govDATAx 2024

Overview

The Data Foundation’s govDATAx 2024 one-day event reflected on the achievements of the past five years while collaborating on strategies for advancing data-driven innovation across government over the next quarter-century.

At the heart of govDATAx 2024 is a visionary message: The Evidence Act laid the foundation for a new era of governance as a catalyst for change in the next 25 years. We now look ahead to the next 25 years of possibility. The govDATAx 2024 summit explored the long-term trajectory of data-driven decision-making, from current best practices to future scenarios that will shape government operations and citizen services through 2050 and beyond.

Drawing on insights from the Data Foundation's Center for Data Policy and Center for Evidence Capacity, govDATAx 2024 brought together leaders from federal, state, and local agencies, businesses, non-profits, and academia to:

• Discuss the evolution of data policy frameworks and their impact on interoperability, standardization, and privacy
• Explore strategies for building sustainable evidence capacity, including plans for data literacy, AI integration, and evaluation practices
• Consider the impact of emerging technologies on government data use and evidence-based policymaking
• Address challenges and opportunities in data governance and public trust
• Examine how data and evidence can improve results for healthcare, education, climate action, and economic development
• Highlight initiatives that are shaping the future of data-driven governance

During interactive sessions and engagement with a range of experts, attendees gained insights into preparing for the long-term future of data and evidence use in government.

Agenda 

8:30 a.m. Doors open

9:00 a.m. Welcome remarks

• Nick Hart, Ph.D., President & CEO, Data Foundation

9:15 a.m. Fireside Chat – Telling Government's Data Story: Reporters’ Perspectives

• Jory Heckman, Reporter, Federal News Network
• Madison Alder, Reporter, FedScoop
• Nick Hart, Ph.D., President & CEO, Data Foundation (moderator)

9:45 a.m. Panel – Transformative Data Ideas for the Future: Innovating Governance Together

• Robert Shea, Co-founder & CEO, GovNavigators 
• Shannon Arvizu, Ph.D., Senior Advisor to the Chief Data Officer, U.S. Department of Commerce

10:30 a.m. Coffee Break

10:45 a.m. Lightning Talks – Data Foundation in Brief

• Ashley Nelle-Davis, Chief of Staff, Special Projects, Data Foundation
• Katie O'Toole, Senior Policy and Research Analyst, Center for Data Policy, Data Foundation

10:55 a.m. Panel – Navigating the Data Policy Landscape: Applying the AI-Ready Framework to Real-World Challenges

• Victoria Houed, Director of AI Policy and Strategy to the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs, U.S. Department of Commerce
• Paula Osborn, Deputy Chief Data and AI Officer, U.S. Department of State
• Patrick McGarry, General Manager, U.S. Federal; member of the Data Foundation AI Working Group, data.world (moderator)

11:40 a.m. Keynote, Lunch service provided

• Loren DeJonge Schulman, Associate Director, Performance and Personnel Management, White House Office of Management and Budget
• Nick Hart, Ph.D., President & CEO, Data Foundation (moderator)

12:40 p.m. Panel – Data and Evidence Dialogue: Successes, Trends, and Future Frontiers

• Brent Madoo, (Acting) Deputy Chief Data Officer for Innovation and Engagement, U.S. Department of Education
• Katherine Dawes, Evaluation Officer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Ken Dieffenbach, Executive Director, Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC)
• Molly Irwin, Principal Solutions Architect, Workforce, Children, & Families, Abt Global (moderator)

1:20 p.m. Fireside Chat – Beyond Party Lines: Bridging the Divide and Advancing Our Goals with Data and Evidence

• Ted McCann, Vice President, Programs and Policies, American Idea Foundation
• Amy Edwards Holmes, Executive Director, Bloomberg Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University
• Nick Hart, Ph.D., President & CEO, Data Foundation (moderator)

2:05 p.m. Closing remarks

Thank you to our sponsor