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Department)of)the)Treasury’s)Open)Government)

Highlights)from)First)Year

The"Department"of"the"Treasury"continues"to"move"forward"implementing"initiatives"and"activities"from"

our"Open"Government"Plan"first"released"in"2010.""Following"are"some"of"the"key highlights"reflecting"

the"Department’s"achievements during"2010.

Transparency

The"Department"of"the"Treasury"strongly"supports"increased"transparency"in"government"and"has"made"

great"strides"in"advancing"transparency"and"open"government"principles.""Treasury"has"particularly"

increased"proactive"disclosure"of"information"regarding"the"historic"economic"and"financial"stability"

activities"undertaken"over"the"past"several"years.""An"unprecedented"amount"of"data"and"information"is"

being"made"available"via a"number"of"websites"such"as"Treasury.gov,"Data.gov,"FinancialStability.gov,"

MakingHomeAffordable.gov,"USAspending.gov,"Recovery.gov,"and"many"others.""Other"examples"

include"the"proactive"publication"of"senior"officials’"calendars,"such"as"for"the"Secretary’s and"Consumer"

Financial"Protection"Bureau"(CFPB)"implementation"team’s"activities."""

One"visible"sign"of"successfully"moving"Treasury"towards"a"culture"of"transparency"and"openness"is the"

transparency"of"the"Department’s"activities"in"standing"up"programs"created"by the"DoddOFrank"Wall"

Street"Reform"and"Consumer"Protection"Act"of"2010.""This"comprehensive"financial"reform"legislation"is"

of"significant"interest"to"the"public,"and"Treasury’s policies and"practices"underscore a commitment to"

implementing"DoddOFrank"in"an"open"and"transparent"manner.""Treasury"proactively"discloses"meetings"

with"private"sector"individuals"or"entities"and"nongovernmental"organizations set"up"for"the"purpose"of"

discussing"policy"implementation"of"the"DoddOFrank"Act."""This"disclosure"policy"applies"to"inOperson"

meetings"with"employees"in"the"Treasury"Departmental"Offices"at"the"level of"Deputy"Assistant"

Secretary"or"higher,"including"Counselors"to"the"Secretary"and"Special"Advisors"to"the"Secretary.

Meeting"disclosures"are"posted"to"the"Department’s"FOIA"reading"room"and"include"information"such"

as:""the"date"of"the"meeting,"names"of"all"covered"Treasury"participants,"names"and"affiliations"of"all"

nonOTreasury"participants,"and"a"list"of"the"primary"topics"of"conversation"related"to"DoddOFrank"

implementation."

Treasury"also"hosted"the"first"of"several meetings"of"the"Financial"Stability"Oversight"Council."" As"

established"under"the"DoddOFrank"Act,"the"Council"will"provide comprehensive"monitoring"to"ensure"the"

stability"of"our"nation's"financial"system."The"Council"is"charged"with"identifying"threats"to"the"financial"

stability"of"the"United"States;"promoting"market"discipline;"and"responding"to"emerging"risks"to"the"

stability"of"the"United"States"financial"system." These"meetings were"streamed"live"on"the"Treasury"

website"and"documents"such"as"the"Council’s"bylaws"were"posted"immediately"after"being"adopted in"

the"meetings.

The"Department’s"approach"to"improve"FOIA"processing"efficiencies"while"disclosing"as"much"

information"as"feasible"is"reflected"in"the"29%"reduction"of"the"Department’s Freedom"of"Information"

Act"(FOIA) requests backlog in"FY10."Measures"to"increase transparency"include the"IRS’"launch"of"an"

external,"publicOfacing"IRS.gov"website,"which"provides"avenues"for"the"public,"tax"practitioners"and"

other"stakeholders"to"participate"in"the"IRS"decisionOmaking"process"and"collaborate"with"IRS"and"its"

partners"to"improve"operations.""The"IRS"is"making"it"easy"for"the"public"to"take"part"in"Open"

Government"by"providing"more"meaningful"and"easyOtoOfind"information"about"how"the"IRS"works,"
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soliciting"ideas"to"help"develop"effective"policy,"and"partnering"with"other"government"agencies"and"

private"institutions.""The"use"of"social"media"has"also"expanded:""IRS"runs"four"YouTube"channels"with"

over"300"videos"posted"on"a"wide"variety"of"topics"intended"to"inform"the"public"about"IRS"and"tax"laws"

and"procedures. These"videos"are"produced"in"English,"Spanish, and"American"Sign"Language,"and"have"

received"well"over"one"million"views.

