March 9, 2020 Standardization and Disclosure of Information on Free Support by Companies Responding to New Coronavirus Infection Control

#Private Support Information Navigation Project

The Cabinet Secretariat’s National Strategy Office of Information and Communication Technology, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) will work with the industrial world and Civic Tech Group to standardize data (e.g., support information from companies that respond to new coronavirus infection control) and implement a #Private Support Information Navi project. This initiative will create an environment where citizens and businesses can easily access free support services provided by companies, etc., and contribute to more fulfilling lifestyles and business activities.

The effects of the new coronavirus have increased telework at companies and have had a significant impact on overall social activities, such as closing schools and canceling events. In response to this rapid change in the social environment, companies and other companies are providing services that support various online learning and homework at no cost. On the other hand, such information is often published on individual web pages of each implementing company and may not reach the required recipients. Furthermore, it is challenging to select the service to be used because the description method of information is different at each site.
In light of this situation, the Cabinet Secretariat, MIC, and METI will implement the # Private Support Information Navi project, which will standardize and disclose the data format of information provided by businesses, including grant aid information.
The government will provide a standard data format for filling out support information and ask each industrial organization to provide information. Companies belonging to various organizations in the industry will enter and give data to support services provided free of charge. The provided data will be compiled by the government and released as open data. Data will be expanded as soon as each company provides the data.

This data will be provided in cooperation with the Civic Tech Group (Note 1), which is a civil engineering group that aims to solve social issues with technology. A Civic Tech organization named Code for Japan (Note 3) developed an open search site (In charge: Taisuke Fukuno, the Cabinet Secretariat’s Open Data Evangelist (Note 4)). This was part of the activities of International Open Data Day (Note 2) held on March 7 at the same time worldwide. A public website will be launched simultaneously with the provision of data that will start on March 9 in line with the government data.

By utilizing this open data, various organizations will be encouraged to collect a variety of information and develop multiple applications with ingenuity.
Also, in the future, the project will prepare an easy-to-search information service site for support information for government operators regarding the treatment of new coronavirus infectious diseases. This time, the project will enhance the provision of information on measures against new coronavirus infectious diseases, along with the support information of companies, and contribute to the enriched life and business activities of citizens and businesses.

Note 1: The Civic Tech organization is an entity where engineers gather and jointly develop solutions to solve social issues.
Note 2: International Open Data Day is an annual event that holds open data-related events around the world on the same day. Held in March every year, this is the 10th event.
Note 3: Code for Japan is a general incorporated association that supports the resolution of regional and administrative issues by utilizing technology through citizen participation communities.
Note 4: The Cabinet Secretariat’s Open Data Evangelist is a private expert appointed by the Cabinet Secretariat’s National Strategy Office of Information and Communication Technology to promote open data.

Contact

For further information about this press release, please fill in the inquiry form and submit it to MIC on the website
https://www.soumu.go.jp/common/english_opinions.html

International Policy Division, Global Strategy Bureau, MIC

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