National Archives wants input on open government

Officials at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) have published three datasets under the White House’s Open Government Directive and the agency is on track to launch its open government Web page by Feb. 6, according to archives officials.

By that day, each agency must create an open-government Web page named www.[agency].gov/open to serve as the gateway for agency activities under the directive.

NARA is also creating a plan that lays out what it needs to do to further meet the goals of open government, and officials want input from the public.

NARA wants ideas related to:

• Broad recommendations on how to conduct its work more openly.

• Specific changes to internal management and administrative policies to improve transparency, participation, and collaboration.

• Specific improvements to information dissemination practices, including recommendations for prioritization of improvements.

• Specific recommendations for datasets to be published online.

• Specific recommendations for improvements to the National Archives response to Freedom of Information Act requests, including recommendations for improving the archives backlog of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

• Broad recommendations on how to improve public participation in and feedback on the National Archives core mission activities.

• Broad recommendations on how to improve collaboration.

• Specific recommendations for improvements to how the National Archives cooperates with other federal and non-federal government agencies, the public, and nonprofit and private entities in fulfilling the agency’s core mission activities.

• Specific recommendations for how the National Archives should use technology platforms to improve collaboration among people within and outside the agency.

• Specific suggestions for innovative methods, such as prizes and competitions, to obtain ideas from and to increase collaboration with those in the private sector, nonprofit, and academic communities.

• Specific suggestions for a flagship initiative, how it would address the principles of transparency, participation and collaboration, and how it can improve agency operations.

• Specific recommendations for how to engage the public and National Archives staff in the formation of its Open Government Plan and in future modifications of its plan.