OMB: Open Government Directive
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memorandum to executive branch departments and agencies regarding the Open Government Directive. The memorandum directs federal agencies to implement the principles of transparency, participation, and collaboration set forth in the President's memorandum on transparency and open government, issued January 21, 2009.
The OMB memorandum requires federal agencies to:
- Publish government information online in an open format that can be retrieved, downloaded, indexed, and searched by commonly used web search applications. Within 45 days, each agency shall publish at least three previously unavailable high-value data sets and register those data sets via Data.gov. Within 60 days, each agency shall create and maintain an Open Government webpage to serve as the gateway to related agency data (including annual Freedom of Information Act reports) and public involvement.
- Improve the quality of government information. Each agency should make certain that the information conforms to OMB guidance on information quality and that adequate systems and processes are in place to promote conformity. Each agency will designate a high-level senior official who will oversee quality and objectivity assurance. In terms of federal spending transparency, OMB will issue separate guidance within the next several months for a longer-term comprehensive strategy.
- Create and institutionalize a culture of open government. Federal agency senior leaders should strive to incorporate the values of transparency, participation, and collaboration into the ongoing work of their agency. This will include publication of a transparency plan that will be updated on a biennial basis. Within 60 days the White House will create the Open Government Dashboard, which will make available each agency’s plan, together with aggregate statistics and visualizations designed to provide an assessment of the state of open government. The White House will also establish an interagency working group within 45 days to provide oversight on these issues. Within 90 days, OMB will issue additional guidance on incentive-backed strategies to find innovative or cost-effective solutions to improve open government.
- Create an enabling policy framework for open government. Within 120 days, the White House will review OMB policies and identify impediments to open government and the use of new or emerging technologies.
View the full memorandum: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ogi-directive.pdf
