Although many of the posts in this category are concerned with making all government data and communications available to the public, I would like to address a different transparency concept: process transparency.
In this form of transparency, there is government openness regarding how decisions will be made. This includes making public and publicizing timetables, process road maps, decision criteria, roles/participants in each step of the process, and opportunities for participation, as well as how that participation will inform the decision process. Ideally, a first step in a decision process would allow the public and interest groups to comment on the decision process itself.
Though this sounds relatively easy, process transparency faces multiple institutional/cultural obstacles. Process transparency requires support from the highest levels of agency leadership and elected officials to avoid backroom deal-making and last-minute power plays (at least without publicly updating the decision road map).
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