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PRESS RELEASE
Edward Pound | Director of Communications 202.254.7930 edward.pound@ratb.gov Cheryl Arvidson | Assistant Director of Communications 202.254.7910 cheryl.arvidson@ratb.gov

BREAKING NEWS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 17, 2011

Devaney: New Technologies Improve Transparency and Accountability

WASHINGTON In his fourth column on the lessons he has learned as Chairman of the Recovery Board, Earl E. Devaney explains how new technologies play a vital role in delivering transparency and accountability to taxpayers. He said that cloud computing and geospatial mapping have been essential to the success of Recovery.gov, the website managed by the Recovery Board. Innovative technologies, he said, have produced a more open government that provides vital information to taxpayers and prevents misuse of Recovery funds. The text of the Chairmans Corner column, posted on Recovery.gov, follows: Good government can mean a lot of different things to different people but to the 13-member Recovery Board the idea pretty much boils down to this: Are we delivering the services that you, the taxpayers, expect us to deliver? In our case, those services are transparency and accountability. That means we must track spending by Recovery Act recipients and post clear data on Recovery.gov while providing robust oversight so that your money isnt stolen or mismanaged. Meeting those objectives takes a dedicated staff, the ability to think ahead, and a willingness to use and adapt new technologies available in todays ever-changing Internet world. Which brings me to the point of this essay on one of the lessons I have learned: New technologiesspecifically cloud computing and geospatial mappingplay a critical role in delivering transparency and accountability. That lesson became readily apparent to me and the other Inspectors General on the Recovery Board while we were developing version 2.0 of Recovery.gov in the summer of 2009. We began studying the benefits of the cloud and also met with outside experts on geospatial mapping. After a thorough review by our crack technical team, Recovery.gov became the first government-wide enterprise to move to the cloud infrastructure in April 2010. Cloud efficiencies saved taxpayers a bundle. As resources also were freed up, the Board was able to focus more intently on delivering rich data. Security for Recovery.gov was also enhanced, and we were able to redirect computer equipment and software to the accountability program, allowing for improved oversight of recipient spending. (more)
The Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board was created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to oversee the expenditure of Recovery funds and bring transparency and accountability to the process. The Board consists of a chairman, Earl E. Devaney, and 12 federal Inspectors General. The Board runs the Recovery.gov website that provides information on the Recovery initiatives and spearheads an accountability effort that involves both federal and state investigators and enforcement officials.

PRESS RELEASE | October 17, 2011

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Page Two Meanwhile, geospatial mapping has proven to be a big plus for the Boards transparency efforts, drawing widespread applause from users of Recovery.gov. These maps display Recovery award and spending data in a multitude of ways that greatly enhance the user experience. Visit our Map Gallery and youll see what I mean. The interactive comparison maps allow users to compare Recovery spending with specific areas of needs. For instance, you can compare where Recovery funds have gone with a map of unemployment. Want to compare the amount of COPS funding for community policing with the crime rate index? Its all right there in the Map Gallery. Its also easy to find projects in your own neighborhood. Just enter your zip code on the home page and after the map pops up on your screen, click on one of the dots representing an award and find the name of the recipient, the amount of the award, the project status, and the number of jobs funded. The Board is not standing pat. There will be more improvements to the website before the end of the year, including a redesigned home page that will be more user-friendly. We also are holding a national online dialogue seeking the best ideas on new technologies and strategies that we could develop or utilize to do an even better job of preventing waste, fraud and mismanagement in the Recovery program. Ive always been a major proponent of transparency and accountability in government. Innovative technologies used by the Board have produced a more open government that gives you vital information and protects your tax dollars.

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PRESS RELEASE | October 17, 2011