3.1.1: Education
Continuously educate the American public about the Department’s programs and decision-making processes Other Information:
Information about USDA’s programs and decision-making processes is not consistently transparent or easy to understand and
access. To make our processes more transparent, the Department is committed to improving the openness and access to information
across all levels. Specifically, USDA is making more information available to reduce the need for Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA) requests, improving Web sites and search capabilities, and providing more information on our planning and decision-making
processes. FOIA allows any person to request access to Federal agency records or information. In addition, the Department
is actively educating the public about its programs and activities by hosting public events, town hall meetings, and roundtable
discussions. The OMB IT Dashboard stands out as an exemplary example of an initiative USDA is participating in that is aimed
at better informing the public about its ongoing programs and processes. This Dashboard allows the public to monitor Federal
information technology (IT) projects. Because the IT discipline is maturing rapidly, the Department must offer greater visibility
into its IT investments. Thus, the Dashboard acts as the “public face” for USDA’s investments and IT projects. It provides
the public with a clear look at the Department’s IT investments, the economic and programmatic rationale for those investments,
and various schedules and performance information. To learn more about USDA’s IT investments, visit the IT Dashboard now!
Meantime, USDA also recognizes the need to share information about the progress of all its programs and the daily activities
of its employees. To this end, the Department is exploring avenues that would allow it to publish information like the Secretary
and Deputy Secretary’s calendar of public appearances.
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