On Thursday, the U.S. government released its Fourth U.S. Action Plan for Open Government that will work to making Federal government data more accessible, ensuring the grant-making process is more accountable, and Federally funded scientific research is more accessible. This is the first under the Trump Administration and does not replace the President’s Management Agenda.
The action plan lays out eight initiatives to be put forth by the Federal government–several of which are data and information technology-related. The first of these initiatives is to “publish a comprehensive Federal data strategy.” The strategy will include protecting personally identifiable information and the expansion of data as a management tool.
“The Federal data strategy will be based upon the principles of ethical governance, transparency, conscious design, and continuous improvement,” the action plan reads.
Another of these data-related initiatives is to expand workforce data standards. According to the action plan, the President has directed the National Council for the American Worker to develop data-leveraging strategies including:
- Creating increased transparency around educational outcomes;
- Provide increased transparency over job posting data; and
- Ensure transparency over data for skills/credentials leading to family-sustaining jobs.
The Administration will also work to appoint a Chief Data Officer (CDO) at each CFO-Act agency. The CDO will be responsible for issues involving data management, governance, collection, analysis, protection, use, and dissemination.
Public health will be fueled by open data in the new action plan by using data-driven information to address the opioid crisis, for value-based healthcare, and for collaborating on addressing Lyme and Tick-borne diseases. The Health and Human Services Office of the Chief Technology Officer is going to launch a series of “open innovation” challenges to improve value-based healthcare.
Among other initiatives in the Fourth Action Plan for Open Government are implementing intelligence community “enterprise objectives” on privacy, civil liberties, and transparency; expanding public participation in developing future action plans; providing public access to Federally funded research; and ensuring accountability for grants.
