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Free Government Information (FGI) is a place for initiating dialogue and building consensus among the various players (libraries, government agencies, non-profit organizations, researchers, journalists, etc.) who have a stake in the preservation of and perpetual free access to government information. FGI promotes free government information through collaboration, education, advocacy and research.

New Action Plan for Open Government

The United States has released a new action plan for open government that lists existing policies and plans and includes new initiatives:

The Plan was developed as part of the United States' participation in the Open Government Partnership, a multilateral initiative that aims to secure concrete commitments from governments to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption, and harness new technologies to strengthen governance. The OGP is overseen by a steering committee of governments and civil society organizations.
Participating countries in the Open Government Partnership pledge to deliver country action plans that elaborate concrete commitments on open government. In each country, these commitments are developed through a multi-stakeholder process, with the active engagement of citizens and civil society.
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National Dialogue For Improving Federal Websites

This announcement comes from GSA: From: Lisa Nelson (XCI) Date: Mon, Sep 19, 2011 at 11:42 AM Subject: Invitation to Participate in the National Dialogue on Improving Fedeal Websites NATIONAL DIALOGUE FOR IMPROVING FEDERAL WEBSITES Please join me in participating in an exciting initiative that starts today: The National Dialogue on Improving Federal Websites. The Dialogue is a nationwide, two-week online conversation with web experts and the public to generate ideas for re-inventing how the federal government delivers information and services online. It's part of the larger .gov Reform Initiative launched earlier this summer by the White House and the U.S. General Services Administration. The dialogue will launch today, Monday, Sept. 19 at 2 pm ET and run until Friday, Sept. 30. You'll be able to access it at: http://www.usa.gov/webreform/dialogue.shtml The purpose is to allow people to submit and vote on ideas for improving various aspects of improving federal websites, such as: content, search, usability, accessibility, social media, multilingual content, and online services. The .gov Task Force will review the ideas and consider them as they develop a National Web Strategy and make recommendations for streamlining federal websites, strengthening federal web policy, and improving citizens' experience with federal websites. I know you have a goldmine of ideas, so I hope you'll actively participate in the discussion and share your expertise and knowledge. We want to hear what's working well, what can be improved, innovative ways to rethink the federal web, and specific examples you have from your industry or organization. Although the focus is on federal websites, we'd love to get the perspective of all of you in state and local government too, since many of the challenges andopportunities are the same. You can also follow comments about the dialogue on Twitter under the hashtag #dotgov. Please share with your networks and encourage your friends and colleagues to take part in this important conversation -- Lisa Nelson Research and Strategic Partnerships Center for Digital Government Excellence Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies General Services Administration 202-208-2530 Continue reading

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The Obama Administration’s Commitment to Open Government

The White House has released a new report, on open government:

In an analysis, Steven Aftergood says the report, "downplays or overlooks many of the Administration's principal achievements in reducing inappropriate secrecy. At the same time, it fails to acknowledge the major defects of the openness program to date. And so it presents a muddled picture of the state of open government, while providing a poor guide to future policy. Continue reading

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Economic census could get reprieve

Economic census could get reprieve, by LIZ ENOCHS, Housing Wire (September 17, 2011).

The 2012 economic census, which was at risk of being eliminated after the House of Representatives sliced the Census Bureau's funding 25% two months ago, could be retained after the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations voted for a smaller funding cut and specifically voiced its support for the report.... It's still unclear whether the Senate's smaller budget cut will leave the bureau enough financial wiggle room to continue producing the report, which costs $124 million, according to figures from NABE.
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The Pentagon Papers: All Three Versions Posted Allowing Side-by-Side Comparison

The National Security Archive at George Washington University announced today that they have posted all three major editions of the Pentagon Papers.

  • Complete Pentagon Papers At Last!, National Security Archive, National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book No. 359, (September 16, 2011) Edited By John Prados. For the first time ever, all three major editions of the Pentagon Papers are being made available simultaneously online. The posting today by the National Security Archive at George Washington University (www.nsarchive.org), allows for a unique side-by-side comparison, showing readers exactly what the U.S. government tried to hide for 40 years by means of deletions from the original text. Today's posting includes the full texts of the "Gravel" edition entered into Congressional proceedings in 1971 by Sen. Mike Gravel (D-Alaska) and later published by the Beacon Press, the authorized 1971 declassified version issued by the House Armed Services Committee with deletions insisted on by the Nixon administration, and the new 2011 "complete" edition released in June by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
The Archive is also holding a contest, inviting readers to nominate the "11 words" that some officials tried to keep secret even this year. Continue reading

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