It would have incentivized players to check their computer more often and the need for a mysterious beep would have been eliminated.
I've got this dream RPG that I hope to be able to make one day, and parts of it were inspired by a thought I had about this game: What if it were possible to turn Darcy to your side by sending emails about Halbech to him instead of Scarlett or the Black Market? You could potentially skip that whole boss fight at the end, while still allowing for him to "arrest" Mike as a ploy to get back inside the Graybox. There's yet another compelling way to integrate the email system deeper into the game.
I should clarify: I don't hate this mission, I just have trouble sniping on a PC due to this game's input issues. I think the idea behind it is super cool and I wish more games had interesting, distinct segments like this. Despite really hating Hitman: Absolution, I had a lot of fun with the Sniper Challenge minigame.
"What a Terrible Accident" Let's Play Dishonored: ...
Disclosure Alert: Alpha Protocol: Episode 28: Non-...
Disclosure Alert: Alpha Protocol: Episode 27: Roma...
Disclosure Alert: Alpha Protocol: Episode 26: Audi...
Disclosure Alert: Alpha Protocol: Episode 25: Exac...
#62: The Mythical Cloud: Don't Believe the Hype


text:
Claudia Alexander
Divya M Persaud
Gerard Kuiper
James Van Allen
Junichiro Kawaguchi
Ursula Marvin
Getting more involved
Home » Careers » I'm interested in... » Exploring » Divya M Persaud
Credit: All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Occupation: Planetary Scientist, writer, composer
Research Areas: Martian Geology, Remote Sensing, Geophysics
"Geology on Mars is really about Earth - finding and telling a story about our worlds and their connections. This influences my art – for example, visualization, but also music and poetry"
Source: UCL Blog Post 2020
Divya is from New Jersey, USA and went to the University of Rochester in New York State. While she was there she studied geology and music. During her degree, Divya was also an intern at NASA and at the SETI institute. In 2017, Divya moved to the UK to complete a PhD at University College London.
As a student, Divya used her knowledge of how we study the Earth to study other worlds. Geologists have lots of ways to study the Earth, which include remote sensing. This is when you collect data from a place without needing to be there. The information is used to make maps of large areas and even measure the heights of objects and features on the ground. On Earth it relies on data collected by instruments on planes or satellites.
Divya's work uses data sent back to Earth from space probes. Data collected by these probes helps us know how planets and moons formed. They can also help us learn what these worlds are like beneath the surface, and if life could exist there.
Divya has worked on many research projects which have used data from lots of places in our Solar System. Places including the surfaces of Mercury, Mars and the icy moons of Saturn. She has also studied the minerals inside pieces of asteroid which fell to the Earth as meteorites.
Divya's PhD focuses on new ways to use the data collected by satellites which are in orbit around Mars. She has worked with data sent back to Earth from ESA's Mars Express mission and NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Divya develops new ways to look at the data and images in 3D. This helps scientists on Earth to study the geology of Mars. Her work includes the area of Mars where NASA's Curiosity rover is exploring - Gale Crater.
In 2021, Divya became a research scholar at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. She is part of the Europa Lander and Clipper missions. These are missions which NASA plans to carry out in the future. If the mission goes ahead, the Lander will land on Jupiter's icy moon, Europa and look for signs of life. The Clipper will orbit Europa and investigate whether life could live there. Divya's role is to give science support to the teams who are planning the mission and developing the technology which will be on board.
Divya shares her passion for science and space by giving talks to the public. She also speaks on the topic of space ethics. This is how nations can explore space together and for good reasons. Divya is part of the organising team for the Space Science in Context conference. This event brings scientists together to talk about how science can improve society. University College London rewarded Divya's commitment to promoting science with the Elizabeth Puchnarewicz Award for Outstanding Contribution to Public Outreach.
Divya is also a poet and a musician and wants to be the first cellist on Mars! She has published books of her poetry and performs her work at festivals. Divya composed and released her own album which combines poetry and classical music. It tells the story of two astronauts searching for life on different worlds.


text:
Helena van der Kraan-Maazel born Helena Jirina Mazl (14 June 1940 – 14 June 2020) was a Czechoslovakian-born Dutch photographer and partner in the artist duo Axel en Helena van der Kraan.

Biography
Helena Jirina Maazel was born and raised in Prague in the former Czechoslovakia. She was educated at the Czech Technical University in Prague, where she studied architecture for a few years. She started working as window dresser and designer, and developed herself at night as a painter and graphic artist.

