Open Government Innovations

Latest Blog Posts

  • Recap: A Big Day for Open Data

    Yesterday, President Obama visited Austin, Texas, to kick off his Middle Class Jobs and Opportunity Tour. At Capital Factory, a local start-up incubator, he met with technology entrepreneurs and innovative companies that are helping grow our economy and create jobs by building new products and services. One of those companies, Stormpulse, uses freely available government weather data to help businesses protect themselves.

  • Open Government: A Time for Self-Assessment

    Since the first day of the Obama Administration, the Federal government has worked to make government more efficient, effective, and responsive to citizens’ needs. The Administration is committed to harnessing new technology to engage the public, disclosing information more quickly, and giving citizens a greater voice in decision-making. Today, we are proud to release a Self-Assessment Report on the many steps taken to fulfill those commitments.

  • Sunshine Week: Increasing Access to Publicly Funded Research

    During Sunshine Week, we celebrate the ways government can improve public use of government information. We recently took an important step to increase public access to the results of research funded by the Federal Government, focusing on two key products of funded research: peer-reviewed scholarly publications and scientific data.

  • Sunshine Week: In Celebration of Transparency

    Sunshine Week is a good time to reflect on the notable steps the Administration has taken in the last year-and-a-half to fulfill its commitment to implement the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI)—a voluntary, global effort designed to increase transparency, strengthen the accountability of natural resource revenues, and build public trust for the governance of these vital activities.

  • Sunshine Week: In Celebration of Civic Engagement

    Sunshine Week seeks to encourage public participation in government, and the U.S. has worked hard to expand opportunities for civic engagement. As one example of this, We the People gives the Obama Administration a way to connect with the public on the issues that matter most to them.

  • Sunshine Week: All Hands on Deck for Open Data

    On Monday during Sunshine Week, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the launch of open.ny.gov, a new data transparency website that features valuable information about New York State economic development, recreation, and public services. The announcement is an important contribution to the growing “all hands on deck” effort to make government data accessible as fuel for innovation and economic growth.

  • Sunshine Week: In Celebration of Open Government

    During Sunshine Week 2013, the White House will highlight one initiative a day which demonstrates the Obama Administration’s continued commitment to open and accessible government. This first post focuses on progress made improving the administration of the FOIA. As Justice Louis Brandeis wrote, "sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants."

  • Fulfilling our Commitment to Open Government

    Since taking office, President Obama has made clear that his Administration is committed to Open Government—that the Nation is made stronger by making the Federal Government accountable to citizens and by giving those citizens opportunities to participate in their government. As part of this ongoing commitment, the United States Government will publish a Self-Assessment Report this spring that outlines our progress to date on Open Government In the true spirit of Open Government—we want you to participate in the process.

PARTICIPATE NOW

We the People- Create and sign petitions  on whitehouse.gov

OPEN GOVERNMENT POLICY

National Action Plan for the United State of America

These Open Government efforts are now entering a new phase, as we collaborate with other countries in the global Open Government Partnership.

Informing Consumers through Smart Disclosure

Memorandum: The purpose of this Memorandum is to set out guidance for agencies to inform and facilitate the use of disclosure, specifically "smart disclosure."

Commitment to Open Government Status Report

Since President Obama took office, the Administration has strived to make information about how government works more accessible to the public and to solicit citizens’ participation in government decision-making.

The President’s Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government

The President’s first executive action, the Open Government Memorandum calls for more transparent, participatory, and collaborative government.

Open Innovation Memo

An overview of 10 leading practices that emphasize the government's role as an "impatient convener" to advance the President’s Strategy for American Innovation.

The Open Government Directive

The Directive hardwires accountability, instructing every agency to open its doors and data to the American people. (also available as pdf, txt, and doc)

PRA Primer

An easy to understand primer about the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA).

Social Media and the PRA

Guidance on using social media within the framework of the Paperwork Reduction Act.

Increasing Openness in the Rulemaking Process – Use of the Regulation Identifier Number (RIN)

Guidance to help improve the public’s ability to track regulatory actions throughout their lifecycle in order to promote informed public participation.

Paperwork Reduction Act - Generic Clearances

A streamlined process for agencies to meet their obligations under the Paperwork Reduction Act for voluntary, low-burden, and uncontroversial collections.

Improving Electronic Rulemaking Dockets

Promoting greater openness in the regulatory process by providing comprehensive electronic regulatory dockets online..

M-10-22, Guidance for Online Use of Web Measurement and Customization Technologies

Guidance for using web measurement and customization technologies to improve the Federal Government’s services online.

M-10-23, Guidance for Agency Use of Third-Party Websites and Applications

Guidance for agencies using third-party websites and applications to engage with the public.

Disclosure and Simplification as Regulatory Tools

How to use disclosure and simplification to achieve regulatory objectives.

Guidance on the Use of Challenges and Prizes to Promote Open Government

The Guidance provides a policy and legal framework for the use of prizes and challenges to promote open government, innovation, and other national priorities.

A Strategy for American Innovation: Driving Towards Sustainable Growth and Quality Jobs

The President’s strategy identifies public sector innovation as critical to creating a national environment ripe for entrepreneurship.

Data.Gov Concept of Operations

The ConOps paper outlines the going-forward strategy for Data.gov and is open to comments and suggested improvements. (download as pdf or doc)

Memorandum on Controlled, Unclassified Data

Establishing an open and uniform program for managing controlled, unclassified data

Status Report-Learn more about the Obama Administration's Commitment to Open Gov
Challenge.gov
Follow OGI on Twitter
Data.gov