Civic software-as-a-service can make what seems like a new burden for cities an opportunity to collaborate Yesterday, citizens in the state of California amended their constitution to make it more open and transparent: Voters approved Tuesday a measure to give greater protection to California’s open meeting and public records laws by putting them in theRead… Read more »
Open data is more than just a national concern, as countries often share and compare information with each other. Thus, calls for transparency must also extend internationally. As you may recall from a previous post, one of the requirements outlined in out government’s National Action Plan (NAP) is that foreign aid funding be reported inRead… Read more »
It’s almost summertime, and that means families around the country are preparing for one of the season’s greatest offerings: summer camp. While kids gallivant around, play games or go fishing, there’s much more to camp than meets the eye. One of the greatest benefits of camp I’ve experienced is community. Summer camp brings together kidsRead… Read more »
Governments around the world are utilizing big data analytics more and more. While data can make governments run more efficiently and aid policy decisions, it also raises many concerns. Citizens and civil society groups advocate for openness, making data available and accessible to all. In line with these calls to action, President Obama made aRead… Read more »
We know that government is slow to adopt new technologies and change. But the technologies now exist to provide you as a constituent or as a state leader with the ability to see where state dollars are being spent and what results are being achieved virtually in real-time. It is now only a question ofRead… Read more »
Most states have decided to list their expenses so their citizens can see where tax dollars are being spent. Listing the thousand, or millions, of individual transactions is good in theory, but these endless lists of expenditures fall dramatically short in providing the kind of transparency people yearn for as government continues to expand. GoodRead… Read more »
“A good set of financials tells the story of your enterprise. Transparency should do the same.” Our citizens (all of us) work hard to generate tax dollars to support government programs to improve the quality of life. If you are like me, you believe Americans have the right know where and how their tax dollarsRead… Read more »
The Data Act was just signed into law last week – and it’s going to have far-reaching effects on federal agencies and hundreds of thousands of recipient of federal funds, such as grantees, contractors, universities, nonprofits, states and localities. The new law gives agencies three years to implement a set of new reporting requirements toRead… Read more »
We sometimes refer to zealous hobbyists as ‘freaks’: tennis freaks, golf freaks, computer freaks. These highly enthusiastic people excel in their pursuits; they are unique, rare, uncommon, top-of-the-bell-curve types. Are You a Leadership “Freak”? According to a Harvard Business School of Leadership study, if you are an honest and thankful leader, you are a leadershipRead… Read more »
Transparency advocates scored another victory in recent weeks with the passage of the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2013 by the U.S. Congress. The White House has already announced that the President Obama will sign the bill into law. This law builds on what has been occurring in the states for over a decade.Read… Read more »