Version 1.1 of the Export-Import Bank’s (Ex-Im Bank) Open Government Plan demonstrates a commitment to responding to external feed back through the dramatic improvement of their policy following the informal comments provided during this audit. The revised plan is a strong road-map with far better developed milestones, better language relating to the channels for external feedback, and a far more extensive detailing of ongoing and future projects.

The plan would be further strengthened by paying thoughtful attention to two major areas; the articulation of internal policies, and a clearly articulated plan for enhancing FOIA responsiveness. The plan is almost entirely devoid of any articulation of the policies behind most processes, with the current policy for FOIA fast-track being the primary exception. None of the internal processes for improvement are laid out, and there is no guarantee that the channels for feedback will correlate to positive results.

The plan would also be strengthened by a more thorough exploration of the entities’ plan for improving FOIA responsiveness. The Plan states that by providing more information via an online portal, that inherently the volume of FOIA requests will decrease, and thus the back-log will be solved. However, there is no evidence to suggest that this will occur, or that the opposite will be avoided (greater public visibility encouraging a greater volume of FOIA requests). More importantly, there is no policy articulated for ensuring that these measures, and the impact of the Plan, will actually correspond to improved FOIA responsiveness.

If you any think part of the agency's plan is impressive, or you have concrete suggestions on how the agency could improve its plan, please share your ideas with us using the form at the bottom of the page.