Information Quality

Background | Scope | Information Quality Standards | Administrative Complaint Mechanism

Background

Section 515 of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2001 [Public Law 106-554] requires Federal agencies to issue guidelines ensuring and maximizing the quality, utility, objectivity, and integrity of disseminated information. The focus of Section 515 is on the Federal Government's information dissemination activities.

Federal agencies have disseminated information to the public for decades. Until recently, agencies have disseminated information principally by making paper copies of documents available to the public. In recent years, Federal dissemination has grown due to the advent of the Internet, which has ushered in a revolution in communications. This enhanced information availability, combined with wider accessibility and ease-of-use, has required all Federal agencies to revisit their dissemination control procedures, and to ensure that appropriate information quality standards are in place and are being followed.

Accordingly, guidelines outlined here will facilitate Secret Service compliance with Section 515. As such, they are designed to improve the integrity, quality, and utility of information to all users within and outside the Secret Service, including capabilities for ensuring dissemination of public information, public access to government information, and protections for privacy and security.