DOL Transparency
DOL strives to keep its constituents informed of its activities through a number of transparency initiatives already underway. This page highlights five such initiatives active in agencies across the department.
- Data Liberation
- Online Enforcement Database
- ETA Interactive Grants Map and Online Tools for Grant Applicants
- Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Requests and Responses
- Record and Reporting Requirements
1. Data Liberation
To supplement existing data sources and its own analysis, DOL has committed to "liberating" as much of its public data as possible — putting it into the hands of developers and the general public to crowd-source solutions. In July, the department announced a contest for programmers to use DOL data in an innovative way through the development of mobile applications. Both contests have been posted on www.challenge.gov.
The Department has also posted over 50 sets of DOL data on data.gov. We've invited the public to review this information, think about how it can be used in creative ways, and help us deliver it to the American public.
Learn about the Labor Department's informACTION App Challenge, utilizing inspection and compliance information from the hotel, motel, restaurant and retail industries to help workers and consumers take educated action.
And read about the Occupational Employment Statistics Challenge, to help job or education seekers plan the next move in their career.
Let us know your thoughts on other ways the Labor Department can deliver it's data to the public in accessible, actionable ways. Even if you're not a programmer or developer, but have a concept of what data would be valuable to have, and how we can package it, we want to know!
2. Online Enforcement Database
DOL agencies administer and enforce a variety of federal labor laws that guarantee workers' rights to safe and healthy working conditions, minimum wage and overtime, freedom from employment discrimination, and the integrity of pensions and health plans. DOL's Online Enforcement Database is your one-stop shop to view violations in your local area, search businesses for recent enforcement actions, and use demographic tools to breakdown where certain violations are more common.
3. Interactive Grants Map and Online Tools for Grant Applicants
DOL provides an interactive grants map, detailing awards by state. And coming soon, the Labor Department will create a grants database providing basic information on how DOL grants are directly impacting communities around the country. This database is scheduled to go live in October 2011.
The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) provides comprehensive online tools to assist grant applicants, job seekers, and those looking to match their skills to a new career path. ETA also provides information for those looking to contact state and regional offices, or career one-stop centers.
4. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request and Responses
Each year the Labor Department receives thousands of requests for documents under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). DOL fulfills these requests, and details responses on a dedicated FOIA site.
5. Record and Reporting Requirements
The Labor Department has instituted a Records Management Program with several objectives:
- Provide effective control, appropriate security, and management over the creation, maintenance, use and disposition of all records within the Department regardless of recording media.
- Ensure that the records accurately reflect the business practices, polices, and transactions of the Department.
- Foster effective and economical Departmental record keeping.
- Ensure care, preservation and disposition of the Department's records.
- Coordinate records management activities with other information management and Departmental activities.
- Ensure all DOL employees are well-informed of their records management responsibilities.
- Prevent the unauthorized access, removal, and loss of Departmental records.
DOL's Records Management Strategy
