Gulf Coast Recovery Office Announces Increased Activity Using Transparency Initiative Web Site
FEMA's Gulf Coast Recovery Office (GCRO) and the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding (OFC) are pleased to announce that there have been more than 56,000 hits on the Transparency Initiative Web site since mid-August 2008. GCRO and OFC worked together to establish the Transparency Initiative Web site to provide greater accountability and transparency into the public assistance process and to empower local decision makers and residents with invaluable information on rebuilding critical sectors of their local communities.
Jim Stark, Assistant Administrator for FEMA's Gulf Coast Recovery Office said, "I'm excited to see the steady increase in usage of the transparency Web site. This reassures us that it is serving its intended purpose of providing the public with information on recovery projects in their communities. As awareness continues to spread about the Web site, hopefully more Louisiana residents will use it as a reliable resource regarding FEMA's recovery efforts."
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff presented one of the Department's highest awards, the Secretary's Award for Team DHS Excellence, to the OFC and FEMA's GCRO for their work in establishing the Transparency Initiative Web site.
GCRO will continue to gather data to provide enhanced transparency across the Gulf Coast. Although the data collection has started in Louisiana, FEMA plans to implement it throughout the region and will continually make enhancements to the data, adding more information as it becomes available.
"It's vital that individuals in the Gulf Coast and interested stakeholders at the local, state and national level are able to see how taxpayer dollars are being used to make further progress in rebuilding the Gulf and to substantively improve the lives of locals as they continue to rebuild their communities," O'Dell said. "This Web site is an integral part of infusing public accountability and transparency into the overall rebuilding effort, and I am encouraged, though not surprised, to see the proven usefulness of the Transparency Web site. We have a responsibility to the American taxpayer and to citizens of the Gulf Region to bring transparency to the rebuilding effort at every level and at each juncture."
The Web site-www.femarecovery.gov-which was first announced in January of 2008 to map the status of rebuilding schools, was expanded in November of 2008 to include the status of rebuilding other sectors of the local infrastructure such as health/hospitals, public works, historic/cultural and public safety/criminal justice. As the Web site further expands to cover more sectors, the site traffic increases exponentially, demonstrating the high level of interest in the Web site and the progress of rebuilding these key sectors of the infrastructure.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 27-Jan-2009 12:25:24 EST