Access to Educational Resources (US0055)
Overview
At-a-Glance
Action Plan: United States Action Plan 2015-2017
Action Plan Cycle: 2015
Status: Inactive
Institutions
Lead Institution: NA
Support Institution(s): NA
Policy Areas
Access to Information, Open DataIRM Review
IRM Report: United States End-of-Term IRM Report 2015-2017, United States Mid-Term Report 2015-2017
Starred: No
Early Results:
Major
Design i
Verifiable: Yes
Relevant to OGP Values: Access to Information , Technology
Implementation i
Description
Open educational resources are an investment in sustainable human development; they have the potential to increase access to high-quality education and reduce the cost of educational opportunities around the world. Open educational resources can expand access to key educational materials, enabling the domestic and international communities to attain skills and more easily access meaningful learning opportunities. The United States has worked collaboratively with domestic and international civil society stakeholders to encourage open education initiatives. Building on that momentum, the United States will openly license more Federal grant- supported education materials and resources, making them widely and freely available. In addition to convening stakeholders to encourage further open education efforts, the United States will publish best practices and tools for agencies interested in developing grant-supported open licensing projects, detailing how they can integrate open licensing into projects from technical and legal perspectives.
IRM Midterm Status Summary
For details of these commitments, see the report: https://www.opengovpartnership.org/documents/united-states-mid-term-report-2015-2017/
IRM End of Term Status Summary
Commitment 3. Expand Access to Educational Resources
Commitment Text:
Expand Access to Educational Resources through Open Licensing and Technology
Open educational resources are an investment in sustainable human development; they have the potential to increase access to high-quality education and reduce the cost of educational opportunities around the world. Open educational resources can expand access to key educational materials, enabling the domestic and international communities to attain skills and more easily access meaningful learning opportunities. The United States has worked collaboratively with domestic and international civil society stakeholders to encourage open education initiatives. Building on that momentum, the United States will openly license more Federal grant- supported education materials and resources, making them widely and freely available. In addition to convening stakeholders to encourage further open education efforts, the United States will publish best practices and tools for agencies interested in developing grant-supported open licensing projects, detailing how they can integrate open licensing into projects from technical and legal perspectives.
Responsible Institutions: Department of Education, Department of State, Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)
Supporting Institutions: All Federal agencies, civil society organizations
Start Date: Not Specified ....... End Date: Not Specified
Commitment Aim
This commitment aimed to leverage open educational resources to broaden access to high-quality education and reduce its cost. The commitment sought to do so in three ways. It would openly license educational materials that are funded by federal grants, convene stakeholders to advance open education initiatives, and publish best practices and tools on how to incorporate open licensing into educational projects from technical and legal perspectives for interested agencies.
Status
Midterm: Limited
The government made limited progress on this commitment by the midterm. In late October 2015, the Department of Education launched the #GoOpen campaign [40] to encourage educators and states to broaden the availability of open educational resources. The department also proposed a regulation [41] that would mandate open licensing for all grant-funded, copyrightable intellectual property.
The government also convened civil society stakeholders to help develop the Federal Playbook on Open Licensing. The playbook would provide guidance on developing open educational resources for government agencies and institutional users. [42] The government completed the playbook as of 31 December 2016. However, it had not yet received implementation approval from a working group of the federal advisory committee, and the playbook had not been publicly released. Despite this progress, various aspects of the commitment remained incomplete at the midterm. The government acknowledged the limited progress in its midterm self-assessment report. [43]
End of Term: Complete
By the end of term, the government completed this commitment.
