On 2 September 2026, UCEEB presented the results of a survey examining how Czech municipalities approach working with data at a meeting of the Ministry for Regional Development's Smart Cities Working Group. The research was conducted by the Participatory Planning and Design team as part of the CESMOD project.
Between 2025 and 2026, the team collected 496 questionnaires, of which 113 were included in the analysis. The resulting sample is not representative of all Czech municipalities, as smaller municipalities already working with data are overrepresented. Nevertheless, the survey provides valuable insights into their needs, challenges and everyday practices.
Data-related responsibilities in municipalities are typically shared among several employees and rarely constitute anyone's primary role. Half of the respondents described working with data as a secondary part of their job, 45 identified it as one of their main areas of responsibility, and only five reported focusing primarily on data. Although data is generally collected digitally, individual datasets are often incompatible with one another.
Municipalities consider limited staff capacity to be the main obstacle. Respondents most frequently indicated that having more time and access to a user-friendly system would help them make greater use of data. Training, access to qualified specialists and high-quality educational materials would also play an important role. Some municipalities also stated that they were too small to consider systematic data management necessary.
Municipalities have relatively practical expectations of an ideal tool. For 61% of respondents, a user-friendly interface in Czech is essential, while 49% consider government-backed security guarantees necessary. Integration with other municipal systems and free access were each identified as essential by 35% of respondents. Municipalities generally view the latest technologies, including artificial intelligence, as desirable features rather than fundamental requirements.
The survey also highlighted limited data openness. In 83% of cases, raw datasets are accessible only to municipal leadership or administrative staff. The situation is more favourable for processed documents, reports and charts, which are at least partially accessible to the public in approximately two-thirds of cases.
The analysis also revealed that municipalities collecting data in one area are more likely to systematically collect it in other areas as well. Data collection is also associated with data publication and its use in securing grants, optimising resources and financial management. Conversely, no relationship between data-related practices and municipality size was confirmed within the available sample.
The findings provide the CESMOD project with valuable insights for developing tools and support mechanisms that reflect the
actual capacities and needs of municipalities. They demonstrate that the path towards data-driven decision-making depends
not only on access to modern technologies but, above all, on time, human resources, trust and the ease of use of available
solutions.
