(US and Canada) The U.S. Government’s newly released ‘Fifth Open Government National Action Plan’ has committed to increasing the public’s access to data. As per a White House update, the plan aims to advance equity, engage the public in the regulatory process, make government records more accessible to the public, and improve the delivery of government services and benefits. 

The action plan includes creating feedback mechanisms for the public to request and access data, developing and sharing equitable data practices, and developing a tool to help the public locate DOJ records.

“Government works best when we create channels for members of the public to regularly engage with us and hold us accountable for improving the lives of all people, including those communities that have been excluded from social, economic, and civic life,” said Alexander Macgillivray, Deputy Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer.

The plan features commitments across the following areas:

1. Improving access to government data, research, and information

2. Increasing civic space to engage the Public

3. Transforming government service delivery

4. Countering corruption and ensuring accountability to the public

5. Ensuring equal justice under the law 

Specific commitments in the National Action Plan include:

1. Creating feedback mechanisms for the public to request and access data to hold the government accountable for advancing equity, including through partnerships and collaborations with different levels of government, community-based organizations, and researchers.

2. Developing and sharing effective equitable data practices – around improving feedback loops between public data users and federal data stewards, public engagement, transparency, and accountability. This will be achieved by creating a government-wide community of practice, including a listserv, learning assets through the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Subcommittee on Equitable Data.

3. Improving the National Archives Catalog of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) by launching a new site with improved search experience and a new optical character recognition tool. NARA will also engage with underserved communities to identify and prioritize records impactful to them.

4. Improving opportunities for the public to participate in the development of regulations. It includes developing tools, guidance, and other resources to better explain the steps in the regulatory process and opportunities for engagement.

5. Addressing barriers to accessing public benefits and services through implementation of the Paperwork Reduction Act.

6. Publishing a Federal Evidence Agenda on LGBTQI+ Equity and sharing the Agenda with public stakeholders.

7. Issuing an updated Department of Justice (DOJ) Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Self-Assessment Toolkit to make it easier for agencies to acquire FOIA technology and, in turn, improve efficiency and consistency in processing requests across the Federal Government. The DOJ will also be developing an interactive tool to help the public locate records easily and find the right agency to submit their FOIA requests.