NRC Open Government Plan Self-Evaluation

On April 7, 2010, the NRC issued a news release unveiling the agency's first formal Open Government Plan, which reiterated our longstanding commitment to openness; expanded upon The NRC Approach to Open Government; and outlined plans for new transparency, participation, and collaboration initiatives. Then, after incorporating feedback received from the public and other stakeholders, the agency issued Revision 1.1 of our Open Government Plan on June 7, 2010. Each revision of the NRC's Open Government Plan is available in both PDF and XML (.docx) formats, and its official agency record is available through the NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS). For the current and previous revisions, see The NRC's Open Government Plan.

In addition, as part of Evaluating Our Progress, consistent with the guidance provided by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the NRC completed an initial Open Government Plan Self-Evaluation on April 23, 2010. That self-evaluation was based on 30 criteria drawn directly from the Open Government Directive. For each criterion, the Score was based on the following criteria:

Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive
Yellow: Has Demonstrated Progress toward Expectations Yellow: Has Demonstrated Progress toward Expectations
Red: Fails to Meet Expectations Red: Fails to Meet Expectations

The NRC met all expectations (Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive) for 28 of the 30 criteria, and demonstrated progress toward expectations (Yellow: Has Demonstrated Progress toward Expectations) for the remaining 2 criteria (Criteria 9 and 24). Since that time, the NRC has met all expectations (Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive) for those 2 final criteria. For details, please see the following aspects of our updated self-evaluation on this page:

For our latest self-evaluations, please see NRC Accomplishments in 2010 – 2011, as well as our 1-Year Assessment. In addition, to compare the NRC's performance against that of other Federal agencies, please see the Open Government Dashboard.

This page includes links to files in non-HTML format. See Plugins, Viewers, and Other Tools for more information.

Formulating the Plan in the Open

Criterion Score Relevant Sections of Plan
  1. Was multidisciplinary collaboration involved in formulating the plan?
Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive II.B.1
  1. Was public consultation involved in crafting the plan?
Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive VII.A
  1. Was the plan published in an open format, online, on time, on the open government page, and with raw data?
Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive  
  1. Is there a plan for continued public engagement as part of the review and modification of the open government plan?
Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive

VI, pp 31–34;
VII App D, p 52

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Transparency Strategic Action Plan

Criterion Score Relevant Sections of Plan
  1. Does the plan contain a strategic action plan that inventories agency high-value information currently available for download?
Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive App C, Table 1, p 47
  1. Is there a plan to foster the public's use of this information to increase public knowledge and promote public scrutiny of agency services?
Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive III.B.1, p 14, last para
  1. Does the action plan identify high value information not yet available and establish a reasonable timeline for publication online in open formats with specific target dates?
Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive App C, Tables 2 and 3;
III.B.1, p 14, para 6
  1. For agencies providing public information in electronic format: Is there a plan for timely publication of underlying data for public information maintained in electronic format?
Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive App C, Table 3;
App B (1)(b);
III.B.1, p 13, para 4
  1. Does the plan identify key audiences for information and their needs, and the agency endeavors to publish high-value information for each of those audiences in the most accessible forms and formats?
Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive App C, table1-3, col 3;
III.B.1, p14, para 2
  1. Is there a plan to demarcate educational material as free for re-use?
Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive App A, Table 1, last row, p 39
  1. Does the plan detail compliance with transparency initiative guidance, and where gaps exist, detailed steps the agency is taking and the timing to meet the requirements for each initiative:
Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive III.A.3, pp 11–13
    1. Data.gov
   
    1. eRulemaking
   
    1. IT Dashboard
   
    1. Recovery.gov
  N/A
    1. USAspending.gov
   
  1. Are there details of proposed actions (with clear milestones) to inform the public of significant actions and business of the agency (e.g. agency public meetings, briefings, press conferences, town halls)?
Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive App A, Tables 1–3
pp 38–42
  1. Does the plan address existing record management requirements by providing:
Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive III.A.1.a, p 6;
III.A.2.a, p 7;
App A, Table1, p 39, row 3
    1. Website link
   
    1. Identifying and scheduling all electronic records
   
    1. Timely transfer of all permanently valuable records to the National Archives
   
  1. Does the plan address FOIA by providing:
Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive III.A.2.e, p10;
App A, Table 1, p 38, row 8
    1. Website link?
   
    1. Staffing, organizational structure, and process for responding to FOIA requests?
   
    1. Assessment of capacity to analyze, coordinate and respond to requests in a timely manner?
   
    1. If there is a significant FOIA backlog, details on how the agency will reduce the backlog by 10% each year?
   
  1. Does the plan address congressional requests by providing a:
Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive App A, Table 1, p 39, row 8
    1. Website link?
   
    1. Staffing, organizational structure, and process for responding to Congressional requests?
   
  1. Does the plan address declassification, if applicable by providing a:
Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive App A, Table 1, p 39, row 5
    1. Website link?
   
    1. Where the public can learn about declassification programs, accessing declassified materials, and provide input about what types of information should be prioritized for declassification?
   

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Participation

Criterion Score Relevant Sections of Plan
  1. Does the plan explain how the agency will improve participation, including steps the agency will take to revise its current practices to increase opportunities for public participation in and feedback on the agency's core mission activities (including proposed changes to internal management and administrative policies to improve participation)?
Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive IV.B, p 19–21;
VI, pp 31–36
  1. Does the plan describe and provide links to websites for the public to engage in existing participatory processes?
Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive App A, Table 3, pp 41–42
  1. Are there proposals for new feedback mechanisms (including innovative tools and practices for public engagement)?
Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive VII.A, pp 36–37;
VI p 31–36

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Collaboration

Criterion Score Relevant Sections of Plan
Does the plan list steps the agency will take to revise its current practices to further collaboration:    
  1. With other Federal and non-Federal government agencies? Including the use of technology platforms to this end?
Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive p 28, 31, 36;
p 32; row 1
  1. With the public? Including the use of technology platforms?
Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive p 28–30, 34
  1. With non-profit and private entities? Including technology platforms?
Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive p 28–30, 35
  1. Are there links to websites that describe existing collaboration efforts of the agency?
Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive V.A, pp 21–28;
App 1, Table 4, pp 43–44
  1. Does the plan describe the Innovative methods (e.g. prizes and collaborations) to increase collaboration with the private sector, non-profit, and academic communities?
Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive V.B.2, pp 30–31

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Flagship Initiative

Criterion Score Relevant Sections of Plan
  1. Does the plan include at least one specific flagship engagement?
Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive VI, pp 31–37
  1. Does the description provide an overview of the initiative: how it addresses one or more of the three openness principles and how it aims to improve agency operations?
Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive VI.A, pp 31–34
  1. Does it identify external partners for collaboration (if appropriate)?
Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive VI.C, p 35
  1. Is there a plan for public participation in contributing innovative ideas to the flagship?
Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive VI.B, p 36
  1. Does the description explain how the improvements to transparency, participation and/or collaboration will be measured?
Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive VI.D, p 35
  1. Does the flagship include a description of sustainability and room for improvement?
Green: Meets Expectations specified in the Open Government Directive VI.E, p 36

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