Definition of Data

Defines ‘open data’ as data that is freely available to everyone to use and republish as they wish, without restrictions from copyright, patents or other mechanisms of control

Main Focus of Document

Guide Mauritius in fostering an open information society that is non-excusive, non-discriminatory, and provide a common platform for collaboration and to upgrade the use of ICT through new open concepts

Target Beneficiaries or Sector

citizens, businesses, government

Key Elements

This national policy, strategy and action plan for open source software (OSS) in Mauritius focuses on six groups:
i) Governmental organisations
ii) Educational organisations (primary and secondary)
iii) Universities - higher and tertiary education 
iv) Private sector
v) ICT sector
vi) OSS communities

The development and implementation of the OSS policy and OSS strategy is based on four main pillars:
1. OSS enabled education system on all levels
2. OSS based research activities in universities and tertiary education
3. Common place for all OSS, OS, OC activities
4. Common collaboration and technology platforms

For pillar (3), the strategy envisages an Open Space in the form of a place to integrate all OSS related activities and collaborations. An office space is proposed for the NOSECC administrative/office HQ, located near major stakeholders (a university campus or Ebene CiberCity). This would house a range of structures, activities and initiatives, including:
- NOSECC office, organisational and other coordinating tasks
- meeting place for work groups, communities
- innovation centre
- a fablab network
- OSS related and other start-ups incubator
- a co-working network
- a university open lab
- OSS specific training

For pillar (4), the strategy looks to establish a common
technology platform in the form of an OSS Open Cloud, to support OSS activities, pilot some Technology and gain "hands - on" experience with OSS Technology. The Open Cloud would have the following proposed functionality:
- hosting web sites for all OSS ecosystem activities
- hosting a collaboration platform: forums, forge, mailing lists
- Document repository - knowledge base (HowTos, User Manual, FAQs, documents, best practices, templates)
- SW repository content
- hosting educational content (moodle cluster)
- EDU curriculum and teacher training
- OSS specific IaaS, Paas and SaaS offer for government and stakeholders
- platform for all smart initiatives
- hosting OSS mirrors
- donating resources to OSS projects

The Strategy sets out the following goals, with associated objectives, targets and activities.
Goal: Creation of a National Open Source Excellence and Competence Centre (NOSECC)
• Objective: Direction in the development and use of OSS, OS, OC
Activities:
- Create directions, guidelines in development and use of OSS, OS, OC

Other roles and activities for the NOSECC would include:
- coordination between stakeholders
- implementing OSS policy, OSS strategy, OSS action plan
- main contact in government for OSS issues (regulation, strategies, execution)
- create and publish OSS Technology/solutions/service government plan for short/medium term
- support government users in choosing, planning and using OSS
- influence and collaborate in procurement system changes
- assist in preparing RfPs and tenders for ICT procurement
- Open Summit Mauritius organisation/coordination
- creating sub documents
- SW/Technology selection process
- SW repository editorial
- knowledge base editorial (select, adapt, create)
- maintain knowledge base (FAQs, documents, best practices, templates)
- forum/forge/collaboration content administration
- form an EDU curriculum and teacher training
- training of ICT staff in government
- develop or parametrize OSS based solutions
- evaluate maturity of OSS solutions
- maintain open cloud platform

• Objective: Awareness on OSS, OS, OC
Activities:
- Open Summit of Mauritius
- Create and coordinate work of work groups (OSS Content, OSS tech, OSS Education, OS Procurement, Smart OSS

• Objective: Information, expertise to support policy implementation
Activities:
- Know-how and knowledge of Pol simple development

• Objective: Contribute to the development of local OSS expertise
Activities:
- Know-how and OSS expertise knowledge

• Objective - Coordination between stakeholders and work groups
Activity:
- Coordination between OSS stakeholders (organising Work Groups, supporting and leading their work, motivating stakeholders to participate)

Goals for specific entities
Government
Goal: To create a cost-effective and connected eGovernment
• Objective: Procurement tech neutral, focused on innovation, sustainability and OS
Activities: 
- to review, create and extend procurement system
- to establish and monitor OS compliance

• Objective: Reduced total cost of ownership
Activity: 
- Through OSECC build local OSS offer

