Public views agency websites as transparent, collaborative

An index that measures citizens' perceptions of the transparency of federal websites increased slightly in the past quarter, with the Defense Department showing one of the highest percentage jumps in its score.

The index score for defense.gov rose 5 percent from a 75 in December 2009 to a 79 in March, according to ForeSee Results, the market research firm that conducted the assessment. Defense's rating likely increased because the department reworked its site in December 2009, said Larry Freed, president and chief executive officer of ForeSee. He noted the left-hand side of the site now offers social networking tools that people can use to connect with Defense on popular commercial sites such as Facebook and Google Buzz. "I think the significant change and the appearance of open communication between Defense and its visitors really increased perceptions of transparency," Freed said. "It really points to a really successful relaunch and redesign."