Implementing national performance indicator ontology: A case study of Botswana's development agendas

Abstract

This paper presents the National Performance Indicator Ontology (NPIOnto), a knowledge model designed for the semantic representation of national performance indicators (NPIs) and related performance variables to enhance the semantic capabilities of open data. The research addresses the lack of semantic representation for NPIs, particularly within Botswana's development agendas, which impedes the effective use, accessibility, and integration of performance data essential for monitoring and achieving sustainable development goals. NPIOnto was developed through five steps: discovering the ontology purpose, studying the development agenda knowledge domain, developing the conceptual knowledge model, formalizing the conceptual model, and evaluating the formal model's effectiveness in enhancing the semantic capabilities of open data resources. The evaluation, based on practical application in Botswana, demonstrated that NPIOnto significantly improves the accessibility, understandability, interoperability, integrability, and intelligibility of open data. Insights from the Botswana case study indicate that while NPIOnto is tailored to meet Botswana's development agenda needs, it can be adapted for use in other developing countries.