4.1.1: Compliance with Transparency Initiatives

Demonstrate strong leadership across governmental open government activities

Other Information:

DOI is proud of the work and leadership we have provided to all of President Obama’s transparency initiatives, including: Data.Gov, Recovery.Gov, USASpending.gov, and OMB’s IT Dashboard. DOI has demonstrated strong leadership across governmental open government activities. Members of DOI’s Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) have played leading roles in support of the Recovery Act and Recovery.Gov. DOI’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) serves as an executive co-lead for the Government-wide Data.gov initiative and has received many accolades and awards for his leadership in this area. The DOI Chief Enterprise Architect serves as the Program Director for Data.Gov, providing leadership and coordinating the 10 modules within the program. Data.gov was developed by the Federal CIO Council as an interagency Federal initiative. The cross-government team moved with unprecedented speed to launch a fully functional implementation of Data.gov in two months. As an important priority of the open government initiative for President Obama's administration, Data.gov increases the ability of the public to find, understand, and use datasets that are owned by the Federal Government. DOI has provided a large number of datasets to Data.Gov covering a wide range of topics. The DOI datasets are located at: http://www.data.gov/list/agency/7/0/catalog/raw/page/1/count/50. All major bureaus have contributed datasets and are committed to the principles of information sharing. DOI continues to encourage Bureau participation and looks forward to making more data available for public use. Records Management Program DOI’s Records Management Program follows the requirements of the Federal Records Act (44 U.S.C. 31) and other statutes requiring all Federal agencies to create records that document their activities, to file records for safe storage and efficient retrieval, and to dispose of records according to agency schedules which have been approved by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The DOI Records Management Program focuses primarily on records created, received, and used by DOI while conducting official business. The secondary focus is the media in which the record exists (paper, audiovisual, cartographic, and electronic media). It is the Department's policy to properly identify recordkeeping requirements and to effectively and efficiently manage needed records throughout their life cycle (creation, use and maintenance, and disposition). Through better identification and scheduling of systems that contain electronic records, DOI can provide more information to the public through data sets. This availability of information provides transparency to Government processes. DOI submitted 509 records schedules to NARA at the end of FY2009. This achievement exceeded DOI’s goal of scheduling 467 systems. Through better management of electronic records, the associated costs of labor and resource support are reduced. For example, new Minerals Management Service (MMS) records schedules reduce the number of records schedules from the hundreds to eight. This consolidated approach is referred to as a “Big Bucket” records schedule. A reduction of schedules provides better management of records and information. The records retention savings, results in a yearly savings of $71K. In approximately the last two years, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has moved 2,000 records boxes from employee office space to Federal Records Centers, saving over $73K in yearly office space costs in two years through improved records schedules and records operations. DOI’s Records Program responsibilities include: Developing an overall records management strategy producing the policy, procedures, and guidance necessary to implement that program; Cooperating with NARA and other authoritative bodies; and Developing policies and guidance on the application of technology to records management in compliance with the National Science Foundations’ Office of Information and Resource Management (OIRM); Coordinating the program within the Department's bureaus and offices and with interested outside parties such as NARA; Developing records scheduling strategies that support the efficient storage, retention and retrieval of records; Representing the Department in interagency records management groups; and Assisting records programs across the Department with advice and technical expertise. DOI’s Records Management Program is described on the DOI website http://www.doi.gov/ocio/records/ – which has information related to the following: Listing of all DOI bureau and office Records Officers, including their name, phone number, and Internet address; Listing of DOI records management Departmental Manual, records management Bulletins, and records management pamphlets; Federal records management authorities; References and guidance for performing records management tasks; Web resources from DOI, other Federal agencies, and records organizations; Basic information that every employee should know about records management policy and guidance to OS employees about their responsibilities for managing electronic mail records. FOIA Program The DOI Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) website (http://www.doi.gov/foia) contains a wealth of information about the Department’s FOIA Program for both the public and DOI employees. Highlights include: Guide for Obtaining Information that explains where and how the public can make FOIA requests for DOI records; DOI’s Electronic Reading Room that includes frequently requested FOIA documents; Electronic request form that allows the public to make FOIA requests online; FOIA Contacts and DOI FOIA Service Centers/Liaisons from whom the public can obtain guidance on refining requests to facilitate prompt and complete replies and information of interest to the public that can be obtained without making a FOIA request; DOI FOIA regulations; and DOI’s FOIA Handbook (standard operating procedures) and other written policies and procedures for responding to requests. The website will contain all of the FOIA elements of the Department’s Open Government Plan on the ‘About Us’ page at http://www.doi.gov/foia/aboutus.html including: 1. A description of DOI’s staffing, organizational structure and process for analyzing and responding to FOIA requests. 2. An assessment of DOI’s capacity to analyze, coordinate, and respond to FOIA requests in a timely manner and proposed improvements that are needed to strengthen DOI’s response processes. 3. Milestones that detail how DOI may reduce its FOIA backlog by at least ten percent each year 4. Copies of FOIA Annual Reports. Backlog Totals: DOI’s decentralization and the many sensitive, high profile issues it deals with contribute to large numbers of requests that have impacted its FOIA backlog. The reasons for DOI’s current backlog, as well as efforts underway to reduce the backlog, are discussed further on the Department’s FOIA website (see http://www.doi.gov/foia/aboutus.html). Figure 9 provides DOI FOIA backlog statistics as reflected in the Department’s FOIA annual reports for FY 2008 and FY 2009. Privacy Program The DOI Privacy program is administered by a Departmental level Privacy Officer and supported by three Privacy Act Specialists. This Office issues policy and guidance on Privacy for the bureaus, works to ensure compliance with privacy laws, promotes training and awareness, and fulfills privacy reporting requirements. Additionally, each Bureau has a Privacy Officer with subject matter expertise that carries out privacy-related functions within the respective Bureau. Departmental Privacy Act regulations available at http://www.doi.gov/foia/43cfrsub.html provide guidance for individuals on how to seek information on themselves that may be maintained within a Privacy Act system of records by the Department. The Privacy Program information on the Internet is available at http://www.doi.gov//ocio/privacy/. This site includes such information as: Privacy Policy Contacts Guidelines and References Privacy Impact Assessments Public Privacy Impact Assessments Privacy Act Notices E-Gov Act Privacy Requirements Congressional Requests for Information DOI’s Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs communicate Departmental policies and the viewpoints of the Secretary regarding Congressional issues. The office plans, develops and implements DOI’s legislative goals and strategies, notifies congressional offices of Interior initiatives, and monitors the status of legislative proposals. Testimonies and other legislative information, as well as contact information for this office, are available on the Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs website http://www.doi.gov/ocl/index.html. Information on the website includes a staff directory, links to Congressional Information, testimony and other legislative information, and a general contact email address. Communications with the Appropriations Committees and budgetary matters are coordinated by the Policy, Management, and Budget – Office of Budget. Declassification Program DOI does not have the authority to classify or declassify information; therefore, a specific declassification program does not exist. However, the CIO is responsible for establishing policy and procedures for the protection of national security classified and sensitive information processed in automated systems, including all forms of hard, soft, and transmission media. The OCIO is also responsible for coordinating with bureau/Office Security Officers regarding classified national security and other sensitive controlled unclassified information (CUI) matters, as appropriate. Communicating to the Public on Significant Actions and Business of DOI: The Office of Communications (OCO), the Office of External Affairs, and the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs work closely to provide information to the public, media, stakeholder groups and state and local governments. Similarly, the offices that fall under the Assistant Secretary – Policy, Management, and Budget play a key role in communicating the Secretary’s vision and priorities through the budget and other means. Office of Communications: This office provides leadership, expertise, counsel, and coordination for the development of communications strategies vital to the overall formulation, awareness and acceptance of mission programs and policies. The various means of communications adopted by this office are as follows: Maintain and constantly improve the DOI website (http://www.doi.gov), the Department of the Interior Recovery website (http://recovery.doi.gov) and the Department’s official