On 17 January 2017, the Department of Education announced the publication of the final regulation on open licensing requirements for competitive grant programs. The announcement came in a blog post written by the director of the Office of Educational Technology. It was published on the Department of Education’s Homeroom blog [44] and on Medium.com. [45] Subject to certain exceptions, the regulation requires that recipients of competitive grant funds awarded by the Department of Education openly license copyrightable grant deliverables that were produced using those funds. [46] The final regulation requires that the public be able to freely use and reuse deliverables created under these programs. The regulation applies this same requirement to grant deliverables and “program support materials” that are necessary to the use or reuse of those deliverables. Under the final regulation, grant recipients (as well as subgrantees) must also develop a dissemination plan, helping to broaden access to the deliverables they produce. [47] Per a statement on the website of the Office of Educational Technology, the final regulation was made effective on 22 May 2017 and will be fully implemented in fiscal year (FY) 2018. [48]
The #GoOpen campaign continued to progress post-midterm, with the release of a District Launch Packet in March 2017. The packet is intended to serve as a roadmap for districts that aim to become #GoOpen Districts by systematically adopting openly licensed educational materials. [49] More specifically, #GoOpen Launch Districts are required to “identify a #GoOpen district-level team that will apply best practices such as those described in [the] #GoOpen District Launch Packet to develop a strategy for the implementation of openly licensed educational resources and a #GoOpen implementation team to execute the strategy; replace at least one textbook with openly licensed educational resources in the next 12 months; [and] document and share their #GoOpen implementation process and experiences so others can learn from them.” [50] Another category of #GoOpen Districts—Ambassador Districts—mentor Launch Districts. They also implement their own plans for systemically adopting open educational resources in a scalable, sustainable manner. In addition, Ambassador Districts share their experiences with other districts. [51]
Per the Office of Educational Technology, as of September 2017, there were 88 #GoOpen Launch Districts, and 22 #GoOpen Ambassador Districts. [52] As of this same date, the Department of Education had also recognized 20 #GoOpen states. These states have committed to support school districts and educators in their systematic adoption of open educational materials. [53] More specifically, #GoOpen states commit to do the following:
- Adopt/implement a statewide technology strategy that includes the use of openly licensed resources as a central component,
- Develop and maintain a statewide repository solution for openly licensed resources,
- Develop the technical capability to publish open educational resources to the Learning Registry,
- Participate in a community of practice with other #GoOpen states and districts to share learning resources and professional development resources, and
- Create a webpage to share the commitment to #GoOpen and document the state’s progress.
Slightly beyond the close of the end-of-term reporting period, regional #GoOpen summits were scheduled to be held on 1 August 2017 in Virginia, and on 30 August 2017 in Indiana. [54] The scheduling of the summits highlights the ongoing nature of this initiative.
Lastly, the State Department officially released the Federal Playbook on Open Licensing in January 2017. [55] The playbook defines openly licensed resources as “works with licenses permitting free access, reuse, and redistribution . . . includ[ing] teaching and learning materials, research, data, and software.” [56] The playbook contains nine “plays” (or suggestions) that are intended to assist “federal grants managers interested in exploring or using openly licensed resources as a component of their programs.” [57] Each play includes a step-by-step implementation checklist, a list of key questions to consider, and case examples.
In light of this progress, the IRM researcher has assessed this commitment to be complete.
Did It Open Government?
Access to Information: Major
This commitment has substantially opened government with respect to access to information.
At the end of term, the #GoOpen campaign represents the clearest example of a change in government practice that has enhanced public access to educational information. As of September 2017, the #GoOpen campaign had grown considerably. As of that month, there were 88 #GoOpen Districts, 22 #GoOpen Ambassador Districts, and 20 #GoOpen states, each of which was releasing and utilizing open educational resources. The Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology published a series of 18 “stories” via blog posts on its website. These stories describe how various educational institutions, districts, and systems have begun utilizing open educational resources linked to the #GoOpen initiative. [58]
In one notable example, Oklahoma’s Broken Arrow Public Schools acted to mitigate the impending impact of a USD $7.3 million budget cut for the 2016–2017 school year by turning to openly licensed educational resources. Under the #GoOpen program, a team comprised of over 200 Broken Arrow teachers supported the transition to open resources. This effort culminated in the addition of six openly licensed courses in fall 2016. During the 2017–2018 school year, the team intends to release additional open education curricula covering English/language arts and math for K–5 students. [59]
This notable shift speaks to the potential that the #GoOpen initiative holds for schools seeking to benefit from open educational resources. According to the Census Bureau, in 2012 (the most recent year for which data are available), there were more than 14,000 public school districts in the United States. [60] The #GoOpen program had designated 110 Launch and Ambassador districts at the time of writing. However, total number of US public school districts highlights the potential reach of the initiative to facilitate uptake of open educational resources going forward.
