Roadmap for Open Science (Canada)

The objective of the Roadmap for Open Science is to provide overarching principles and recommendations to guide Open Science* activities in Canada. The recommendations are intended for science and research funded by federal government departments and agencies. The Roadmap for Open Science was developed in the context of the Directive on Open Government, the Model Policy on Scientific Integrity and the Data Strategy Roadmap for the Federal Public Service. It builds on the Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications and the Statement of Principles on Digital Data Management. A federal approach to supporting Indigenous data strategies is outlined in the Data Strategy Roadmap for the Federal Public Service, Recommendation 8. For this reason, Indigenous knowledge and rights to self-determination are not explicitly covered in this roadmap and its recommendations. 1. PEOPLE: Open Science is a shared commitment between all stakeholders. The scientific community is integral to Open Science and needs to be meaningfully engaged at every stage of the process, including the design, implementation and evaluation of its effectiveness and impact. 2. TRANSPARENCY: Scientific research outputs are “Open by Design and by Default”; they are “FAIR”, i.e. Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable. Withholding scientific research outputs requires a valid reason consistent with a framework (to be developed) on which scientific information will be kept private or confidential. 3. INCLUSIVENESS: In achieving Open Science, diverse and inclusive approaches are used, reflecting the breadth of perspectives across scientific communities and knowledge systems. 4. COLLABORATION: Open Science enables collaborations between and among intramural and extramural science communities, within Canada and globally. 5. SUSTAINABILITY: The practice of Open Science requires a sustainable approach with concrete steps forward and the commitment necessary to achieve the long-term vision

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA): Background, Legislation, and Policy Issues

[Excerpt] The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA; 5 U.S.C. §552) allows any person—individual or corporate, citizen or not—to request and obtain, without explanation or justification, existing, identifiable, and unpublished agency records on any topic. Pursuant to FOIA, the public has presumptive access to agency records unless the material falls within any of FOIA’s nine categories of exception. Disputes over the release of records requested pursuant to FOIA can be appealed administratively, resolved through mediation, or heard in court. This report provides background on FOIA, discusses the categories of records FOIA exempts from public release, and analyzes statistics on FOIA administration. The report also provides background on several legal and policy issues related to FOIA, including the release of controversial records, the growth in use of certain FOIA exemptions, and the adoption of new technologies to improve FOIA administration. The report concludes with an examination of potential FOIA-related policy options for the 113th Congress

A guide to implementing cloud services

The Australian Government’s policy on cloud computing is that agencies may choose to use cloud computing services where they provide value for money and adequate security, as stated in the April 2011 Australian Government Cloud Computing Strategic Direction Paper1 (the Strategic Direction Paper).   Readers new to cloud computing should read the Strategic Direction Paper which provides an introduction to cloud computing, a definition and an overview of its associated risks and benefits as they apply to Australian Government agencies. The guide supports the Strategic Direction Paper and provides an overarching risk-based approach for agencies to develop an organisational cloud strategy and implement cloud-based services. It is designed as an aid for experienced business strategists, architects, project managers, business analysts and IT staff to realise the benefits of cloud computing technology while managing risks

The present state of legislative theory and a proposal for remedying its sad condition

Draft document from the Seidman's Legislative Theory course at Boston University about the current state of legislative theory and recommendations on how to improve this process

Emergency Management Training and Exercises for Transportation Agency Operations, MTI Report 09-17

Training and exercises are an important part of emergency management. Plans are developed based on threat assessment, but they are not useful unless staff members are trained on how to use the plan, and then practice that training. Exercises are also essential for ensuring that the plan is effective, and outcomes from exercises are used to improve the plan. Exercises have been an important part of gauging the preparedness of response organizations since Civil Defense days when full-scale exercises often included the community. Today there are various types of exercises that can be used to evaluate the preparedness of public agencies and communities: seminars, drills, tabletop exercises, functional exercises, facilitated exercises and full-scale exercises. Police and fire agencies have long used drills and full-scale exercises to evaluate the ability of staff to use equipment, protocols and plans. Transit and transportation agencies have seldom been included in these plans, and have little guidance for their participation in the exercises. A research plan was designed to determine whether urban transit systems are holding exercises, and whether they have the training and guidance documents that they need to be successful. The main research question was whether there was a need for a practical handbook to guide the development of transit system exercises

Building Place-Based Initiatives for Boys and Men of Color and Vulnerable Populations: A Community Planning Guide

This guide provides information about how communities can implement the next phase of achieving priority outcomes for boys and men of color. It focuses on two critical areas of work: 1) how to conduct a policy review and formulate recommendations for action and 2) how to develop an action plan. The following sections contain specific guidelines for taking these next steps. In addition, the appendices include a template for organizing the policy review and suggested components of the action plan

The State of Adaptation in the United States: An Overview

Over the past two decades the adaptation landscape has changed dramatically. From its early days as a vague theoretical concept, which was often viewed as a threat to advocating for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, it has developed into a widely, albeit not universally, recognized governmental mandate to reduce societal vulnerability to climate change. While it is important to appreciate the progress that we are making on this issue, it is impossible to ignore the urgent need to do more. Smart investment can be made by reflecting on what is already underway in order to determine where to build on existing efforts and where to innovate new approaches to fill the gaps in the path forward. In this report we provide illustrative examples of the variety of work on climate change adaptation that is underway in the United States. This is by no means an exhaustive survey of the field; however it does provide insight into the dominant focus of work to date, the resultant gaps, and the opportunities available for advancing this essential aspect of sustainability. We focus on four areas of activity -- agriculture, natural resources, human communities, and policy. The general trends relevant to these sectors can be applied more broadly to other sectors and countries. Adaptation can be thought of as a cycle of activities that ultimately -- if successful -- reduces vulnerability to climate change. This process starts with identifying the impacts of climate change to determine the types of problems climate change might pose. This includes all of the research on the causes and the global, regional, and local manifestations of climate change, often referred to as impacts assessments

A Framework for Integrating Transportation Into Smart Cities

In recent years, economic, environmental, and political forces have quickly given rise to “Smart Cities” -- an array of strategies that can transform transportation in cities. Using a multi-method approach to research and develop a framework for smart cities, this study provides a framework that can be employed to: Understand what a smart city is and how to replicate smart city successes; The role of pilot projects, metrics, and evaluations to test, implement, and replicate strategies; and Understand the role of shared micromobility, big data, and other key issues impacting communities. This research provides recommendations for policy and professional practice as it relates to integrating transportation into smart cities