presence on social media websites like Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, and Twitter. Assist media by responding to their inquiries and provide other information they may require or find useful. The principle vehicles used for dissemination of news are internet, telephone, press releases, and audio-visual messages. Develop and implement media and public information projects for widespread public dissemination of policy and program information. Travel (By the Secretary and Deputy Secretary) to key locations affected by DOI policies to hold town hall meetings with stakeholders and the public to seek input and explain key DOI policy initiatives. Prepare, edit, and issue news releases on Departmental policies and program issues; develop speech texts, reports, briefing materials, articles and similar materials for the Secretary; develop publications and audio and visual materials as it determines necessary in order for the Department to be responsive to a broad range of public inquiries. Plan and coordinate press briefings and news conferences for the Secretary and the Secretariat; inform officials of fresh media activity on issues; and publish special internal communications to supervisory and policy level officials. Secretary Salazar, Deputy Secretary Hayes and all Assistant Secretary’s and Bureau Directors regularly grant requests for interviews with national, local and tribal news outlets. In addition, DOI has taken great strides to improve the information made available online to the public. DOI’s website has undergone a transformation in the past year to make information easily accessible, to better explain the Secretary’s priorities and increase transparency. For members of the public who cannot attend, town hall meetings are broadcasted on DOI.gov. Office of External Affairs: This office communicates with and engages outside stakeholder groups on important policy decisions at DOI. Office of Intergovernmental Affairs: This office works closely with state and local governments including governor’s offices, state legislatures, mayors, city councils and other local governments to communicate the Department of the Interior’s priorities and policy decisions and to coordinate feedback on these policies from a local perspective. Policy, Management, and Budget – Office of the Budget: This office is the portal for all information for the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and all budget information. In addition, the Secretary and the Department utilize the budget as a primary communication tool for his vision and policies. The 2011 Budget in Brief, outlines the funding and legislative agenda that is included in the 2011 budget for DOI. It is available on the Budget Office’s Website at: http://www.doi.gov/budget/2011/11Hilites/toc.html. DOI Strategic Plan: The DOI Strategic Plan communicates the Department’s key mission strategies in a five year plan that is updated every three years. There is a link on the DOI website for budget and performance information that provides direct access to the strategic plan and the Annual Performance Report (http://www.doi.gov/bpp/.) Future changes in communications as part of open government: DOI will continue to make policy information available to the press and stakeholders in a timely fashion via press releases, outreach and town hall meetings. Additional upgrades to DOI.gov are planned to respond to citizen and stakeholder requests for information. Improvements include the addition of more interactive maps and geo-specific information that may help the public. DOI is currently in the process of investing in live streaming technology that may allow us to provide the public with live streams of DOI press conferences, public meetings and other events in real time via DOI.gov on a regular basis. DOI’s goal is to make this a regular part of DOI’s communications efforts in the next six months. DOI may continue to investigate new avenues for providing content to the public via social media websites. It is planning a series of blogger roundtables with senior leadership and interested bloggers in an effort to reach new audiences and reporters outside the main stream media. Information Quality As a component of transparency, maintaining information quality is a core effort at DOI. As such, DOI issued and implemented guidelines to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of information disseminated by its offices and bureaus, per the February 2002 OMB guidelines (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/assets/omb/fedreg/reproducible2.pdf) that all Federal Agencies issue and implement Information Quality Guidelines. In response to a December 2004 OMB Memorandum M-05-03 (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/assets/omb/memoranda/fy2005/m05-03.pdf) relating to Information Quality, DOI Offices and bureaus created Web sites to accommodate the requirements to implement and document a system for peer review of scientific information. In order to ensure the accuracy and integrity of its published scientific information, DOI follows a robust peer review process where the information undergoes internal peer review and is subject to public scrutiny. DOI, its offices, bureaus, and the National Invasive Species Council, maintain the highest standards possible for published information to ensure integrity and transparency.

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