Data Foundation Celebrates Five Years Since the U.S. Commission for Evidence-Based Policymaking,

The Data Foundation and the Bipartisan Policy Center hosted a hybrid event on Tuesday, September 13, marking 5 years since the Commission for Evidence-Based Policymaking released its unanimous final report. Representatives from the Commission, government officials, and members from civil society gathered to discuss progress made and next steps to fully implement the Commission’s vision of making evidence-based policymaking routine in the U.S. The event coincided with the release of a Data Foundation report on implementation of the Commission’s 22 recommendations and opportunities to bolster evidence-based policymaking in the future. 

Following a welcome from Data Foundation President Nick Hart, the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Senior Vice President, William Hoagland, provided opening remarks, describing the value of the Commission’s report, and emphasizing the role that fact and evidence can play to build public confidence in the government. During a fireside chat, the Commission’s former Chair, Katherine Abraham, and the former Executive Director, Shelly Wilkie Martinez, sat down with Nick Hart to provide a government perspective on the development of the Commission’s recommendations and the progress they have seen so far. 

Offering a different perspective, Data Foundation Policy Director Corinna Turbes moderated a discussion with Verónica Olazabal, President of the American Evaluation Association, and Alex Howard, Director of Digital Democracy Project and open data advocate, to discuss how implementation of the Commission’s recommendations has impacted civil society, identifying ways to improve accessibility of data and evidence for the public.

Kim Wallin, former member of the Commission and former controller for the state of Nevada, provided closing remarks. Wallin called for engaging state and local governments in efforts to strengthen evidence-based policymaking going forward, highlighting an opportunity to broaden the evidence community and ensure accessible data and evidence are foundational across all levels of government. 

Much progress has been made since the Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking released its report in 2017. Legislation including the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act and the National Secure Data Service Act included in the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 address many of the Commission’s recommendations. Federal agencies have adopted many of the requirements from the Evidence Act, designating evidence officials, publishing learning agendas, and open data plans. The White House has also taken steps to prioritize evidence-building, issuing a memorandum on Restoring Trust in Government Through Scientific Integrity and Evidence-Based Policymaking and prioritizing evidence in the FY 2022 President’s Budget Request. 

However, there is still much to be done. Among other things, the evidence community can encourage full implementation of the Evidence Act, prioritize recommendations and best practices from the Advisory Committee on Evidence-Based Policymaking, and request resources to address capacity needs. Continued engagement with government and civil society organizations will be crucial in order to inform efforts to fully implement the Commission’s recommendations to create a more evidence-informed society, and the Data Foundation looks forward to seeing what the next 5 years will bring toward achieving the Commission’s vision.