6: PARTICIPATION

Foster participation by implementing programs that engage the public in our operations.

Other Information:

Participation enhances policy decisions and services by welcoming the input of the American public. GSA fosters participation by implementing programs that engage the public in its operations. GSA’s efforts to increase participation extend beyond our agency, and we actively reach out to the public using tools such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to engage the public where they are. The tools and programs implemented by GSA help federal agencies engage with the public to spur more active participation in government and help agencies better meet their missions. GSA’s Office of General Counsel drafted the initial internal policy dealing with blogs. This was later updated through a collaborative effort of many GSA offices led by the Chief Information Officer (CIO). The current policy and guidance documents apply to all social media. These documents guide the use of the emerging technologies by GSA employees that make government more engaging and participatory. As a result, GSA’s use of blogs, video sharing websites, collaboration tools, and other social media are in accordance with a wide range of requirements that govern a federal agency’s conduct. These conduct requirements include Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Federal Records Act, and the Privacy Act. GSA’s internal social media policies were the direct result of efforts by General Counsel and were among the first issued by any federal agency. These groundbreaking efforts led directly to GSA’s ability to successfully utilize a variety of social media tools and engage the public as never before. These policies have served as models for other agencies undertaking similar activities and drafting their own guidance documents. In this section we provide information about GSA’s: * Governmentwide Public Engagement Initiatives; * Employees Engaging the Public in Mission Operations; and * Mission Operations Supporting Public Participation.

Stakeholder(s):

• The Public

Objective(s):

6.1: Federal Acquisition Regulation

6.1.2: Federal Advisory Committee Act

6.1.3: USA.gov

6.1.4: Open Government Citizen Engagement Tool

6.1.5: Better Buy Project Pilots Wiki

6.2: GSA Employees Engage the Public in Mission Operations

6.2.1: Your Voice Matters

6.3: GSA’s Mission Operations Supporting Public Participation

6.3.1: Department of Homeland Security Headquarters

6.3.2: Participation Tools and Forums

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