The ÂOpen Government Citizen Engagement is a response to the Open Government Directive, which was issued on December 8, 2009 by the Director of OMB. This directive asked that executive departments and agencies take specific actions to implement the principles of transparency, participation and collaboration, as set forth in the PresidentÂs January 21, 2009 Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government. GSA is creating an Open Government Citizen Engagement tool, an online collaboration tool powered by IdeaScale, as one example of methods for agencies to use in extensively engaging the public. The Open Government Citizen Engagement will allow the public to weigh in on their support for agency and public ideas, comments, suggestions, data sets, and the like, and allow agencies to engage with the public via Ratings, Rankings and Flaggings. The goal is to allow the public to rate and rank open-ended, general questions, comments and suggestions. Tools that allow rating, ranking and flagging (for example, many blogs, ideation, challenge grant platforms, and other social media tools) can be used across government. This information collection request for an emergency clearance is being submitted in order to fulfill the public engagement aspects of the Open Government initiative, and to allow all agencies to use this and similar rating, ranking, voting and flagging tools in this exercise and other exercises and meet the goals of Open Government.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.