The state of Oregon has launched its new Oregon Transparency Website, which provides information and resources on public meetings, public records, state salaries, revenue, and budgets. The site was created by Oregon’s Enterprise Information Services and went live last month.
The initial push for a transparency website dates back to 2009, when the state legislature passed House Bill 2500 and enacted the Oregon Transparency Program and website legislation. The legislation created an open resource where website visitors could access details on how the state is spending tax dollars and information on programs and services that provide investments back into Oregon’s economy.
As part of that initial legislation, the Transparency Oregon Advisory Commission (TOAC) was created to advise on website content and information. The TOAC consists of state senators, state representatives, Legislative Fiscal Office staff, as well as state agency and public members.
Beginning in 2023, the Enterprise Information Services’ Data Governance and Transparency Program focused its efforts on redesigning the website to include updated content, more user-friendly navigation, and a new design to promote greater interactivity and transparency for the public.
To develop the new site, the Data Governance and Transparency Program sought feedback from current users, agencies, committees, and used site analytics to improve the user’s experience.
Chief Data Officer Kathryn Darnall Helms, director of the Data Governance and Transparency Program, said the new site is “a significant improvement in how we get valuable information and data out to our constituents, and is but one part of how we are pushing for greater transparency and more open data within Oregon state government.”