After the Prague Spring she decided to flee. In the Netherlands she continued her studies at Ateliers '63, where she met her partner for live Axel van der Kraan. Afterwards they continued to work together as the artist duo Axel en Helena van der Kraan. They lived and worked in Rotterdam since 1987. In 1989, they were awarded the Hendrik Chabot Award. In 1990, at the Museum Boymans Van Beuningen, there was a retrospective of their work with sculptures, drawings, and photography.

Helena van der Kraan-Maazel died 14 June 2020 (her 80th birthday) in Rotterdam from cancer. She was described as an artist, who "observed with a concerned look, who recorded her surroundings in noiseless portraits."

Work

Axel en Helena van der Kraan
The Dutch artist Axel van der Kraan had started as sculptor, and together they continued to make sculptures and installation art. Helena took it upon her to document these art projects in projects in photographs. This evolved into her own photographic art projects involving still life and portraits of people.

Series
Helena van der Kraan created a number of remarkable series of portraits. In 1986 with the series Medewerkers (Staf Members) she took the picture of eighty employees of the Haags Gemeentemuseum, nowadays Kunstmuseum Den Haag.

In 1995 she pictured the 75 members of the Dutch Senate, the upper house of the States General, the legislature of the Netherlands. In those days the ties where prominent attributes. The Members of the Senate, all with ties in the pictures, often looked a "little nervous."

The Artdealers
Another of her more famous work was the picture called The Art dealers<ref>The Artdealers, stedelijk.nl. Retrieved 23 June 2020.</ref> as Toef Jaeger (2020) describes it:".... two men at a sink; one looks concentrated at a photo. He is clearly going to take his time, in his casual pose one foot is slightly back. In order not to balance, he leans his shoulder against the wall. The other man awaits judgment on the photo. There is a folder on the sink in front of them. No idea what else is in the folder, but based on the title you expect it to be more photos.The great thing is not only that two observing men are observed here, but it is also the suggestion that the photo makes. It's about art, but why does it have to be at a washbasin at public toilets? And what is in the photo? If the art has to be exchanged in this way, it is either something that is not for everyone's eyes, or the volatility of selling a work of art has become something that you do right after washing your hands." The Bear and Teddy project
In her youth Helena van der Kraan had a special relation her teddy bear, which at young age she had named Bebbeba. She left him behind when she fled, but was reunited later on.

Later on in life she started photographing teddy bears similar to the way she had portrayed people. Over the years she photographed over two hundred teddy bears, who sometimes "appear proud and self-assured, sometimes fearful and melancholy, but they are always dignified." The teddy bears were often portrayed naked, sometimes wearing a worn jacket.

 Exhibitions, a selection
 1985. La Grande Parade, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.
 1986. Bezielde fotografie, Haagse Gemeentemuseum.
 1996. Helena van der Kraan: Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen. 2005. Fotomuseum Den Haag.
 2020. Bear and Teddy, Fotomuseum Den Haag

 Publications
 Helena van der Kraan, Kees Broos, Van der Kraan, Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, 1978.
 L. W. H. Dijk. Helena van der Kraan: Museum Boijmans.' Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, 1996.
 Wim van Sinderen (ed.), Donald Mader (transl.) Helena van der Kraan. The Hague Museum of Photography, Den Haag : Terra, 2005.  .
  Helena van der Kraan. Portretten/Portraits,'' Van Zoetendaal Publishers, 2020. .

References

External links

 Helena van der Kraan, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
 Helena van der Kraan, Fotomuseum Den Haag
 Works by Helena van der Kraan at RKDimages.

1940 births
2020 deaths
Dutch photographers
Dutch sculptors
Artists from Rotterdam
Deaths from cancer in the Netherlands
Artists from Prague


