Data-driven decision making is a catch term in the federal community these days. Perhaps no example is more dramatic than that of the military and how it’s used data to refine trauma care. Nowaday, 92 percent of service members wounded in battle survive. That’s a dramatic improvement from even a decade ago. Conventional wisdom had it that most troops killed on the battlefield could not be saved. Then trauma surgeon Brian Eastridge and some colleagues analyzed all the data on battlefield casualties from 2001 to 2011.

Col. Jeffrey Bailey is director of the Joint Trauma System. Bailey says while this study was happening, others also were crunching numbers on battlefield casualties. The evidence showed many of those killed in action died of hemorrhages. Bailey says in 2001, tourniquets were considered a last resort because of potential limb damage.

It’s beginning to feel a lot like winter here. But way down south in Antarctica, the summer research period is in full swing. It’s coming a bit late. Last month’s shutdown forced the National Science Foundation’s Antarctic Program into a holding pattern. The White House says some research activities were canceled for the entire season. Two National Science Foundation executives explain what’s happened since. Scott Borg heads the Antarctic Sciences section. Brian Stone leads the Logistics section.

Scott Borg (left), head of the Antarctic Sciences section, National Science Foundation
Brian Stone (right), head of the Logistics section, National Science Foundation.

Agency managers are supposed to use data in running their programs and making decisions. A new analytics report from the Partnership for Public Service gives some good advice on data-driven governing. John Palguta, vice president for policy at the Partnership for Public Service, has more.

Federal employees overall have plenty to gripe about this year. That was reflected in the Office of Personnel Management’s annual survey of federal employees. It showed satisfaction on the job down 4 percent on average, compared to last year. But one agency bucked that trend. The U.S. Trade and Development Agency outperformed other small agencies in the survey. Director Leocadia Zak joined Tom and Emily.