An official at the Office of Management and Budget recently underscored the importance of equipping federal agencies with the ability to collect and leverage data when making decisions and formulating policy, FCW reported Thursday.
Speaking at a recent Urban Institute event, Diana Epstein, head of the Evidence Team at the OMB, endorsed the use of learning agendas to promote the adoption of evidence-based policymaking, a strategy that several agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Small Business Administration, are already implementing.
The Trump administration earlier this year proposed reforms that would allow agencies to conduct data-generating activities, noting that “[if] we expect agencies to test innovative strategies and execute effective programs, we must enhance federal agencies’ ability to conduct program evaluation and other evidence building activities.â€
“Bringing evidence to bear in decision-making is a critical component of good government,†the administration said.