In"December,"2010,"Treasury"launched"the"redesigned"Treasury.gov"website"and, for"the"first"time,"an

official"blog,"“Treasury"Notes.” The goal"was"not just"to"make"the"site"look"better,"but"also"to"make"

improvements"that"citizens"were"looking"for"at"Treasury.gov. Treasury used"feedback"from"site"visitors,"

usability"tests,"focus"groups,"and"website"traffic"logs"to"figure"out"how"to better"serve"users. For"

example,"site"visitors"noted"that the"old"site had"a"wealth"of"raw"data"but"that"it"was"unintelligible"to"

citizens"looking"for"answers,"so"we"created"data"visualizations to"increase"accessibility. To make"the"site"

more"costOefficient, Treasury moved"the hosting"structure"to"the"“cloud,”"which will"save"taxpayer"

money. To"expand"our"dialogue"with"the"public,"Treasury"also"integrated"its accounts"on"Facebook,"

Twitter, MySpace,"Flickr and"YouTube." The"new"Treasury.gov"is"allows users to easily"find"information"

published"by"the"Department"and"its"bureaus"and"to"learn"about"Treasury"programs."“Treasury"Notes”

was"created as a"place"where"senior"officials"and"staff"throughout"the"Department"and"bureaus"will"post"

news,"announcements, and"information"so"visitors"to"our"website can"learn"more"about"the"Department

and"the"work"done at"Treasury"– a"key"step"forward"in"an"ongoing"effort"to"enhance"the"way"Treasury"

communicates"and"interacts"with"the"public.

Participation

Treasury continues"to"elicit"innovative"ideas"for"promoting"openness"and"transparency,"including"the"

launch"of"a""Road"Show""on"open"government"to"communicate"the"plan,"activities,"and"key"principles"of"

open"government"to"all"Treasury"bureaus.""These"sessions"are"being"conducted"at"various"bureaus’"

senior"leadership"team meetings.""The"“Road"Show”"was"also"presented"at"the"opening"session"for"

Records"and"Information"Management"Month"(RIMM)"activities"at"the"Department"and"was"well"

attended"by"representatives"from"Treasury"bureaus"and"other"government"agencies.

The"Bureau"of"the"Public"Debt"(BPD) launched"an"Enterprise"wiki"on"September"30,"2010, to"increase"

collaboration"within"Public"Debt"by"providing document"sharing,"blogs"by"senior"executives, and"

information"on"the"Bureau’s"history.""The"Public"Debt"History"Center"keeps"track"of"items"of"historical"

significance"and"allows employees"to add"items.""A"blog"by"BPD’s"Commissioner"helps"keep"employees"

informed"about"BPD events.""

BPD"also"launched"the"TreasuryDirect"KIDS"website"in"August"2010"to"engage"children"in"grades 5"

through"7"on the"history"and"role of"debt"in"America"using"an"interactive"approach"with"videos,"games,"

quizzes,"poster"art, and"narratives.""BPD"enhanced"the"TreasuryDirect"application"to"add"entity"accounts"

and"a"new""payroll"savings"plan""module"to"make"it"easier"for"individuals"to purchase"securities"using"

funds"from"their"paychecks.""BPD"established two"Twitter"accounts"in"late"September"to"communicate"

with"a"broader"audience"O one"for"TreasuryDirect"and"one"for"Public"Debt.""A"YouTube"account"for"

TreasuryDirect"was"set"up"in"January"2011"to"provide"videos"on"opening"an"account"in"TreasuryDirect,"

Treasury"Hunt, and"other"subjects"about"Treasury"securities.

