[open-government] US Government Accountability and Transparency Board Seek Input on Federal Spending Info

[Steven Clift]

Hat tip to OpenTheGovernment.org.

A request for comments is below. I assume you can provide comment
without asking to attend. (This seems like a case where the Federal
government should have an online platform for gathering input!!). -
Steve


About US Government Accountability and Transparency Board:
http://www.recovery.gov/about/Pages/gatb.aspx

Fed register:
https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/12/20/2013-30283/notification-of-a-public-meeting-of-the-government-accountability-and-transparency-board

...

Background: The Government Accountability and Transparency Board's
mandate appears in Executive Order 13576 (June 13, 2011), which in
short states that the Board shall:

Provide strategic direction for enhancing transparency of federal
spending and advance efforts to detect and remediate fraud, waste, and
abuse in federal programs; and

Work with the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board (RATB) to
build on lessons learned and apply the approaches developed by the
RATB across federal spending.

Agenda: The purpose of the January 22, 2014 meeting is to allow the
public to make presentations to the GAT Board regarding accountability
and transparency for federal expenditures made through contracts and
grants.

The GAT Board Chairman will make a brief opening statement. The rest
of the meeting will feature presentations by members of the public on
the following:

1. Who do you represent?

2. What questions are you trying to answer with federal spending information?

3. What federal spending information do you need to answer these questions?

4. Where do you find that federal spending information now?

5. Where does federal spending information need clearer instructions
or explanations?

6. What suggestions do you have for prioritizing federal spending
information enhancements?

The GAT Board is collecting this information at the meeting for
strategic advisory purposes, to help the Board in developing its
annual plan (Calendar Year 2014 Way Forward document). Note that the
Board is not a decision-making body, nor does it have funding and
staff. The Board provides strategic advice to interagency working
groups.

Procedures for notifying the Board of attendance: Persons wishing to
attend the meeting should email their names and represented
organization (or indicate “self”) to federaltransparency at ratb.gov and
write “January 22, 2014 GAT Board RSVP” in the subject line.

Street Address: You may submit your RSVP by mail to 1717 Pennsylvania
Avenue NW., Suite 700, Washington, DC 20006. “GAT Board public meeting
RSVP” should be written on the envelope.

Procedures for submitting public comments or presentation materials:
In addition to notifying the Board of attendance, persons wishing to
present to the GAT Board at the meeting should email their written
comments and/orpresentation materials to federaltransparency at ratb.gov
and write “January 22, 2014 GAT Board public comment” in the subject
line. Provide these written comments or presentation materials on the
six topics listed above at least one week prior to the meeting (no
later than January 15, 2014).

Street Address: You may submit written comments or presentation
materials by mail to 1717 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Suite 700,
Washington, DC 20006. “GAT Board public meeting comments” should be
written on the envelope.

Presentations: The GAT Board will provide the necessary visual
equipment to project the submitted presentations to the audience the
day of the meeting. Hard copies will not be provided.

Space and Time Limitations: There will be limited space for this
meeting; therefore, members of the public who have submitted written
comments and/or signed up in advance to make presentations will be
given priority in attending this meeting and speaking to the GAT
Board. Other members of the public will be admitted and heard in the
order in which they sign up, time permitting. A time limit of no more
than 20 minutes each (followed by a 10 minute question and answer
session) will be placed on those members of the public wishing to
speak at the meeting. The GAT Board will make every effort to hear the
views of all interested persons. The Chairperson of the GAT Board is
empowered to conduct the meeting in a fashion that will, to the
Chairperson's judgment, facilitate the orderly conduct of business.

Meeting Record: The submitted presentations will be the only record of
the meeting and will be posted on the GAT Board Web site after the
public meeting.

Arrival: Interested parties are encouraged to arrive at least 30
minutes early to accommodate security procedures. A valid
government-issued photo identification card will be required to enter
the building.

Special Accommodations: The public meeting is physically accessible to
people with disabilities. Request for sign language interpretation or
other auxiliary aids should be directed to Ms. Nancy DiPaolo, Chief,
Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs, Recovery Board, 1717
Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Suite 700, Washington, DC 20006; Telephone
202-254-7900, at least 5 working days prior to the meeting date.

Availability of background materials for the meeting: Several
documents available on the Board's Web site provide information on GAT
Board activities during Calendar Year 2013 (see
http://www.federaltransparency.gov/about/Pages/gatb.aspx):

The GAT Board's annual plan (Calendar Year 2013 Way Forward document),
which contains the Board's long-term strategy and the near-term focus
of working groups to develop approaches to (1) standardize key data
elements to improve procurement data integrity; (2) standardize key
data elements to improve grants data integrity; (3) leverage existing
data to help improve oversight; and (4) link financial management
systems with award systems.
Progress made in Calendar Year 2013. The Calendar Year 2013 meeting
minutes of the GAT Board contain information on progress made,
including the GAT Board working groups' briefings.

Dated: December 16, 2013.

Anne Rung,

Associate Administrator, Office of Government-wide Policy, General
Services Administration.



Steven Clift - http://stevenclift.com
  Executive Director - http://E-Democracy.org
  Twitter: http://twitter.com/democracy
  Tel/Text: +1.612.234.7072