Introductory Letter from DOT Acting Deputy Secretary Victor M. Mendez on DOT Open Government Plan 3.0
Dated June 2, 2014
I am pleased to present the 2014 Open Government Plan for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). This updated plan is published in accordance with the President’s January 21, 2009, Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government and the Office of Management and Budget’s December 8, 2009, Open Government Directive. The plan also addresses the February 24, 2014, Memorandum from the Chief Technology Officer of the United States, providing additional guidance for Open Government Plan updates.
Since the publication of its first Open Government Plan in 2010, DOT has made significant strides in laying the groundwork for increased transparency, participation and collaboration. We have institutionalized an Open DOT culture by creating new policies, releasing more data and streamlining our websites. We have increased citizen participation, both in our key activities through the Regulation Room and through a series of online public dialogues. Within DOT, we encourage collaboration and innovation through IdeaHub, an ideation tool for DOT employees.
In the 2014 Open Government Plan, we have advanced our commitment to openness and engagement by focusing our efforts on new initiatives and by supporting activities that maximize efficiency, increase effectiveness, and spur economic development. We will continue to engage DOT employees, stakeholders, and the public as we begin to implement the initiatives and activities proposed within this Plan. To meet the challenges of the future, DOT must continue to harness the ingenuity of the American people in new and innovative ways. This plan commits us to that vision.
Our flagship initiative is to launch eNEPA, an online collaboration tool designed to expedite the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) development process. The tool facilitates concurrent Agency reviews for quick, clear, and transparent issue resolution as well as trust and consensus among all project partners.
We believe the updated 2014 Open Government plan reflects the evolution of open government at DOT. I am proud of our progress, and I look forward to future innovation in the coming years through this Open Government Plan. We welcome your comments, and we encourage you to send feedback on this plan to open@dot.gov.
Sincrely yours,
Victor M. Mendez