Evolving Data.gov with You Strategic Intent

Many professional and social circles continue to focus on issues such as climate change, governmental fiscal imbalances, the demographic shift to older populations, depleting resources, health care, and increasing technological complexity. We are about to embark on a new decade and these unresolved issues will follow us. How will Data.gov contribute toward addressing the tough questions we face in the next decade?... more »

ICR = Information Collection Request. Example: http://edicsweb.ed.gov/. Each agency has a site like this, but it is sometimes hard to find. If they were posted together, data.gov users could more easily discover interconnections among data sets. The files at each link on the page explain: (1) WHAT data a department wants to collect from the public, and the form that will be used to collect it; (2) WHO must fill out... more »

The Data.gov CONOPS provides a great deal of information regarding the governance and advisory support made available by “POCs” and “Data Stewards” and other roles engaged in populating and supporting data on the site. The CONOPS also describes how Personally-Identifiable Information (PII) is protected, both for submitters and those engaged in the governance process. As well, some existing community forums are referenced... more »

Perhaps it's there and I don't see it, but it would seem that some kind of automated versioning system needs to be in place. My concern, from a transparency standpoint, would be if there is the capability to overwrite an existing dataset. Even if it is well intentioned, if the original dataset is not preserved, questions could arise as to what has been changed/added/removed.

This could also help with datasets that... more »

1. Embed a workflow function that provides capability to indicate releasability reviews for required categories within the DMS.

As more information is released the need for standardized reviews and assurance that critical reviews have been performed will become more important. While different agencies may have internal protocols for release the requirement for review prior to release is common. Multiple agencies... more »

Data.gov should become a nationally managed "access point" that provides a mechanism for all levels of government to participate or integrate with, thus creating a single location for citizens to access government data.

Federal agencies are already trying their best to respond to a stream of unfunded mandates. Requiring federal agencies to a) expose their raw data as a service and b) collect, analyze, and respond to public comments requires resources. The requirement to make data accessible to (through) Data.gov should be formally established as a component of one of the Federal strategic planning and performance management frameworks... more »

As currently written, the CONOP only addresses internal activities (means) and doesn't identify the outcomes (ends) that would result from successful implementation of Data.gov. In paragraph 1 the CONOP states "Data.gov is a flagship Administration initiative intended to allow the public to easily find, access, understand, and use data that are generated by the Federal government.", yet there is no discussion about "what... more »

On Page 9 of the CONOP, the example of Forbes' use of Federal data to develop the list of "America's Safest Cities" brings to light a significant risk associated with providing 'raw data' for public consumption. As you are aware, much of the crime data used for that survey is drawn from the Uniformed Crime Reporting effort of the FBI. As self-reported on the "Crime in the United States" website, "Figures used in this... more »

The OMB Open Government Directive published on December 8, 2009 includes what are (in my opinion) some undefined terms and very unrealistic expectations and deadlines for federal agency compliance with the directive. It also did not include any method for assessing progress towards the spirit and intent of the stated objectives.

I would like to offer a simple framework that the Data.gov effort can use to work (collaboratively)... more »

The approach to making information available should be simple, but not simplistic. Common things should be simple to achieve, more complex things should be possible. What I mean by this can be seen by contrasting a spreadsheet to a relational database. In my view spreadsheets are "simplistic". Relational databases are really not that much more difficult to use, I would even say they are simple to use. A relational... more »

This relates to data.gov in a tangential fashion - however perhaps either the data or the dashboard could reside within Data.gov:

The idea here, toward government transparency, is to develop a simple, common format for reporting FOIA requests, with a historic and status context, e.g. number of new requests opened in a given month, number of existing closed in a given month, number of requests outstanding broken out by... more »

In light of the excellent work other governments are doing in this area, the US should spearhead an international group (maybe in conjunction with the UN) to share best practices, cross-fertilize experience and maybe even share common code or data formats.

Using some of the recommendations here, including documenting solid applications of the data, and a 'social network of users' will help to establish and document the 'value' of data by the importance and diversity of data use. Documenting requests for data as has been suggested by others can help with this and some agency agency perceptions(with all due respect) that "numbers" of data sets proffered satisfies the criteria... more »

This entry is a consensus recommendation of seven organizations that work on government transparency of which OpenTheGovernment.org is one.

Require agencies to explain why the data is high value by having them designate which of the “high value criteria” the data meets: information that can be used to increase agency accountability and responsiveness; improve public knowledge of the agency and its operations; further... more »