What is open government?: one year after the directive

In response to President Obama's Open Government Directive, federal agencies developed plans to instill the principles of transparency, collaboration, and participation into their engagement with the public. Against the question, "what is open government?," the authors reviewed the prevailing literature and the agency plans to identify a set of discrete lenses and objectives that align with the Directive's principles. The lenses and objectives are then assessed for their policy implications, intended outcomes, and implementation challenges. This analysis is synthesized into a framework that will support future fieldwork to identify and construct best-practice tools and guidance that help agencies go beyond baseline compliance and apply the Directive as a tool for mission success. We conclude with a discussion on the factors and conditions for the sustainment of the Open Government movement.