Key Practices for Transparently Reporting Government Data

We identified five key practices that managers of open government data  programs can consider to help ensure the transparent presentation of  their data. We identified these key practices and key actions by  systematically evaluating and synthesizing information from literature on  open data as well as interviews with open data experts and good  governance groups. This can be done by standardizing the way that the  data are reported. USAspending.gov Aligns with Several Key Practices, but Does Not Fully Meet Licensing, Search Functionality, and Other Requirements USAspending.gov Provides Free and Unrestricted Spending Data

We found that USAspending.gov aligns with the key practices of providing  free and unrestricted data and engaging with users. The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of  2006 (FFATA) requires the website displaying the data that agencies  must provide to be accessible to the public at no cost. In response to  requirements in FFATA, as amended by the Digital Accountability and  Transparency Act of 2014 (DATA Act), in May 2014, OMB and Treasury  developed standard definitions for data elements for agencies to report,  and Treasury displays these open data on USAspending.gov. However, the website lacks structured, machine-readable metadata. Conclusions

USAspending.gov is a major open government data program with the  potential to be a model for transparently reporting government data—if  Treasury takes additional steps to further align it with the five key  practices and associated key actions for open data in addition to DATA  Act requirements. (Recommendation 4)
The Secretary of the Treasury should ensure that users can easily search  for awards by city and program source (TAS), consistent with FFATA  requirements. Treasury agreed with our  recommendations. This report builds on our body of work on the  DATA Act and (1) identifies key practices for transparently reporting  government data on a centralized website, and (2) evaluates the extent to  which the new USAspending.gov is consistent with these key practices,  as well as existing standards for federal websites. We shared a  draft of the key practices with the Department of the Treasury (Treasury),  the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and GSA. Government Transparency: Efforts to Improve Information on Federal  Spending.
Why GAO Did This Study

Open data can foster accountability and public trust by providing citizens with information on government activities and their outcomes. It can also promote private sector innovation. The DATA Act requires that the federal government collect and present open data on roughly $4 trillion in annual federal spending. The DATA Act also includes a provision requiring GAO to review its implementation.
This report (1) identifies key practices for transparently reporting government data; and (2) evaluates the extent to which USAspending.gov is consistent with those key practices and other requirements. GAO developed the key practices by systematically evaluating and synthesizing information from literature on open data, as well as interviews with open data experts and good governance groups. GAO used these key practices as well as existing federal website standards and applicable laws to evaluate USAspending.gov.

What GAO Found

GAO identified five key practices for transparently reporting government data, as well as actions to implement each practice. These key practices and actions can assist managers of open government data programs in the transparent presentation of their data. Open data are information that can be freely used, modified, or shared by anyone for any purpose.
USAspending.gov aligns with several key practices. However, the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) has not fully aligned the website with all of the key practices, the requirements of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (FFATA), and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance (see table.) FFATA, as amended by the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014 (DATA Act), directed Treasury to develop and manage USAspending.gov to provide detailed information on federal spending.

What GAO Recommends

GAO is making five recommendations including that Treasury (1) establish a process to ensure that additions to USAspending.gov meet security requirements, (2) provide structured metadata and licensing information on the website, and (3) ensure that users can search for awards by city and program source as required by law. Treasury agreed with GAO's recommendations.