Open Government and Implications for DOE

Slide 1: Open Government and Implications for DOE

Karen Spence
Assistant Director
U.S. DOE Office of Scientific & Technical Information
March 2, 2010

Slide 2: DOE’s STI Program

• OSTI coordinates with POCs across the complex

•  DOE R&D results are:
  •  Collected from DOE offices, labs, and facilities, as well as university grantees;
  •  Preserved for re-use; and
  •  Made accessible via multiple web outlets.

•  Interagency and international exchanges/partnerships leverage access and use of DOE R&D results

OSTI works to ensure that:

•  DOE-supported research results are shared globally plus
•  DOE-supported researchers have access to scientific discoveries from around the world

Slide 3: President Barack Obama

President Barack Obama“My Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in government. We will work together to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness in government.”

-President Barack Obama, January 21, 2009

Slide 4: Principles of Transparency and Open Government

• Transparency

• Participation

• Collaboration

Slide 5: Transparency

• Transparency promotes accountability and provides information for citizens about what their Government is doing.

• Executive departments and agencies should harness new technologies to put information about their operations and   decisions online and readily available to the public. 

• Executive departments and agencies should also solicit public feedback to identify information of greatest use to the   public.

Slide 6: Participation

• Public engagement enhances the Government's effectiveness and improves the quality of its decisions. 

• Executive departments and agencies should offer Americans increased opportunities to participate in policymaking.

• Also solicit public input on how we can increase and improve opportunities for public participation in Government.

Slide 7: Collaboration

• Collaboration actively engages Americans in the work of their Government.

• Executive departments and agencies should use innovative tools, methods, and systems to cooperate among   themselves, across all levels of Government, and with nonprofit organizations, businesses, and individuals in the   private sector.

Slide 8: Open Government Initiative

• Open Government Directive issued in December 2009.

• Designed to hardwire accountability and accessibility into government institutions.

The Open Government Initiative includes

  –  Datasets

  –  Open Government Webpage

  –  Citizen Engagement Comment Period

  –  Open Gov Citizen Engagement Tool Powered by IdeaScale

  –  Open Government Plan

Slide 9: DOE Steps Up

How is DOE Meeting these Challenges?

• DOE Commitment to Transparency

• DOE Support to DATA.gov

• DOE Support to Open Government Directive

Slide 10: DOE Support to Data.gov

• The purpose of Data.gov is to increase public access to high value, machine readable datasets generated by the   Executive Branch of the Federal Government.

• Data.gov, launched May 2009 includes searchable data catalogs providing access to data in three ways: through the   “raw” data catalog, the tool catalog, and the geodata catalog.

Slide 11: DOE support to data.gov (continued)

As of the end of February, DOE has submitted:

• 19 raw data files to the Data.gov catalog

• 10 widgets, 4 RSS feeds, and 2 data extraction tools to the Tools catalog

Slide 12: DOE High Value Datasets

•  DOE’s 3 high value datasets are found at http://energy.gov/open/8648.htm

•  These datasets are XML data services from Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI):
  –  Information Bridge XML Data Service
  –  Energy Citations Database XML Data Service
  –  DOE R&D Project Summaries XML Data Service

Slide 13: Information Bridge XML Data Service

• The Information Bridge contains citations and full-text links for DOE research reports.

• The XML Data Service allows the downloading of the bibliographic citations in XML format that can be loaded into new or existing databases, providing increased access to DOE research.

Slide 14: Energy Citations Database XML Data Service

• The Energy Citations Database contains citations to DOE research and other energy-related research of interest to   DOE.

• The XML Data Service allows the downloading of the bibliographic citations in XML format that can be loaded into other   databases, providing increased access to energy-related research.

Slide 15: DOE R&D Project Summaries XML Data Service

• The DOE R&D Project Summaries is a database containing records describing ongoing or recently completed   projects performed by the DOE laboratories and research facilities.

• The XML Data Summaries allows the downloading of these records in XML format which can be used to create   databases that will educate and inform the general public of the Department of Energy’s Research & Development   activities.

Slide 16: Open Government Directive Datasets

• Agencies must publish three new high–value datasets on Data.gov.

• Agencies must coordinate with their Data.gov Point of Contact (POC) to showcase agency datasets on agency’s /open   webpage

Slide 17: New Data Services

Upcoming XML Data Services

• DOE Patents

• Geothermal Legacy

Slide 18: Open Government Cabinet Commitments

• Brand new open government initiatives launched by each of the Cabinet Departments.   http://www.whitehouse.gov/open/commitments

• Department of Energy’s contribution: OpenEnergyInfo www.openEI.org

Slide 19: www.openEI.org

• Bringing Energy Technology Information to the Public

• Launched December 9, 2009.

