GSA's Open Government Plan 2.0

Banner graphic for Open Government Plan Version 2.0

Logo for Open Government Plan that includes link to whitehouse.gov/open

This publication replaces Version 1.2 of GSA’s Open Government Plan. Version 1.2 is available online at gsa.gov/open.

Version 2.0 (April 2012) celebrates our ongoing implementation of collaborative governmentwide initiatives, and our responsibility and opportunity to find sustainability solutions with other agencies that will drive energy- and cost-savings throughout government. This version highlights our current sustainability and strategic initiatives in the U.S. National Action Plan.

A list of updates to GSA’s Open Government Plan is shown in Appendix 8.

A MESSAGE FROM GSA's OPEN GOVERNMENT SENIOR OFFICIALS

Picture of David L. McClure Picture of Kathleen Turco

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) is leading the way in support of the U.S. National Action Plan for open government. In our first open government plan released in 2010, we spearheaded several initiatives, fulfilling both the letter and spirit of President Barack Obama's Open Government Directive. Through aggressive public engagement and collaboration across the public, private and nongovernmental sectors, GSA has made significant strides in helping to create an open, transparent and accountable government.

Today, GSA continues to go first, introducing collaborative platforms that create a more effective and responsive government for the American public. This report highlights those initiatives and builds on the successes of earlier ones. Across the board, from an online building management institute to a program that helps small businesses with government contracting, GSA’s open government efforts are bearing fruit and helping America move forward.

Using traditional methods of communication such as printed publications and contact centers, as well as cutting-edge techniques including challenge.gov and social media, our open government plan builds bridges between the government and the public it serves. Individually, these tools smooth communication pathways across society: government acquisition officers and industry partners, e-recyclers and Federal IT users, agencies with challenges that need solutions and the creativity of the private sector. Collectively, they represent an unprecedented step toward a modern, responsive government that invites open and direct engagement with the broader public.

Above all, the GSA 2012 Open Government Plan helps us and, by extension, the entire Federal Government, become savvier buyers, users, and providers of goods and services. It raises the bar on good management and demands higher standards of accountability by asking the public to become active participants in our government. In so doing, the plan delivers on GSA’s mantra: more for mission. As Federal agencies become more responsive to the public, they will become better stewards and smarter users of taxpayer dollars.

While we're proud of the tremendous work that has gone into the open government plan, we recognize that our work is far from finished. Therefore, we invite the public to contribute ideas about how we and our government can become more accessible and transparent. We welcome your feedback as we build a more accountable government for today and tomorrow.

Sincerely,