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Using Data to Measure Open Data Policy Implementation
Does following open data policy guidelines lead to better implementation down the road?
With cities across the country drafting open data policies and prioritizing transparency as part of the What Works Cities Program, a major challenge is measuring the success of open data policy implementation. Thanks to analysis started by fellows from the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago, we've started to unpack the messy relationship between getting a policy on paper and carrying it out. Preliminary analysis suggests that cities whose open data policies follow Sunlight's Open Data Guidelines tend to more successfully share open datasets.
Unfortunately, there is little existing quantitative research about open data policy and implementation in U.S. cities, partially because valid quantitative measures to evaluate open data at the city level are hard to find. By extracting data from the US City Open Data Census [1] and Sunlight's Open Data Policy Comparison: Best Practices [2] spreadsheet, we built a dataset to analyze the policy and implementation of open data across American cities. While the Open Data Census is far from the perfect measure, it's still the best and most comprehensive dataset we have available on open data implementation.
Gathering data from the Open Data Census and Sunlight's guidelines
In the census, each city is given a score, from 0 to 1900, representing its overall open data performance. This score is the sum of performance scores for 19 specific datasets intended to represent subject areas with "high-value datasets." Among the 56 cities we studied, the average overall score is 984, slightly more than half of the maximum possible score of 1900; the median is 840. Cities we studied fell into a wide range of overall scores:
How cities scored on the US City Open Data Census. (Graphic credit: Sunlight Foundation)
Sunlight's Guidelines suggest that cities focus on a few main priorities when crafting an open data policy: opening datasets, putting them online, providing them in bulk and machine-readable form, allowing open licensing, and updating data in a timely manner, among others. For each of the 56 cities we studied, we calculated the percentage of the 19 Census-specified datasets that meet these criteria.
Many cities are doing well at creating important data and posting it online, and most cities are able to keep the datasets up-to-date. For the average city, 89 percent of the datasets exist, with 83 percent of them being posted online, and an average of 74 percent of the datasets are considered timely. However, many cities have not prioritized sharing data in bulk and machine-readable form. The average city only provides 56 percent of the datasets in bulk form and 59 percent in machine-readable form. Additionally, our guidelines suggest that datasets should be freely used, reused and redistributed — in other words, have an open license. On average, cities only give 50 percent of their datasets open licenses.
Exploring the data: Preliminary findings
Of the 56 cities we studied from the Open Data Census, 31 of them (55 percent) have an open data policy. It is clear that having an open data policy highly correlates with better open data implementation. Cities with an open data policy score significantly higher on the Open Data Census than cities without open data policies. Sunlight's Open Data Policies map records all open data policies in place, nationwide. There are many variables at play when determining how each of these cities succeed in implementing policy, so it's very important to note that correlation between two factors does not imply causation, thus limiting the conclusions we can draw.
A comparison of how cities with and without an open data policy scored on the US City Open Data Census. (Graphic credit: Sunlight Foundation)
We also found that cities tend to score higher on the Open Data Census when:
The open data policy is stronger according to our Guidelines
The open data policy has been in place for longer
Our main finding is that a good score on the Open Data Census is positively correlated with the adoption rate of Sunlight's Open Data Policy Guidelines, as measured by a policy's "strength." We measured this by looking at the policy's adherence to a few of our strongest guidelines: to create a list of data holdings, create an oversight authority, create binding regulations for implementation, and setting a clear implementation timeline. We also factored in whether the policy was a legal ordinance, executive order, or resolution, which we consider to be the most sustainable means of implementation. Finally, we factored in whether the city has appointed something like an open data governance board or a chief data officer. We found that each of these components was highly connected to better policy implementation down the road, as measured by the Open Data Census.
A secondary finding showed that the longer a policy had been in place, the higher it scored on the Open Data Census. From what we know of working with cities, this reflects the real stories from champions in city government who fight for incremental progress over time.
Crafting a strong open data policy is at the center of Sunlight's work with What Works cities. To learn more about the relationship between strong policy and successful open data policy implementation, dive into our other findings and the methodology for this analysis, or investigate the raw data.
Open data implementation that works
The What Works Cities Program is at the core of Sunlight's local policy work. Our analysis above found that, compared to other cities of a similar size, cities participating in the program tend to perform better on the Open Data Census and adopt more of Sunlight's Open Data Policy Guidelines. In addition to carrying out analysis on available data to track open data policy implementation, we record stories from local government voices on our blog. To read more about Sunlight's work with cities on open data policy, see our local policy homepage.
While tools like the Open Data Census attempt to track open data implementation, we are still working to improve our understanding of what a well-implemented policy looks like. Some cities can start opening data based on our catalog of most commonly open datasets. Others may need to focus in on their city's unique data needs. To explore the resources we provide to cities moving to track open data implementation, see our What Works Cities homepage.
[1] Retrieved June 24, 2016. Only cities with sufficient submissions on datasets are included. (To top) [2] Retrieved June 24, 2016. (To top)