Agencies face problems with opening up government: report

Federal agencies face numerous significant hurdles in implementing open government programs that include a lack of resources, organizational roadblocks and legal, contractual, procurement and policy problems, according to a new report from the IBM Center for the Business of Government.

Although agencies are moving toward engagement and transparency, little research is available to guide them, writes Gwanhoo Lee, associate professor of business at American University, and Young Hoon Kwak, associate professor of business at George Washington University, in their report. Along with identifying hurdles to open government, the report makes 13 recommendations, and examines four agencies at various stages of implementation.