While the other aspects of the commitment have not yet contributed to changes in government openness, they have the potential to in the future. The final regulation on open licensing requirements, while not yet in force, could substantially further the availability of open educational resources. In FY2017, the Department of Education’s budget included $69.4 billion in discretionary funding. [61] The text of the final regulation noted that competitive grant programs generally comprise roughly 10 percent of that amount, around $7 billion. [62] Though not yet finalized, the total budget is estimated by the Department of Education to be $59 billion for FY2018. [63] By this estimate, roughly $6 billion will be allocated to competitive grant programs during that time frame. The amount constitutes a relatively small percentage of the Department of Education’s overall budget. However, the competitive grant funding in absolute terms highlights the potential for a substantial increase in public access to educational materials, which would henceforth be openly available for reuse.
The Federal Playbook on Open Licensing could similarly open government. The playbook would provide a step-by-step roadmap for federal grant managers. Using it, they could incorporate the production of open resources (including open educational resources) into their grant-making programs. Information on the number of federal agencies using the playbook was not publicly available at the time of writing. However, the playbook could facilitate the voluntary incorporation of open educational resources into grant-making programs across the federal government.
Carried Forward?
At the time of writing, the US government had not yet published its fourth action plan. Aside from implementing the final regulation on open licensing requirements, there is no need to include this commitment in the next action plan. The government has completed progress on all other fronts. Nonetheless, moving forward, the US government could further invest in organizing and maintaining the open educational resources produced through the #GoOpen campaign. Whether using repositories like the Learning Registry or Amazon Inspire, [64] the government will have to address the ongoing challenge of ensuring the high quality and usefulness of the newly available resources. [65]
[40] “U.S. Department of Education Launches Campaign to Encourage Schools to #GoOpen with Educational Resources,” US Department of Education, 29 October 2015, https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-launches-campaign-encourage-schools-goopen-educational-resources, consulted 2 October 2017.
[41] Ibid.
[42] For background information, see the website for the 13th annual Open Education Conference held in Richmond, Virginia, 2-4 November 2016, available at https://openeducation2016.sched.com/event/7lnD/promoting-government-use-of-oer-the-federal-open-licensing-playbook, consulted 2 October 2017.
[43] United States of America, Midterm Self-Assessment Report for the Open Government Partnership: Third Open Government National Action Plan, 2015-2017, September 2016, 6, https://www.opengovpartnership.org/sites/default/files/USA_NAP3_self-assessment-report_20160916.pdf, consulted 2 October 2017.
[44] Joseph South, “U.S. Department of Education Announces Final Regulation on Open Licensing Requirement for Competitive Grant Programs,” 17 January 2017, Homeroom, US Department of Education, https://blog.ed.gov/2017/01/u-s-department-education-announces-final-regulation-open-licensing-requirement-competitive-grant-programs/, consulted 9 September 2017. A copy of the final regulation is available at https://tech.ed.gov/files/2017/01/ED-Open-Licensing-Rule-1.11.17-Public.pdf, Consulted 9 September 2017.
[45] Joseph South, “U.S. Department of Education Announces Final Regulation on Open Licensing Requirement for Competitive Grant Programs,” Medium.com, 17 January 2017, https://medium.com/@OfficeofEdTech/u-s-department-of-education-announces-final-regulation-on-open-licensing-requirement-for-60a127333997, consulted 9 September 2017.
[46] Joseph South, “U.S. Department of Education Announces Final Regulation on Open Licensing Requirement for Competitive Grant Programs,” Homeroom, US Department of Education, 17 January 2017, https://blog.ed.gov/2017/01/u-s-department-education-announces-final-regulation-open-licensing-requirement-competitive-grant-programs/, consulted 9 September 2017.
[47] Ibid.
[48] Department of Education Office of Educational Technology, https://tech.ed.gov/open/, consulted 9 September 2017.