Other"efforts"to"increase"participation"include"the"implementation"of"a"series"of"open"work"sessions"with"

various"stakeholder"segments"and"the"public"to"share"information"with"the"public"regarding"their"

concerns"and"areas"of"interest.""In"this"regard,"representatives"from"the"Bureau"of"Engraving"and"

Printing"(BEP) attended"the"Josephine L."Taylor"Leadership"Institute"Conference"in"Seattle,"Washington"
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(March"11"– 12,"2011),"and"the"International"Technology"&"Persons"with"Disabilities"Conference"in"San"

Diego,"CA,"(March"14"– 19,"2011).""These"events"provided"the"opportunity"to"learn"about"technologies"

and"issues"relating"to"the"blind"and"visually"impaired,"and"created"a"forum"for"public"input"on"how"to"

make"U.S."currency"more"accessible"to"this"audience.""During"the"conference,"BEP"representatives"

listened"to"speakers"and"attended"panel"discussions"on"assistive"technology"solutions,"accessible"

technology"policies,"innovation"and"outreach,"accessible"technologies"in"retail"environments,"and"the"

use"of"social"networks"and"apps"by"those"who"are"blind"and"visually"impaired."""BEP"also"shared"test"

samples"of"potential"currency"features"with"conference"attendees, who"were"given"the"opportunity"to"

voice"their"preferences"and"ask"questions."Representatives"from"several"government"agencies"

participated"at"the"conference,"including Special"Assistant"to"the"President"on"Disability"Policy"Kareem"

Dale,"Assistant"Secretary"of"Labor"for"Disability"Employment"Policy"Kathy"Martinez,"and"representatives"

from"the"Social"Security"Administration,"Department"of"Veterans"Affairs,"Federal"Communications"

Commission,"Department"of"State,"and"the"U.S."Access"Board.

Collaboration

Treasury"conducted"a"number"of"activities"throughout"the"year"to"increase"collaboration"with"various"

stakeholders.""On"August"17,"2010,"the"Obama"Administration"held"a"Conference(on(the(Future(of(

Housing(Finance at"the"Treasury"Department"in"Washington,"D.C."This"event"provided a"forum"for"public"

input"as"the"Administration"continued its"work"developing"a"comprehensive"housing"finance"reform"

proposal"for"delivery"to"Congress." During"the"conference,"Treasury"Secretary"Tim"Geithner"and"HUD"

Secretary"Shaun"Donovan"moderated panel"discussions"with"a"diverse"group"of"experts"about"the"critical"

issues"surrounding"housing"finance"reform."These"panelists"represented a"crossOsection"of"stakeholder"

groups"with"interests"in"the"outcome"of"this"reform"process,"including"citizen"advocacy"groups,"

economists,"investors,"market"researchers,"originators,"securitizers,"servicers,"and"private"mortgage"

insurers."The"conference"was also"webcast"live"at"Treasury.gov.

On"March"29,"2010,"the"U.S."Department"of"the"Treasury,"in"partnership"with"The"White"House"Council"

on"Women"and"Girls,"convened"a"Women(in(Finance(Symposium in"celebration"of"Women's"History"

Month."The"symposium"brought"together"senior"administration"officials,"private"sector"leaders,"

university"presidents, and"women"entering"the"field"for"a"series"of"panel"discussions"to"recognize"the"

contributions"of"women"and"to"discuss"the"best"means"to"foster"success"among"future"generations"of"

women"in"the"public"and"private"finance"sectors."The"Administration"also"offered"the"opportunity"for"

students"around"the"country"to"engage"in"the"symposium"via"webcast."In"addition to"providing"insight"

about"how"each"achieved"success"in"the"world"of"finance,"symposium"panelists"answered"questions"

submitted"in"advance"from"the"next"generation"of"women"leaders." Students"and"young"professionals"

could"submit"questions"ahead"of"time"to"WomenInFinance@do.treas.gov"and"gathered"for"“watch"

parties”"to"see"their"questions"answered"live"throughout"the"symposium.

Continuing"a"series"of"outreach"meetings"with"a"variety"of"stakeholders"on"financial"reform,"Treasury"

Secretary"Tim"Geithner"hosted a"roundtable"discussion"at"the"Treasury"Department"on"March"25,"2010,

to"hear"from"military"advocacy"groups"and"Department"of"Defense"personnel"about"the"core"consumer"

protection"issues"facing"service"members"and"their"families. The"group"discussed"how"the"

Administration’s"financial"reform"and"consumer"protection"priorities"will"benefit"military"families.

