Barack Obama sets Gov 2.0 timetable for open information

The Obama administration in the US has issued an Open Government Directive that establishes deadlines for opening up access to public information and implementing 2.0-style Government initiatives.

The Obama directive is similar to the Declaration on Open Government that the Australian Government 2.0 Taskforce recommended the Commonwealth adopt in its draft report issued this week.

Issued by the Executive Office of the President, the Open Government Directive sets a timetable for US departments to implement policies and actions on the principles of transparency, participation and collaboration.

The directive is the policy document developed as a response to President Obama’s Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government issued in January and directs departments on specific actions that are now required to implement those three principles.

“This Open Government Directive establishes deadlines for action,” the paper says.

“But because of the presumption of openness that the President has endorsed, agencies are encouraged to advance their open government initiatives well ahead of those deadlines.”

At the top of the agenda is a call for all government information to be made available online and in an open format – and that the default position of agencies’ attitude to releasing information shall “respect the presumption of openness.”

To accelerate the process, the directive gives US departments and agencies 45 days to identify and publish at least three “high-value” datasets online, and 60 days to create an “Open Government Webpage” to host all its data sets.

It also sets out a timetable for improving the quality of Government data sets, with agencies given 45 days to find and appoint a senior public service official to oversee and be accountable for the quality of data accessible by the public.

The directive also sets out guidelines for creating and institutionalising a culture of openness – one of the key challenges identified by the Government 2.0 Taskforce in improving openness within the Australian Public Service.

“Achieving a more open government will require the various professional disciplines within the Government – such as policy, legal, procurement, finance, and technology operations – to work together to define and to develop open government solutions,” it said.

Incorporating 2.0 style collaborative tools within Government is one of the most active areas of public administration. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown delivered a major speech on Smart Government addressing similar openness issues in the US this week.

Article by James Riley on ITWire