Open Process equals Transparency
Agencies should be encouraged to provide readily understandable details of policies and decision criteria that will be applied in, for example, ...more »
Agencies should be encouraged to provide readily understandable details of policies and decision criteria that will be applied in, for example, an application process or other interaction with the government. These details should not simply be references to arcane legal documents, but should be citizen-centric explanations of the choices to be made and the consequences.
Similarly, agencies should have on their main portal (or on usa.gov) a comprehensive directory of services, and descriptions of all of their programs. Where a program has an effect on citizens (are there any that don’t?), there should be a clear discussion of the effects of the program, and how the program conducts its day-to-day business. If a program is related to other programs, especially if alternatives are available to the citizen for a given service or product, these should be clearly listed, and preferably linked. For example, if funds are available for a community effort from more than one program, then the agency site should provide the citizen with guidance on the alternatives and their advantages and disadvantages (or at least their relative features).
The intent of these policies is to provide citizens with a clear understanding of what each program does, how it does it, and what the outcomes and effects are for the citizens.
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