On"September"21,"2010,"Secretary"Geithner"and"Elizabeth"Warren,"Assistant"to"the"President"and"Special"

Advisor"to"the"Treasury"Secretary,"hosted a"Mortgage"Disclosure"Forum"at"the"Department"of"the"

Treasury."This"forum"brought together"a"broad"range"of"stakeholders"and"experts,"including"consumer"

advocacy"groups,"housing"counselors,"financial"literacy"experts,"mortgage"company"representatives,"and"
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other"stakeholders, to"seek"their"input"on"the"steps"that"the"Consumer"Financial"Protection"Bureau"

(CFPB)"can take"to"simplify"mortgage"disclosure"forms to"provide"consumers"with the"clear"and"easyOtoO

understand"information"they"need"to"make"the"financial"choices"that"are"best"for"themselves"and"their"

families.

Treasury"continues"working"on"identifying"current"datasets"and"information"to"make"available"to"the"

public,"and"possibilities"for"partnerships"with"other"agencies"to"provide"and/or"create"complementary"

datasets"to"help"drive"economic"change.""The"Office"of"the"Comptroller"of"the"Currency"(OCC) derivatives"

dataset"was one"of"the"earlier"Treasury"datasets"made"available"on"Data.gov"beginning"with"the"4th"

quarter"of"FY08 data.""OCC"recently"made"additional"historic"quarterly"derivatives"report"information"

available"back"through"1998"in"XML"format.""This"provides"the"public"the"ability"to"do"additional"historic"

trend"analysis"of"that"data"and"is available"at"http://www.occ.gov/deriv/deriv.htm.""The"Financial"Crimes"

Enforcement"Network"(FinCEN)"has"begun"making"its"Suspicious"Activity"Report"(SAR)"data"available"on"

Data.gov.""Bureau"of"the"Public"Debt"datasets"include"a"variety"of"items"such"as"Debt"Position"and"

Activity"Report,"Federal"Borrowings"Program"Reports,"Interest"Cost"on"the"Debt"Outstanding,"and"

Marketable"Securities"and"Savings"Bonds,"to"name"a"few.""

Treasury"has"also"contributed"datasets"of"value"to"legal"professionals,"researchers,"the"business"

community,"as"well"as"the"general"public.""Datasets"posted"to"date"include"IRS"Written"Determinations,"

Internal"Revenue"Bulletins, and IRS"Actions"on"Decisions.""Treasury’s"recently"redesigned"public"website"

at"www.treasury.gov also"includes"a Data"Center"which"offers"visitors"raw"data,"graphs,"and"charts"on"

topics"ranging"from"Treasury"interest"rates"to"the"Recovery"Act"to"the"International"Capital"System.

Flagship)Initiative

Treasury"has"made"progress"on"a"number"of"activities"that"support"our"Flagship"Initiative,"Moving(to(a(

Paperless(Treasury,"which"is"designed"to"improve"the"public's"experience"interacting"with"Treasury"while"

effecting"operational"efficiencies"of"several"key"Treasury"activities.""These"activities"range"from"

disbursement"and"collection"of"select"federal"government"payments"and"receipts to"improving"

electronic"tax"return"filing"capabilities.""

On"September"30,"2010,"the"Bureau"of"the"Public"Debt"(BPD)"ended"issuance"of"paper"savings"bonds"

through"employerOsponsored"payroll"savings"plans"for"federal"employees"and"on"December"31,"2010 for"

all"others.""Payroll"savers"have"been"encouraged"to"open"a"TreasuryDirect"account"through the"new"

"Payroll"Savings"Plan""module"to"buy"electronic"savings"bonds.""BPD"carried"out"a"comprehensive"public"

awareness"campaign"to"raise"awareness"about"TreasuryDirect"using"ads"in"publications,"radio"PSAs,"

online"web"banners"and"search"engine"marketing targeting HR"and"payroll"administrators,"federal,"state"

and"local"government"employees,"military"and"labor unions, and"the"general"public.""BPD"will"conduct"

additional"efforts"to"make"investors"aware"of"TreasuryDirect"for"purchasing"electronic"Treasury"

securities."""

Treasury"is"moving"forward"with"implementing"Enterprise"(Electronic)"Content"Management"(ECM)"at"

the"Department"to"facilitate"the"use"of"newer"collaboration"technologies"to"support"more"paperless"

workflows"and"implement"electronic"recordkeeping"capability"in"key"areas.""One"such"example"is"the"

development"of"onOline"capability"to"file"FOIA"requests, which"is"expected"to"launch"by"May"2011.