Transparency Breakfasts DC Notes

Transparency Breakfast – April 14th


 * We started off talking about OGD and the research Noah and the Sunlight team did on the OGD reports. The goal was to look for data that could be used to keep agency activity accountable (i.e. accountability data). Even though we haven’t agreed upon exactly what accountability data is. We went about trying to find what data was going to put online, how and if was truly open.
 * Jake brought out his chart of Integrated Defense Acquisition Technology and Logistics Life Cycle Management System (https://acc.dau.mil/ifc/) How do we influence such a complex system? There are key milestones built in that people need to reach and be accountable to. There are ways the public can be involved at certain parts of the chart.
 * Capitol Planning Investment Control – already exists and is a robust indicator of transparency. This measure is consistent across government and is a quantified/measureable evaluation process.
 * If you structure data right from get go then you can save money and time in the long run for example DOD cut 20% off procurement. Data is currently not structured from beginning but farther down the process. There needs to be a TurboTax like input structure. This will help ensure that every government worker will have access to the data they need.
 * Data does have some standards in terms of accounting input because all checks have to be reported in same way via accounting practices. The problem is how it is moved to USASpending.
 * The next question was: How do we engage the public to build demand for the information we need? How can we make sure that when we ask a question we can get an answer?
 * We should identify best practices and praise organizations that do a good job of presenting data and being transparent.
 * Culture Issues: There is a semantic language that people use in different associations and we need to bridge the gab.
 * In agencies there is a data ownership system. The data belongs to someone and not to everyone. You can tell this by the flow in which the data leaves the agency.
 * Data owners –&gt; Communications/ Public Affairs Department –&gt; Public.
 * Michael’s slide show:
 * Enhancing Fed Gov Transparency DemocrAssessment And Participative Planning
 * To what degree did you meet these requirements?
 * 9 principles of data (the data should be up for a significant period of time). Can government agree to these principles?
 * Data Reference Model projectwas a project that didn’t go any where to get standards of data into government.
 * How do we get more government participation in what we do in open government community? Can we convince them that these conversations will help their job?
 * Government isn’t the only one with data how can we get organizations to share data as well?
 * How many orgs see the OGD has something that improves themselves?

Next Steps


 * Create and build demand for OGD.
 * Next due date is May 1st – the addendums to OGD will be issued.
 * Making sure government knows people are watching.