GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
OFFICE OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS

Open Government Report 2014

To institutionalize a culture of transparent and open government, accountability, and to
expand opportunities for resident participation and collaboration, this Report describes
how the Office of Boards and Commissions (OBC) has and will continue to develop and
enhance transparency, public participation, and collaboration. In accordance with
Mayor’s Order 2014-170, this report addresses the following topics:
1)

Transparency
OBC has taken the following steps to increase transparency with the public
utilizing the updated OBC website:

2)



Provide public notification of the names of all current boards and
commissions for the District;



Provide public notification of the legal authority for each board and
commission;



Provide links to the D.C. Official Code and the D.C. Register, D.C.
Municipal Regulations and Mayor’s Orders; and



Provide a publicly available interactive listing of all Board Points of
Contact (POCs) along with websites for the boards and commissions.

Public Engagement and Participation
OBC has taken the following steps to encourage public engagement and
participation with the District’s boards and commissions:


Advertise a public listing of all boards and commissions that require
Council confirmation and links to the Council’s website to track
nominations;



Advertise a public listing of boards and commissions that do not require
Council confirmation (Direct Mayoral Appointments);



Provide an interactive and user-friendly OBC application (for new and
returning applicants) that is publicly available online and also made
available in multiple formats (Hardcopy, Word and PDF). OBC can send
applications through USPS or fax when requested;
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3)



Publish a monthly Vacancy List on the OBC website, which tells the
public how many and what types of seats are available on each District
board or commission. The Vacancy List is available in multiple formats
(Hardcopy, Excel and PDF);



Provide notification about open Consumer Seats, which are primarily on
the District’s health licensing or occupational licensing boards and
commissions on the OBC website;



Provide public notification of new boards and commissions and boards
and commissions that have ended their work on the OBC website;



Provide public notification of the Open Meetings Act, along with contact
information to the Office of Open Government, and the Hatch Act
requirements that apply to board and commission members on the OBC
website; and



Communicate with members of the public through electronic mail,
telephone calls, or in-person interactions regarding the District’s boards
and commissions to encourage individuals to apply to District boards and
commissions and to answer questions members of the public may have.

Collaboration
OBC collaborates with other District agencies on a daily basis to determine if there
are any vacancies on the District’s boards and commissions that need to be filled and
relies on the agencies’ knowledge in recruiting new members to the District’s boards
and commissions. OBC is always developing plans to reach residents in the District
who have specific skillsets. OBC will try to develop the capacity to send monthly or
quarterly newsletters directly to Occupational and Health licensed DC residents
and/or associations in the District when looking for residents with specific skillsets.
OBC would also like to collaborate even closer with the Board of Ethics and
Government Accountability’s (BEGA) Office of Open Government to ensure that all
of the District’s boards and commissions comply with the Open Meetings Act by
holding joint workshops and/or seminars and to streamline information of the
District’s boards and commissions for public use.

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