Open Government: Public Participation – we can’t do it without you!

Public participation in government isn’t just a cornerstone of democracy, it’s how the United States government ensures that policies and practices reflect the ideas and expertise of the American people. Without public engagement, first responders and emergency response officials wouldn’t have access to certain important emergency information during a disaster, such as where power lines are down, or we wouldn’t know that more than 100,000 Americans believe the nation should declare Major League Baseball’s Opening Day to be a national holiday.

As President Obama noted on his first full day in office, government is more effective when it gathers input from the public as it makes decisions. By harnessing input and expertise from a wide array of voices, we can continue to strengthen government.  Here are a few ways the public can participate in ongoing conversations surrounding open government:

•  Open Government Working Group: Following the Administration’s 2009 Open Government Directive, agencies began monthly working sessions to discuss open government opportunities. These meetings give agencies a chance to collaborate and share best practices, while also providing an opportunity to raise awareness of challenges they have encountered. Earlier this year, civil society organizations asked to attend these working government meetings and we’re pleased that these meetings are now open to the public on a quarterly basis. These meetings provide a chance for the public to listen in on agency open government efforts and participate in discussions about featured topics.
• Open Government Discussion Group: At our February Working Group meeting, civil society and agency participants discussed ways to improve participation in government — particularly outside of the Washington, D.C. area. One great suggestion we received was to launch a listserv that could facilitate discussions and engage a broader range of participants across the country. We’re pleased to have implemented this suggestion and hope you will join the conversation here!
• Open Government Plan Engagement: Agencies are currently crafting their 2014 Open Government Plans, which are set to launch by June 1, 2014. A key component of these plans is stakeholder engagement. Some agencies have directly requested input online and others have received proactive suggestions from civil society organizations. The public can also participate in the plans by attending upcoming workshops in Washington, D.C. on May 1 and May 5 where stakeholders can sit down with agencies to share input on agency plans.

These are just a few of the efforts underway to increase public participation in the conversation about open government.  If you would like to share information, offer a suggestion, or learn more about attending these meetings, please contact us via email at opengov@ostp.eop.gov. We can’t do this without you!

Corinna Zarek is Senior Advisor to the U.S. Chief Technology Officer for Open Government.