In a June Federal Register notice, the General Service Administration (GSA) announced a planned pilot project to make Federal contracts publicly available online. The project would require all federal departments and agencies to post contracts on the Internet. This proposal signals a major attempt to increase the level of transparency and accountability in the contract process. Public comments are sought by GSA in order to set priorities for the project. Currently, the government signs about 10,000 contracts annually worth over $200 billion, as reported in a recent Heritage Foundation article. Most of these contracts remain secret, even when requested under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The pilot project, first advanced by former Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mitch Daniels, would provide all details of the contracts, including officials’ names. This pilot project comes at a time when the government is increasing the number of private contracts with government, including the outsourcing of jobs. The goal of GSA’s pilot project is to arm taxpayers with knowledge on how their dollars are being used and generate a more confident public. In addition, heightened public scrutiny should reduce government waste and keep bids as low as possible. The GSA is seeking public comments on priorities for the pilot project until August 5, 2003. Specifically, the agency is looking for comments on the scope and availability of information (size or type of contract; amount of competition sought; length of contract availability) and the type of guidance implemented to ensure consistent postings. The office will guide the pilot according to these comments, taking the costs and limitations of the agency’s current technology into consideration. Comments should be submitted to: General Services Administration, Regulatory Secretariat (MVA), 1800 F Street, NW, Room 4035, ATTN: Laurie Duarte, Washington, DC 2045. Electronic comments may be submitted to Notice.2003-N01@gsa.gov.