Management and Budget Office January 14, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On December 16, 2004, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in consultation with the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), issued its Final Information Quality Bulletin for Peer Review to the heads of departments and agencies (available at https:// www.whitehouse.gov/omb/memoranda/fy2005/m05-03.html). This new guidance is designed to realize the benefits of meaningful peer review of the most important science disseminated by the Federal Government. It is part of an ongoing effort to improve the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of information disseminated by the Federal Government to the public. This final bulletin has benefited from an extensive stakeholder process. OMB originally requested comment on its ``Proposed Bulletin on Peer Review and Information Quality,'' published in the Federal Register on September 15, 2003. OMB received 187 public comments during the comment period (available at https:// www.whitehouse.gov/omb/inforeg/2003iq/iqlist.html). In addition, to improve the draft Bulletin, OMB encouraged federal agencies to sponsor a public workshop at the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). The NAS workshop (November 18, 2003, at the National Academies in Washington, DC) attracted several hundred participants, including leaders in the scientific community (available at https://www7.nationalacademies.org/ stl/STLPeerReviewAgenda.html). OMB also participated in outreach activities with major scientific organizations and societies that had expressed specific interest in the draft Bulletin. A formal interagency review of the draft Bulletin, resulting in detailed comments from numerous Federal departments and agencies, was undertaken in collaboration with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. In light of the substantial interest in the Bulletin, including a wide range of constructive criticisms of the initial draft, OMB decided to issue a revised draft for further comment. This revised draft was published in the Federal Register on April 28, 2004, and solicited a second round of public comment. The revised draft stimulated a much smaller number of comments (57) (available at: http:/ /www.whitehouse.gov/omb/inforeg/peer2004/listpeer2004.html). OMB's response to the additional criticisms, suggestions, and refinements offered for consideration is available at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/ omb/inforeg/peer2004/peerresponse.pdf. The final Bulletin includes refinements that strike a balance among the diverse perspectives expressed during the comment period. Part I of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION below provides background. Part II provides the text of the final Bulletin.