News release, PEER: “A ranking of agencies’ Open Government Plans compiled in an independent audit reveals the strongest and weakest agency plans, with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at the top of the list and the Department of Justice (DOJ) at the bottom. Significantly, the audit found that key agencies assigned to oversee government openness efforts, particularly the President’s own Office of Management & Budget and DOJ, failed to produce strong Open Government Plans themselves. The audit was organized by OpenTheGovernment.org and conducted by volunteers from nonprofit public interest groups, including Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), which have experience working with the agencies and evaluating their information policies. The Obama administration’s December 8, 2009, Open Government Directive (OGD) required executive agencies to develop and post Open Government Plans by April 7, 2010. The OGD specified elements related to transparency, participation, and collaboration that must be included in the plans. The audit rated the extent to which agencies met the administration’s standards as spelled out in the OGD and allowed bonus points for actions that went beyond the OGD minimum.”