[49] “#GoOpen District Launch Packet,” US Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology, March 2017, https://tech.ed.gov/open/districts/launch/, consulted 9 September 2017. Two earlier versions of the packet were published in June 2013 (version 1.1) and January 2017 (version 2.1). See front matter of the packet, available at https://tech.ed.gov/files/2017/03/GoOpen-District-Launch-Packet-2017-V-1.3.pdf, consulted 9 September 2017.
[50] Ibid., page 5, consulted 9 September 2017.
[51] Ibid., pages 5-6, consulted 9 September 2017.
[52] “#GoOpen Districts,” US Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology, https://tech.ed.gov/open/districts/, consulted 9 September 2017.
[53] “U.S. Department of Education Recognizes 14 States and 40 Districts Committing to #GoOpen with Educational Resources,” US Department of Education, 26 February 2016, https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-recognizes-13-states-and-40-districts-committing-goopen-educational-resources, consulted 9 September 2017. See current list of #GoOpen states at “#GoOpen States,” US Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology, https://tech.ed.gov/open/states/, consulted 9 September 2017.
[54] “#GoOpen Districts,” US Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology, https://tech.ed.gov/open/districts/, consulted 9 September 2017.
[55] Cable Green, “State Department Publishes Open Licensing ‘Playbook’ for Federal Agencies,” Creative Commons Blog, 20 January 2017, https://creativecommons.org/2017/01/20/state-department-publishes-open-licensing-playbook-federal-agencies/, consulted 9 September 2017. The Federal Playbook on Open Licensing is available for download via the website of the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at https://eca.state.gov/files/bureau/open_licensing_playbook_final.pdf, consulted 9 September 2017.
[56] US Department of State. Federal Open Licensing Playbook, January 2017, 7, https://eca.state.gov/files/bureau/open_licensing_playbook_final.pdf, consulted 9 September 2017.
[57] Ibid.
[58] “#Stories of EdTech Innovation,” US Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology, https://tech.ed.gov/stories/story_tag/goopen/, consulted 9 September 2017.
[59] “Broken Arrow Public Schools: Using OER to Improve Quality and Tackle Challenges,” US Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology, https://tech.ed.gov/stories/brokenarrow/?back=%2Fstories%2Fstory_tag%2Fgoopen%2F, consulted 9 September 2017.
[60] “School Districts,” US Census Bureau, https://www.census.gov/did/www/schooldistricts/, consulted 27 September 207.
[61] “Budget Factsheet for FY2016,” US Department of Education, https://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget16/budget-factsheet.pdf, consulted 27 September 2017.
[62] “Final Regulation on Open Licensing Requirement for Competitive Grant Programs,” US Department of Education, 4, https://tech.ed.gov/files/2017/01/ED-Open-Licensing-Rule-1.11.17-Public.pdf, consulted 9 September 2017.
[63] “Budget Factsheet for FY2018,” US Department of Education, https://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget18/budget-factsheet.pdf, consulted 27 September 2017.
[64] “Get Inspired to #GoOpen,” Getting Smart, 27 June 2016, http://www.gettingsmart.com/2016/06/amazon-gets-inspired-to-goopen/.
[65] Randy Wilhelm, “#GoOpen: So You’ve Embraced OER? Now What?” EdScoop, 8 November 2016, http://edscoop.com/go-open-so-youve-embraced-oer-now-what.
Commitments
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Federal Data Strategy
US0105, 2019, E-Government
-
Grants Accountability
US0106, 2019, E-Government
-
Public Access to Federally Funded Research
US0107, 2019, Access to Information
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Workforce Data Standards
US0108, 2019, E-Government
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Chief Data Officers
US0109, 2019, Access to Information
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Open Data for Public Health
US0110, 2019, Access to Information
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Enterprise Objective
US0111, 2019, Capacity Building
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Developing Future Action Plans
US0112, 2019, Public Participation
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Reconstitution of the USA.gov
US0053, 2015, E-Government
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Accessibility of Government Information Online
US0054, 2015, Marginalized Communities
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Access to Educational Resources
US0055, 2015, Access to Information
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Public Listing of Every Address in the US
US0056, 2015, Access to Information
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Informed Decisions About Higher Education.
