EPA Scientific Integrity Proposal Missing Critical Elements
Sep 7, 2011 by Gavin Baker
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) draft scientific integrity policy is missing critical elements needed to effectively safeguard science at the agency, OMB Watch said in comments filed yesterday. The policy must be improved if the agency is to ensure that the best science informs policy decisions that affect the health and environmental quality of all Americans.
read in fullHow to Strengthen Transparency in the U.S. Open Government Plan
Sep 1, 2011 by Gavin Baker
Yesterday, OMB Watch submitted its recommendations for the Obama administration's national plan for the Open Government Partnership (OGP). The administration will unveil its plan, with new concrete commitments to increase transparency, at the international OGP meeting on Sept. 20.
read in fullNOAA Takes Lead on Protecting Scientific Integrity
Aug 22, 2011 by Gavin Baker
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) efforts to protect scientific integrity make the agency a leader among its federal counterparts, OMB Watch said in comments filed last week.
read in fullScientific Integrity Policies Moving Forward, But Still Little Sunlight
Aug 11, 2011 by Gavin Baker
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) announced in a blog post today that nearly all the agencies participating in the development of scientific integrity policies had submitted draft policies to OSTP. The deadline for agencies to do so was last week. The State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) are behind schedule but are expected to submit their policies soon.
read in fullFinally, a Deadline for Scientific Integrity Policies
May 5, 2011 by Gavin Baker
Today, the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) announced that it was asking agencies to submit their draft scientific integrity policies within 90 days.
read in fullAgencies Report Progress on Scientific Integrity – in Private
Apr 22, 2011 by Gavin Baker
Thirty agencies have reported on their progress to strengthen scientific integrity, according to a blog post yesterday by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). This week was the deadline to submit those reports, per OSTP director John Holdren's December 2010 memo.
read in fullTransparency Hearing Highlights Spending Data Issues
Mar 16, 2011 by Sam Rosen-Amy
Even though Sunshine Week is officially this week, the House of Representatives got the ball rolling last Friday. The House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and Procurement Reform (say that ten times fast) held a hearing called "Transparency Through Technology: Evaluating Federal Open-Government Initiatives," although the hearing focused more on spending transparency than anything else. While one would expect that an oversight hearing in the House “evaluating” the Obama administration’s transparency efforts would be contentious, the most surprising aspect of the hearing was that it wasn’t.
Get Ready for a Lot More Information on Government Performance
Dec 23, 2010 by Gavin Baker
The Government Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Performance Improvement Act, now awaiting President Obama's signature, will significantly expand the amount of information available to the public about government performance.
read in fullWhite House’s Long-Awaited Scientific Integrity Plan Released
Dec 17, 2010 by Matthew Madia
White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director John Holdren issued a memo to executive branch agencies today that could improve scientific integrity in the federal government. "The memo is a sign of relief for federal scientists who are unsure of their rights and whose work is too susceptible to manipulation," said Gary D. Bass, Executive Director of OMB Watch.
read in fullThree Months Later, Missing "Oil Budget" Methodology Released
Nov 23, 2010 by Gavin Baker
The government responders to the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill today released its report on the "oil budget" tool used to calculate what happened to the spilled oil. Unlike the version of the report released on Aug. 4, this one comes peer-reviewed and with methodology.
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