---
redirect_from: /2014/07/a-specification-for-budget-data-introducing-the-budget-data-package/
title: 'A specification for Budget Data: Introducing the Budget Data Package'
authors:
- Lucy Chambers
---
*As we descend into the buzz of the biggest week of the open calendar at OKFestival, the OpenSpending team wanted to quickly drop you a line about a piece of research we have been collaborating on together with the International Budget Partnership, Omidyar Network, and Google: a draft specification for budget data.*

As members of this community will be only too aware, the benefits of structured, machine-readable, and internationally comparable budget data have now been discussed in numerous fora. A flexible but usable global data standard would need to be developed and widely adopted to make this happen.

Recognising the significant challenges posed by variations across national and sub-national budgets, Open Knowledge, with input and technical advice from the International Budget Partnership, Omidyar Network and Google, have begun a scoping exercise, producing an initial proposal for a draft specification (Budget Data package) which could form the basis of a global standard.

The draft specification (Budget Data Package) can be found here:

* [https://github.com/openspending/budget-data-package](https://github.com/openspending/budget-data-package)

Input from the whole financial data community – publishers, investigators, citizens – is going to be necessary if this specification is going to meet users' needs and become a true standard: an open consultation session begins. 

We want your feedback! There are numerous ways to leave feedback on the specification:

1. [Via Github issues](https://github.com/openspending/budget-data-package/issues). This is also the best way to register your interest in being part of the coalition of users who will take ownership of the project's ongoing development.
2. Coming to [OKFestival](http://2014.okfestival.org/)? Why not schedule a time to talk to us directly? The budget spec featured in the session ["Government Budgets: Joining the Dots"](http://okfestival2014.sched.org/event/5451434a7bb1a7668ea4c8d589c3872e) - and we're still available to discuss the future of the project.
3. When the dust has settled from OKFestival, we will also schedule a community call to further discuss the specification. Interested in joining? [Send us an email](mailto:lucy.chambers@okfn.org).

We look forward to speaking to you at the festival and beyond.