US0057, 2015, Access to Information
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New Authentication Tools to Protect Individual Privacy and Ensure That Personal Records Go Only to the Intended Recipients.
US0058, 2015,
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Transparency of Open311
US0059, 2015, E-Government
-
Support Medicine Research Throught Opening up Relevant Data of the Field
US0060, 2015, Access to Information
-
Access to Workforce Data
US0061, 2015, Access to Information
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Using Evidence and Concrete Data to Improve Public Service Delivery
US0062, 2015, Capacity Building
-
Expand Use of the Federal Infrastructure Permitting Dashboard
US0063, 2015,
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Consolidation of Import and Export Systems
US0064, 2015, E-Government
-
Improving Government Records
US0065, 2015, Access to Information
-
Ammendments to FOIA
US0066, 2015, Access to Information
-
Streamline the Declassification Process
US0067, 2015, Capacity Building
-
Implement the Controlled Unclassified Information Program
US0068, 2015, Access to Information
-
Transparency of Privacy Programs and Practices
US0069, 2015, Capacity Building
-
Transparency of Federal Use of Investigative Technologies
US0070, 2015, E-Government
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Increase Transparency of the Intelligence Community
US0071, 2015, Access to Information
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Open Science Through Open Data
US0072, 2015, Access to Information
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Open Data Portal
US0073, 2015, E-Government
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Increase Transparency of Trade Policy and Negotiations
US0074, 2015, E-Government
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Develop a Machine Readable Government Organizational Chart
US0075, 2015, Access to Information
-
Improving Public Participation
US0076, 2015, Public Participation
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Expand Public Participation in the Development of Regulations
US0077, 2015, Open Regulations
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Civic Engagement in Decision-Making Processes
US0078, 2015, Public Participation
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Open Mapping
US0079, 2015, Access to Information
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Tracking OGP Implementation
US0080, 2015,
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Strengthening Whistleblower Protection
US0081, 2015, Anti-Corruption
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Transparency of Legal Entities
US0082, 2015, Anti-Corruption
-
Extractive Industries Transparency
US0083, 2015, Anti-Corruption
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Spending Transparency
US0084, 2015, Access to Information
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Enhance the Use of U.S. Foreign Assistance Information
US0085, 2015, Aid
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Participatory Budgets and Responsive Spending
US0086, 2015, Fiscal Openness
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Expand Access to Justice to Promote Federal Programs
US0087, 2015, Dispute Resolution & Legal Assistance
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Build Safer Communities with Police Open Data
US0088, 2015, Access to Information
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Open Federal Data to Benefit Local Communities
US0089, 2015, Access to Information
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Support the Municipal Data Network
US0090, 2015, Access to Information
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Foster Data Ecosystems
US0091, 2015, Capacity Building
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Extend Digital, Data-Driven Government to Federal Government’S Support for Communities
US0092, 2015, Capacity Building
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Promote Implementation of SDGs
US0093, 2015, Access to Information
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Promote Open Climate Data
US0094, 2015, Access to Information
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Air Quality Data Available
US0095, 2015, Access to Information
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Promote Food Security and Data Sharing for Agriculture and Nutrition
US0096, 2015, Access to Information
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Promote Data Sharing About Global Preparedness for Epidemic Threats
US0097, 2015, Capacity Building
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Promote Global Interconnectivity
US0098, 2015, Aid
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Open Contracting
US0099, 2015, Access to Information
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Harness the Data Revolution for Sustainable Development
US0100, 2015, Access to Information
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Open Government to Support Global Sustainable Development
US0101, 2015, Anti-Corruption
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Open Collaboration Onf the Arctic
US0102, 2015, Environment and Climate
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Support Capacity Building for Extractives Transparency
US0103, 2015, Anti-Corruption
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Support Responsible Investment and Business Practices for Companies
US0104, 2015, Private Sector
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Improve Public Participation in Government
US0027, 2013, Capacity Building
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Modernize Management of Government Records
US0028, 2013, Records Management
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Modernize the Freedom of Information Act
US0029, 2013, Access to Information
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Transform the Security Classification System
US0030, 2013, Peace & Security
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Implement the Controlled Unclassified Information Program
US0031, 2013, Peace & Security
