Open Government

Resources on Open Government

  • Freedom of Information Act Memo 2009

    The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is the law that gives anyone the right to access information from the federal government. It is often described as the law that keeps citizens in the know about their government. This 2009 FOIA memo covers the following: An agency should not withhold information simply because it may do so legally. Whenever an

News and Events on Open Government

46 posts

Data.gov launches metrics tools

New Data.gov metrics dashboard provides information on most visited datasets, most downloaded files, most clicked outbound links, top search terms, and more.

Sep 13, 2024

FEMA National Summit on Risk Communications, Crisis Communications, and Community Engagement

The Federal Emergency Management Agency Office of External Affairs is convening risk and crisis communicators and community leaders who are on the front-line of the climate and emerging hazard crises. Attend the free, June 10, 2024, summit virtually, or in Washington, DC. The agenda includes: the sharing invaluable tools and insights, how to implement culturally competent and accessible communications, how to integrate behavior change strategies, and more. An ASL interpreter will be provided.— via Federal Emergency Management Agency

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Apr 25, 2024

Celebrating the work of public servants

Performance.gov invites you to participate in their #GovPossible campaign to celebrate Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW)! Recognize the invaluable efforts of government employees who ensure that the everyday needs of Americans are met. Access a range of tools and resources to help you join the #GovPossible campaign and show your support. The #GovPossible toolkit makes it easy for you to participate in this important (and fun!) campaign.— via Performance.gov

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Apr 09, 2024

Justice department to publish final rule to strengthen web and mobile app access for people with disabilities

On April 8, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland signed a final rule under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure the accessibility of web content and mobile applications for people with disabilities. This final rule clarifies the obligations of state and local governments to make their websites and mobile applications accessible. Learn more about this rule and why the Attorney General believes it will “break down barriers that have kept people with disabilities from fully participating in American Life.”— via Department of Justice

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Apr 08, 2024

Measuring and Justifying the Government Experience

Measuring and Justifying the Government Experience—Private sector organizations use revenue as the primary measurement to justify improving experiences. Many government services don’t have revenue as a lever, so how can we justify work to improve experience? The Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) leveraged a few metrics on their team that fall into three categories: laws and regulations, improving the experience for users, and saving time for employees.— via Office of Natural Resources Revenue

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Aug 19, 2022
Transparency, Participation, and Collaboration

Sunshine Week: How GSA Supports Open Government Principles

Sunshine Week (March 13-19, 2022) celebrates the Government in the Sunshine Act, which promotes greater transparency in government activities. Our mission at GSA is to deliver effective and efficient government services for the American people. To do so, we have to be transparent and accessible—by opening meetings to the public, ensuring that federal buildings and facilities are fully accessible to all people, and making information on documents or pages (web pages, PDFs, newsletters, etc.) open and accessible. Learn about some of our initiatives that best display these principles.

Mar 17, 2022

Federally Funded Research Results Are Becoming More Open and Accessible

Summary: Significant strides in improving public access to scholarly publications and digital data help usher in an era of open science. This week marks the 8th annual Open Access Week, when individuals and organizations around the world celebrate the value of opening up online access to the results of scholarly research. It is an opportune

Oct 28, 2016

Updated FOIA Regulation Template and Guidance Now Available

On September 7th, the Office of Information Policy (OIP) released an updated version of its Guidance for Agency Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Regulations, along with an updated FOIA Regulation Template. These resources were first issued in March 2016. OIP has updated them to take into account changes made to the FOIA by the FOIA Improvement

Sep 16, 2016

DARPA: A Case Study in Open Innovation

You may not know it, but the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, has changed your life. There’s the Internet, for starters. And if that isn’t enough, the agency also has played a pivotal role in shaping GPS, stealth aircraft and drone technology. In fact, ever since its creation under President Eisenhower, DARPA has

Jul 25, 2016

NASA Space Apps Challenge: 2016 Global Winners!

We’re thrilled to announce the Space Apps 2016 Global Award Winners!! These projects well represent the best of the best innovative thinking this year. Congratulations to all the teams. We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming NASA launch in Florida.

Jun 27, 2016

Data: the Key to a More Transparent, Open Government

The work of the federal government is incredibly diverse, and affects almost every aspect of American life, whether it is keeping planes in the air or ensuring that our food is safe. Every public service the government provides requires many different skill sets, but the one thing that unites them all is a consistent requirement

Jun 17, 2016

Open Data Democratizes Innovation

Americans Use Public Data to Improve the Lives of Fellow Citizens Data is one of our most important national assets. It informs our policy and our national priorities. But as we have seen time and time again, the most effective way to govern is to engage with the public directly. Thanks to the President’s Executive Order requiring

Jun 02, 2016

Once Upon a FOIA Request: How You Can Open Public Records

Like many of you, we watched with great interest this week when a citizen submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) asking them to release to the public Wu-Tang Clan’s album, Once Upon a Time in Shaolin. While official sources explain that the desired outcome is not possible

Dec 18, 2015