• Objective: Increased interoperability among systems
Activities:
- create and approve IOF
- to establish and monitor compliance with IOF

• Objective: Freedom of choice of software usage
Activities: 
- to review, create and extend procurement system
- create knowledge and support how to choose OS and OSS based IS
- create public guidelines on choosing SW and Technology and OS

• Objective: Usage of OSS, OS wherever it's possible
Activities: 
- Create guidelines on how to evaluate OSS
- Create a repository of recommended OSS per field
- Create a knowledge and support hub
- Create an action plan to use OSS based desktop

• Objective: To gain how-to and experiences using OSS as a platform for e-government projects
Activities: 
- Create architecture and Technology for an Open Cloud Platform
- Create an Open Cloud Platform
- Create a knowledge and support hub

Goal: OSS ecosystem with included all major stakeholders
• Objective: Common event platform
Activity: 
- to organise an Open Summit of Mauritius

• Objective: Common knowledge platform
Activity:
- Create a national OSS knowledge platform
- Create reference for OSS content

• Objective: Open Cloud platform
Activity:
- Create a national Open Cloud - via OSECC

Goal: Developed an OSS enabled ICT sector
• Objective: Promotion of OSS models in ICT private sector
Activity:
- invite and encourage ICT in OSECC activities

• Objective: ICT competitive bidding for tenders with OSS
Activities:
- invite and encourage ICT in OSECC activities
- invite ICT to bid with OSS
- train ICT managers in OSS

Educational institutions
Goal: Technology neutral, OS based and OSS aware education system
• Objective: Technology neutral and vendor independent syllabus
Activity: Review the syllabus on all levels

• Objective: Principles of OSS, OS, OC basics added in the syllabus
Activity: To add OSS, OS, OC content into the syllabus according to level

• Objective: Trained/certified teachers/students in OSS, OS, OC
Activities:
- create syllabus for teacher training
- teacher training program

Tertiary and universities
Goal: OSS, OS, OC based research ICT activities
• Objective: Promotion of OSS tools as general research platform
Activity: Promotion of OSS ICT in research

• Objective: Research and students work on OSS, OS, OC
Activity: Promotion of ICT related activity and support

Private sector
Goal: Implementation of an Open Government strategy
• Objective: Increase governmental openness
Activities: 
- Set up an Open Government hub
- Set up a data lab
- Review all governmental information systems
- Build an adapted platform for open government
- Start-up a smart open energy initiative
- Start-up an open smart cities initiative
- Support innovative projects based on open concepts

OSS communities
Goal: Integrated and active OSS communities
• Objective: Support and create national OSS communities linked to international communities
Activities:
- Manage the innovation centre’s fablab
- Take part in events, workshops and conferences

ICT and OSS ICT sector
Goal: OSS enabled ICT sector
• Objective: Inform and educate the ICT sector about OSS as a way to add value to their business
Activity: Promotion of OSS possibilities and activities within ICT sector

• Objective: Activate the local ICT sector, which offers ICT solutions and services to the private sector and government as a partner in the OSS ecosystem
Activities:
- Recognise OSS-focused companies and give them an active role in NOSECC
- Regularly publicise government plans and needs for OSS-related services and solutions

Working Groups
The Strategy also suggests working groups be established to organise processes and include formal stakeholders. The Working Groups cover the following areas:

OSS Technology
- evaluating, piloting and choosing different OSS Technology, platforms and solutions for use in government or the public sector
- ideas, defining POC, pilot and production projects
- open cloud infrastructure, application stacks, security
- open data, big data, open government, e-government
- mobile
- discuss, propose OS

OS procurement
- reviewing procurement system
- proposing IT specific changes based on OS

SmartOSS
- evaluating, piloting and choosing different OSS Technology, platforms and solutions for Smart* Initiatives
- SmartEnergy, SmartCities, IoT
- other projects based on tourism, fishery
- ideas, defining POC, pilot and production projects

OSS content
- coordinating, evaluating, producing, OSS related content for OSS (recommended, repo) – howtos, user manuals, templates
- coordinating, evaluating, producing educational OSS, OS and OER content

OSS education
- coordinating review of syllabus
- propose new OSS, OS specific syllabus content
- distance, online and e-learning

Policy/Regulation Mirrors

n/a