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 supplement their existing FOIA processing capabilities with a wide variety of contract services, including contractor-supplied software, hardware, storage capability, and personnel, to assist agencies in response to unexpected spikes in incoming FOIA requests. Under a revised contract, agencies that experience a sudden increase in FOIA requests, prompted by a natural disaster or some other external event, could use a revised Schedule 36 contract to supplement their capacity to process FOIA requests. Agencies facing large FOIA backlogs could do the same.

Finally, and not least of all, agencies will continue to make proactive disclosures of information, review their FOIA guidelines as appropriate, further implement reforms to the process by which they administer FOIA requests, and continue their efforts to reduce FOIA backlogs. Thus will agencies build upon their ongoing efforts to provide greater disclosure through FOIA.

Open Government Agency Plan Implementation

Agencies will also continue to implement their Open Government Plans, many of which contemplate phased implementation. In concrete terms, continued implementation of agency Open Government Plans means agencies will continue to disclose information to the public, identify new opportunities for public participation in agency decision-making, and solicit collaboration with those outside government to address challenges agencies face. For example, agencies that have not already posted their congressional testimony and required reports to Congress as part of their Open Government Plans will do so during 2011. Similarly, agencies that have not already posted organizational agency directories, so that ordinary citizens might better navigate their government, will do so during 2011. In addition, agencies will also continue to implement the marquee "flagship" initiatives they identified in 2010 during the development stage of their Open Government Plans.

In the course of implementing their Open Government Plans, agencies will also assess their own progress in 2011, specifically by tracking their implementation against the elements of plans specified by the Open Government Directive. They will do so by considering whether the milestones they anticipated during the development of their plans are being met on schedule, and will adjust their efforts to ensure that realistic milestones can be reached on the timetables agencies anticipated. Given that agencies' Open Government Plans explicitly seek public feedback, the implementation and evolution of agency plans will reflect the already dynamic nature of agency Plans. Finally, agencies will also facilitate evaluation of the implementation phase of their Plans by outside experts as well.

More Open Innovation: New Uses for Government Data

Agencies will continue to build on their efforts to disclose government information in accessible and useful forms. Data.gov is developing and housing additional subject matter communities, such as the recently launched community of energy data. There, citizens can find information on the energy activities of Federal agencies, learn more about how energy is produced in the U.S. or in a local area, and discover tools for becoming more energy-efficient. In addition, agencies will work to expand the Blue Button capability into areas beyond personal health information. The federal CTO will continue to work with innovators and the R&D community to develop long-term strategies for open government's lasting success.