Presidential Actions on Open Government
HHS has compiled a listing of Presidential actions, executive orders, and memos related to Open Government for your reference.
2009
The President’s Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government - PDF
The President’s first executive action, the Open Government Memorandum calls for more transparent, participatory, and collaborative government.
The Open Government Directive - PDF
The Directive hardwires accountability, instructing every agency to open its doors and data to the American people.
2010
Sharing Data While Protecting Privacy - PDF
The purpose of this Memorandum is to direct agencies to find solutions that allow data sharing to move forward in a manner that complies with applicable privacy laws, regulations, and policies.
Federal agencies are required to use "clear Government communication that the public can understand and use." Clear writing is essential to open government for transparency, public participation, and collaboration.
2011
Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review
This executive order ensures that our regulatory system must allow for public participation and an open exchange of ideas, and that regulations are accessible, consistent, written in plain language, and easy to understand.
Managing Government Records - PDF
Improving records management will improve performance and promote openness and accountability by better documenting agency actions and decisions.
Guidance on Implementing the Plain Writing Act of 2010 - PDF
This memorandum provides final guidance on implementing the Act and is designed to promote the goals of the President’s Open Government Initiative.
2013
Increasing Access to the Results of Federally Funded Scientific Research - PDF
John P. Holdren, Director of the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, issued this memorandum directing federal research funding agencies with R&D budgets of $100 million or more to develop a plan within six months to support increased public access to the results of research funded by the federal Government.
Making Open and Machine Readable the New Default for Government Information
To promote continued job growth, Government efficiency, and the social good that can be gained from opening Government data to the public, the default state of new and modernized Government information resources shall be open and machine readable.
Open Data Policy - Managing Information as an Asset - PDF
Agencies and departments are now required to collect and create information in a way that supports downstream processing and sharing, through the use of machine-readable and open formats, data standards, and common core and extensible metadata.
Next Steps in the Evidence and Innovation Agenda - PDF
This memo stresses the application of existing evidence as paramount to creating a government that is more responsive to the needs of its citizens. This memo offers suggestions to help agencies advance their evidence and evaluation practices.
2014
2014 Agency Open Government Plans - PDF
This memorandum provides guidance to agencies as they update their Open Government Plans for 2014.
Guidance for Providing and Using Administrative Data for Statistical Purposes - PDF
Advice to agencies on how to share non-public administrative data for statistical purposes in responsible ways that protect confidentiality.
