Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act

Amid a push to make government data more accessible, the Treasury Department’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service is moving away from structured data silos in favor of an open “data lake” approach.

While agency IT officials recognize the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act and OPEN Government Data Act present opportunities to get more value out of their data, they also see challenges in preparing the workforce to manage all that data.

The new law requires agencies to appoint a chief evaluation officer, whose job will involve asking key questions about the effectiveness of agency programs, and finding ways to measure their effectiveness.

Robert Shea and Robert Hahn, members of the U.S. Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking, offer six ideas for agencies to begin taking advantage of new evidence-based policymaking law.