Open government, part of a global alliance, promotes transparency and empowers the public through participation and collaboration. The goal is to create a more inclusive, responsive, and accountable government.
- Learn more about the U.S. Open Government initiative.
On this page:
Open Data
Open data means making government data available and accessible to the public to encourage collaboration and innovation.
HealthData.gov
HHS provides open access to health information and health datasets generated or held by the U.S. government.
- Explore HealthData.gov.
Health IT Data
Health IT Data provides access to analysis, reporting, and datasets that monitor health information technology trends.
Plans and Policies
The resources below help us achieve our open government goals by making public some of the inner workings of HHS.
HHS Strategic Plan
Every four years, HHS updates its strategic plan. The plan defines our mission, goals, and how we will measure progress in addressing specific national problems over a four-year period.
- Read the HHS Strategic Plan.
Public Access
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has directed all federal research agencies with more than $100 million in annual research and development expenditures to develop plans to make the results of taxpayer-supported research immediately available to the American public at no cost.
- Learn more about public access plans.
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) gives individuals the right to request access to federal agency records. FOIA is a critical part of open government that encourages accountability through transparency.
- Learn more about FOIA and how to submit a FOIA request from HHS.
Records Management
Proper records management is the backbone of open government. Records management describes how agencies maintain their records that document their activities, file records for safe storage and efficient retrieval, and dispose of records according to agency schedules.
- Read the HHS Policy on Records Management.
Regulatory Review
HHS reviews existing regulations to eliminate those that are unnecessary and burdensome. Or we may modify existing regulations to increase their effectiveness and flexibility.
- Learn about our regulatory review progress.
Language Access Plans
HHS provides access to HHS programs and activities for persons with limited English proficiency.
- Read the HHS Language Access Plans.
HHS Sustainability
HHS outlines its path towards sustainable operation and efficiency with reduction goals to cut consumption and emissions, while increasing productivity and transparency.
- Learn more about Sustainability at HHS.
Privacy Policy
This privacy policy describes what information HHS collects from you when you visit our websites and how we handle that information. We use these to measure and analyze usage or to customize the user’s experience.
- Read the HHS.gov Privacy Policy.
Plain Writing
Clear writing is essential to transparency, public participation, and collaboration.
- Learn about plain writing at HHS.
Scientific Integrity
HHS has policies and principles to ensure the integrity of scientific and scholarly activities that the Department conducts and supports and the science it uses to inform management and public policy decisions.
- Read about scientific integrity at HHS.
- Learn about human research protections.
Budget and Reports
These are resources about the Department’s budget and reports on certain spending activities.
Budget and Performance
HHS ensures the transparent preparation and execution of our budget by making the following resources available:
- Budget and Performance at HHS
- HHS Open Government Financial Data Quality Plan
- HHS Inspector General Audits
- Performance.gov
Prevention and Public Health Fund
Congress has directed HHS to provide information on activities and programs supported with resources from the Prevention and Public Health Fund.
- Learn about Prevention and Public Health Fund activities.
Conference Spending Reports
Every year HHS publishes a conference spending report with information about conferences held by HHS where costs exceed $100,000.
- Read the conference spending reports.