4.3.2: Secretary Priority Areas

Enhance public feedback in Secretary priority areas

Other Information:

The iterative nature of DOI’s Open Government Plan allows it to adapt to changing priorities in the future. Each of the Secretary’s priority areas and additional DOI efforts may consider leveraging citizen engagement tools to facilitate public involvement. The following section highlights a few of the main examples of how DOI will increase opportunities for public participation in and feedback on the Department’s core mission activities. Climate Change As one of the Secretary’s top priorities, DOI has many efforts focusing on climate change. Organizing the vast information sources produced from these efforts is one of the focus areas for DOI’s Open Government Flagship Initiative. This initiative will utilize proven techniques and innovative uses of tools to help catalog the information to promote discover, understanding and use of this valuable resource. The potential to respond to datasets in terms of rating and comments is a planned feature for the enhanced approach. Additional details on this initiative are presented in section 4.7. Youth In working to align open government with the Department of the Interior’s Youth in the Great Outdoors Initiative the Office of Youth has created and will consistently maintain a comprehensive Youth Database. The Office is also utilizing several online social media tools (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and may continue to update the public and attempt to keep the pulse of public opinion on the Youth in the Great Outdoors Initiative through various means of social media networking. The Youth Database is a compilation of all of the Youth Programs, Youth-serving Partners, and Youth-serving Events that are already being implemented and utilized throughout the eight bureaus within the Department. While this database will initially be used internally to promote collaboration between similar programs it will be considered for public dissemination in the future via the Youth in the Great Outdoors web site (http://www.doi.gov/whatwedo/youth/). Online social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr will be utilized to reach out to youth and to open government in a youth-recognizable, user-friendly means. Videos, pictures, and messages will be uploaded to the page to engage Facebook users. The bureaus within the Department have been effective in launching and sustaining successful youth programs: Youth Conservation Corps, (http://www.nps.gov/gettinginvolved/youthprograms/ycc.htm), Public Land Corps (http://www.nps.gov/gettinginvolved/youthprograms/plc.htm), the Student Career Experience Program (SCEP) (http://www.usajobs.gov/ei/studentcareerexperience.asp), and the Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP) (http://www.opm.gov/employ/students/). There are many strong partnerships already developed between the bureaus and external organizations. Facebook will be a means for the bureaus, partners and programs to network, organize and advertize through an established, youth-driven web site in order to draw in and maintain connection with our target audiences. The Youth in the Great Outdoors’ official Facebook page will be titled Youth in the Great Outdoors. This is the name for the Twitter account and will remain consistent in any new online social media presence. The Office has also developed a Facebook “group” called OUTside and INvolved – Youth Engaged in America’s Public Lands and Communities. This group will be maintained as an informal alumni group for young people who have participated in employment or volunteer opportunities offered by or in partnership with the Department of the Interior. The Youth in the Great Outdoors website (in development) will be developed by a youth volunteer artist. The website will be hosted on the Office of Service’s website TakePride.Gov (http://www.takepride.gov). On the Youth in the Great Outdoors website the public will be able to locate youth programs and events available to them by location. In addition to programs and events the public may be able to access information on any organizations that partner with the Department in youth affairs. The website will be interactive and the Office of Youth may maintain online interaction with the public though consistently responding to questions and suggestions.

Stakeholder(s):

• Members of the Public

Indicator(s):

Indicator:1

Content