N.C. government transparency site launched

Raleigh, N.C. — Gov. Beverly Perdue on Monday launched the first wave of NCOpenBook.gov, a government transparency Web site for searching state contracts and grants.

Perdue signed an executive order on her first day in office ordering the creation of the transparency site.

“In the 21st century, online accessibility and transparency should be the standard for public information,” she said in a statement. “We’re going to let the sun shine in on state contracts.”

NCOpenBook.gov provides a database of about 2,500 state contracts and 5,000 grants that are available in a searchable format. The Office of State Budget and Management is working with state agencies and departments to streamline their contract databases so a comprehensive searchable database will be available online later this year.

In addition to state contracts and grants, the site will feature detailed information about state agency performance measures and planning, officials said.