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Increase Transparency of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Activities
US0032, 2013, Data Stewardship and Privacy
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Make Privacy Compliance Information More Accessible
US0033, 2013, E-Government
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Support and Improve Agency Implementation of Open Government Plans
US0034, 2013,
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Strengthen and Expand Whistleblower Protections for Government Personnel
US0035, 2013, Anti-Corruption
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Increase Transparency of Legal Entities Formed in the United States
US0036, 2013, Legislation & Regulation
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Implement the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative
US0037, 2013, Access to Information
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Make Fossil Fuel Subsidies More Transparent
US0038, 2013, Anti-Corruption
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Increase Transparency in Spending
US0039, 2013, Access to Information
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Increase Transparency of Foreign Assistance
US0040, 2013, Aid
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Continue to Improve Performance.Gov
US0041, 2013, E-Government
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Consolidate Import and Export Systems to Curb Corruption
US0042, 2013, Private Sector
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Promote Public Participation in Community Spending Decisions
US0043, 2013, Fiscal Openness
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Expand Visa Sanctions to Combat Corruption
US0044, 2013, Anti-Corruption
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Further Expand Public Participation in the Development of Regulations
US0045, 2013, Capacity Building
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Open Data to the Public
US0046, 2013, Access to Information
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Continue to Pilot Expert Networking Platforms
US0047, 2013, Public Participation
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Reform Government Websites
US0048, 2013, E-Government
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Promote Innovation Through Collaboration and Harness the Ingenuity of the American Public
US0049, 2013, Capacity Building
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Promote Open Education to Increase Awareness and Engagement
US0050, 2013, E-Government
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Deliver Government Services More Effectively Through Information Technology
US0051, 2013, E-Government
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Increase Transparency in Spending
US0052, 2013, Access to Information
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Reform Records Management
US0001, 2011, Records Management
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Lead a Multi-Agency Effort
US0002, 2011, Capacity Building
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Monitor Agency Implementation of Plans
US0003, 2011,
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Provide Enforcement and Compliance Data Online
US0004, 2011, Access to Information
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Advocate for Legislation Requiring Meaningful Disclosure
US0005, 2011, Legislation & Regulation
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Apply Lessons from Recovery Act to Increate Spending Transparency
US0006, 2011, Fiscal Openness
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Government-Wide Reporting Requirements for Foreign Aid
US0007, 2011, Access to Information
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Use Performanc.Gov to Improve Government Performance and Accountability
US0008, 2011,
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Overhaul the Public Participation Interface on Regulations.Gov
US0009, 2011, Legislation & Regulation
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Launch Expertnet
US0010, 2011, E-Government
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Launch International Space Apps Competition
US0011, 2011, E-Government
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Launch “We the People”
US0012, 2011, E-petitions
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Open Source “We the People”
US0013, 2011, E-petitions
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Develop Best Practices and Metrics for Public Participation
US0014, 2011, Capacity Building
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Professionalize the FOIA Administration
US0015, 2011, Access to Information
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Harness the Power of Technology
US0016, 2011, Access to Information
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Advocate for Legislation on Whistleblower Protection
US0017, 2011, Anti-Corruption
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Explore Executive Authority to Protect Whistleblowers
US0018, 2011, Anti-Corruption
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Implement the EITI
US0019, 2011, Anti-Corruption
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Partnership to Build on Recent Progress
US0020, 2011, Anti-Corruption
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Promote Data.Gov to Spur Innovation Through Open Sourcing
US0021, 2011, Access to Information
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Data.Gov: Foster Communities on Data.Gov
US0022, 2011, Access to Information
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Begin Online National Dialogue with the American Public
US0023, 2011, Public Participation
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Update Government-Wide Policies for Websites
US0024, 2011,
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Promote Smart Disclosure to Ensure Timely Release of Information
US0025, 2011, Access to Information
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Publish Guidelines on Scientific Data
US0026, 2011, Access to Information