• Open-source web platform that will make DOE resources and open energy data widely available to the public.

• The data and tools housed on the free, editable and evolving wiki-platform.

• To be used by government officials, the private sector, project developers, the international community, and others.

OPENENERGYINFO

Slide 20: Agencies Must Post an Open government Webpage

Open Government

Access Information from the Department of Energy and make your voice heard.

Slide 21: Open Webpages

OpenGov Web Page

Content
Format
Function
Agency Activities

Slide 22: Content

– Updates on ongoing activities.
– Links to high-value data sets published via Data.gov.
– Public engagement mechanism or links to online forum.
– Links to existing social media sites.
– Links back to federal sources of information related to the Directive.
– Contact information for relevant agency decision makers.
– Open Gov image that links to whitehouse.gov/open.
– Required documents and reports, including FOIA.
– Open Gov Plan (when available).

Slide 23: Format

– Whenever possible: use plain language, provide contextual information for data, and demonstrate how content is    relevant for American citizens.

– Structure engagement opportunities so that requests for public input are clearly defined and presented with    contextual information.

– Make information available through easily discoverable feeds, such as RSS, so the public can readily access the data    as it is updated.

Slide 24: Function

–  Provide regular opportunities for the public to contribute ideas and expertise that will inform government policy;    describe how input will be incorporated into agency processes.

–  Engage the public on: Open Government Plan, the Flagship Initiative(s), data–sets that can be made publically     available, and processes for increasing agency transparency and accountability.

–  When appropriate, include technologies for receiving alerts to recent webpage updates or new engagement     opportunities (email updates, RSS, etc.).

Slide 25: Agency Activities

– Disseminate useful information.
– Solicit, review and respond to feedback.
– Encourage partnerships and cooperation.
– Encourage participation.
– Coordinate with OMB guidance.
– Review and revise agency policies.
– Incorporate Open Government Directive values.

Slide 26: DOE Open Government Webpage

Open Government Initiative
•  Transparency
•  Participation
•  Collaboration

Slide 27: Citizen Engagement Comment Period

Open February 6–March 19, 2010 Each /open webpage should include a mechanism for the public to:

•   Give feedback on the quality of information published by the agency;
•   Give feedback about the kinds of information the agency should prioritize for publication;
•   Provide input into the creation of the agency's Open Government Plan.

All agencies have been granted an emergency waiver under the Paperwork Reduction Act to collect this information.

Slide 28: Open Government Plan – Due April 7, 2010

Agencies must publish their Open Government Plan on their /open webpage. Agencies should strive to use consistent language and placement when linking to their plans.

Directory of Agency Plans – to be published on whitehouse.gov after April 7, 2010

Slide 29: Open Government Dashboard

• As part of the Directive, a dashboard will be created that will include information on agency progress and visualizations   of the state of the open government in the Executive Branch.
• The Whitehouse.gov/open page will also be enhanced to aggregate and highlight agency Open Government Directive   activities.

Slide 30: Open Government Initiative

Around the Government
Department of Energy

Slide 31: Related Openness Activities

Implications for DOE still to be determined

–  Federally Sponsored Research

–  Classification Reform

Slide 32: Federally Sponsored Research

• December 2009: White House began seeking comments on improving public access to federally sponsored   research.

• Three-stage request for information closed at the end of January.

• NIH model requires submission of electronic version of final peer-reviewed manuscript no later than 12 months after   official date of publication.

• While there has not yet been action from the White House, all indications are that the Administration will support free   access to federally sponsored research.

Slide 33: Classification Reform

• Executive Order 13526 Classified National Security Information issued in December 2009.

  • Addresses issues of over-classification, declassification and sharing of classified information among   appropriate parties.

  • Prohibits the reclassification of previously declassified material.

  • Calls for enhanced security procedures for classification and declassification of electronic information.

Slide 34: Leadership in DOE

• DOE Open Government Representative:
  Laurie Morman
  Chief of Staff, Office of Management
  open@hq.doe.gov

• Coordinating with DOE/CIO:
  TheAnne Gordon, Associate CIO for Information
    Technology Planning, Architecture, & E-Government
  Janice Ausby, IT Capital Planning and Architecture Division

• Coordinating with DOE/OSTI

Slide 35: 2010 Information Management Conference

Open Government Dialog
We're Still Working Out the Kinks.

Slide 36: Contact Information:

Karen Spence
Assistant Director for Information Systems
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information
1 Science.gov Way
P.O. Box 62
Oak Ridge, Tennessee  37831
(865) 574-0295
spencek@osti.gov