NASA reveals status of Open Government Initiatives

Posted by Courtney E. Howard

WASHINGTON, 18 April 2011. NASA, on the first anniversary of its Open Government Initiative, is releasing a detailed assessment of the agency's progress toward more than 150 milestones on 19 open government projects and three flagship initiatives. The report, available at http://www.nasa.gov/open, also includes information on NASA's Freedom of Information Act process, released data sets, and social media use.

"We are creating new ways to engage the public in solutions to problems of interest to NASA and the nation and striving to incorporate open government into every facet of our mission," says Beth Robinson, NASA's chief financial officer and senior accountable official for Open Government.

"NASA continues to innovate on its approach to open government," explains Nick Skytland of NASA's Open Government Initiative. "Our commitment to experimenting with and embracing new participatory ways of collaboration begins with our efforts to infuse open government into the U.S. space program."

NASA's Open Government Plan has been recognized as one of the best in federal government. NASA was among few agencies recognized with two Leading Practices Awards from the White House for achievement above and beyond the requirements of the Open Government Directive in the categories of "Participation and Collaboration" and "Flagship Initiatives."

The White House issued the Open Government Directive calling on executive branch agencies to become more open and countable in December 2009.