Part 2: Agency compliance with the Writing Act Supporting activities – Criteria Notes Score Implementation Plan 30 Establish an inter-agency working group to put the Act Does the plan list objectives 8,6 into practice, develop training to teach its requirements, and stay accountable for its results. identify critical review points that covered documents are subject to prior to publication and institute a plain language verification step. They also list types of covered documents and who needs to be trained in their implementation plan publish a departmental regulation on plain language. Do they identify specific actions to implement 8,8 Not done yet, but still working on it. objectives Develop on-line training (they did) No, except to publish the annual report on time. Do they identify time frames 0 Compliance Report 30 Yes, 2011 report lists types of documents that be Does agency list types of covered docs? 10 “will available” in plain language, and intended audiences. Yes. 2011 document 10 Does plan discuss sustaining change? 2012 Compliance report starting on page 3 has an What docs are focus of pl work pl? 10 extensive list, by agency. . We can’t ensure they all are, but we are confident that there has been a USDA sea-change on plain writing. For example, I have received several requests from our subcabinet for plain writing help on high level documents and regulations. Additionally, some of our agencies and offices have conducted extensive efforts to train their staff members and ensure that the documents they produce comply with the Act. Tracking documents created in or revised into 0 pl? Measurements 8 They say they are instituting verification steps and Testing pl quality of documents creating a subcommittee of the pl working group to oversee compliance. Has this happened, is it working? Our plain writing working group executive committee is still serving that role as we work to implement the law without a Congressionally approved budget to do so. We triage. We work with the agency and office members of our working group to identify groups or classes of documents where plain writing can help us achieve USDA’s mission and the Secretary’s mandate to better serve the public who use our programs. Each
Part 2: Agency compliance with the Writing Act – Supporting activities Criteria Notes Score Implementation Plan 30 Does the plan list objectives Establish an inter-agency working group to put the Act into practice, develop training to teach its requirements, and stay accountable for its results. identify critical review points that covered documents are subject to prior to publication and institute a plain language verification step. They also list types of covered documents and who needs to be trained in their implementation plan 8,6 Do they identify specific actions to implement objectives publish a departmental regulation on plain language. Not done yet, but still working on it. Develop on-line training (they did) 8,8 Do they identify time frames No, except to publish the annual report on time. 0 Compliance Report 30 Does agency list types of covered docs? Yes, 2011 report lists types of documents that “will be available” in plain language, and intended audiences. 10 Does plan discuss sustaining change? Yes. 2011 document 10 What docs are focus of pl work pl? 2012 Compliance report starting on page 3 has an extensive list, by agency. . We can’t ensure they all are, but we are confident that there has been a USDA sea-change on plain writing. For example, I have received several requests from our subcabinet for plain writing help on high level documents and regulations. Additionally, some of our agencies and offices have conducted extensive efforts to train their staff members and ensure that the documents they produce comply with the Act. 10 Tracking documents created in or revised into pl? 0 Measurements 8 Testing pl quality of documents They say they are instituting verification steps and creating a subcommittee of the pl working group to oversee compliance. Has this happened, is it working? Our plain writing working group executive committee is still serving that role as we work to implement the law without a Congressionally approved budget to do so. We triage. We work with the agency and office members of our working group to identify groups or classes of documents where plain writing can help us achieve USDA’s mission and the Secretary’s mandate to better serve the public who use our programs. Each
USDA-reportcard.docx