The New and Improved Recovery.gov?

Monday, September 28, 2009 11:58 AM

Today, the overhauled version of Recovery.gov went live. While not complete yet, as recipient reports aren't due until later in October, we're getting a glimpse into what the $18 million overhaul has given us, but so far - and that probably won't change until we see more of the recipient data - we are not overly impressed.

While aesthetically pleasing, the website currently offers little more detail than its previous iteration. As far as we can tell, you're getting a little more detail on specific projects, and it allows you to see where the projects are according to congressional district, but the site still doesn’t give anything beyond a basic level of detail.

But even when the recipient data is loaded, we think fundamental issues will remain. For one, recipients are required on the number of jobs "created and retained." We've explained before how fuzzy the math on this is, and we're afraid this is an area where alleged 'transparency' will turn into spin.

Another problem continues to be the fact that the track goes cold after the first sub-tier. The Denver Post picked up on the issue this weekend:

But despite federal lawmakers' pledge of transparency, the final stages of most money trails, along with key information about job impacts, will remain invisible to users of the Recovery.org website when it debuts next month.

Only details of a stimulus grant's passage through its first two stops after it leaves the federal government must be reported, according to guidance memos from the White House Office of Management and Budget.

That means billions of dollars will be untrackable and thousands of recipients will be left unidentified through the database, officials acknowledge.

"That isn't transparent, and that's the primary concern," said Craig Jennings, senior policy analyst for OMB Watch, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank examining stimulus spending.

"You basically lose track of billions of dollars, and in many cases there will be a whole lot of interesting connections at the sub, sub levels of funding missed," he said. "These are levels that need oversight to prevent waste, fraud and abuse."

So, while the jury is still out on the complete overhaul, the prospects for full, spin-free transparency are not overly great.

Tags: Transparency FederalSpending Federal | Comments (1)

Reader Comments: