2023 Research Symposium: Showcasing Progress - Data and Evidence for Better Government

Overview

The Data Foundation is committed to building examples and use cases where the public and private sectors are successfully using data and evidence to improve decision-making. The Data Foundation’s 2023 Research Symposium, in partnership with George Washington University’s Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration, was framed around identifying examples, case studies, and lessons that inform future policy and practice, guide the policy research community in the year ahead, and inform how we talk about the progress on using data and evidence for improving government.

Notably, the data community grew rapidly since the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (Evidence Act) became law. While much work remains to build capacity to produce and use data and evidence, data and evidence leaders achieved significant wins in the early years of Evidence Act implementation. The Data Foundation’s 2023 Virtual Research Symposium was an opportunity for data and evidence leaders in the public and private sectors to share accomplishments and showcase best practices to help their peers accelerate agency efforts to produce and use data and evidence to inform policymaking and program improvements. 

The Data Foundation invited members of the data and evidence community—including those in academia, non-profits, industry, and government—to present on the following themes:

• Data Strategy: Building Data Capacity with the Federal Data Strategy as a Guide
• Evidence in Action: Progress Applying Evidence in Active, Real-Time Decision-Making Environments
• Advancing Equity: Leveraging Data and Evidence to Support Inclusive Policy
• Data Collaboration: Learning from Past Successes to Maximize the Impact of the National Secure Data Service

Recordings

Opening remarks from Data Foundation Board Member Molly Irwin, George Washington University Trachtenberg School Director Mary Tschirhart, and Data Foundation Senior Director of Communications Jessica Yabsley.

Session 1 - Making the Case for Data Quality

Session 2 - The Time is Now: People Need Access to Data

Session 3 - Building Data Capacity on International Worker’s Rights Programs

Session 4 - Opportunities to Strengthen State and Local Data and Evaluation Capacity in Human Services

Session 5 - Evidence in Action: Using Data to Support Educator Decision-Making

Session 6 - Better Metrics to Guide Public Health Policy: Lessons Learned from COVID-19 for Public Health Data Systems

Session 7 - Using the Criminal Justice Administrative Records System to Improve Administration of the Criminal Justice System

Session 8 - Analysis of Alternative Poverty Measures Applied to the Case of Montana

Session 9 - From Evidence Generation to Better Decisions: MCC’s Evidence Lifecycle

To access full slides from all sessions, click below.

• Symposium 2023 AM Slides
• Symposium 2023 PM Slides

Agenda 

9:00 a.m. - Opening Remarks

• Jessica Yabsley, Senior Director of Communications, Data Foundation
• Molly Irwin, Ph.D., Member, Data Foundation Board of Directors
• Mary Tschirhart, Ph.D., Director, Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration, The George Washington University

9:20 a.m. - Making the Case for Data Quality (Group)

• Erika Liliedahl, Senior Analyst, Evidence Team, Office of Management and Budget
• Lisa Mirel, Statistical Advisor, National Science Foundation
• Darius Singpurwalla, Mathematical Statistician, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics

10:20 a.m. - Break

10:25 a.m. - The Time is Now: People Need Access to Data (Group)

• Mary Ann Miller Bates, Executive Director, California Cradle to Career Data System
• Michael Vente, Chief Performance Officer, Senior Director of Research and Data Governance, Colorado Department of Higher Education
• Paige Kowalski, Executive Vice President, Data Quality Campaign

11:25 a.m. - Building Data Capacity on International Worker’s Rights Programs (Individual)

• Jennifer Werth, International Relations Officer, Department of Labor Bureau of International Labor Affairs

11:40 a.m. - Lunch

12:00 p.m. - Welcome Back

Data Foundation

12:05 p.m. - Opportunities to Strengthen State and Local Data and Evaluation Capacity in Human Services (Group)

• Kathy Stack, Senior Policy Fellow, Tobin Center for Economic Policy
• Jonathan Womer, Senior Advisor, The Policy Lab at Brown University

12:50 p.m. - Break

12:55 p.m. - Evidence in Action: Using Data to Support Educator Decision-Making (Group)

• Aime Black, Ph.D., Performance & Evaluation Lead, Guardians of Honor, NASA STEM Services Contract, NASA Office of STEM Engagement
• Tania Jarosewich, Ph.D., Senior Evaluation Specialist, Guardians of Honor, NASA STEM Services Contract, NASA Office of STEM Engagement
• Tialei Scanlan, Ph.D., Evaluation Specialist, Guardians of Honor, NASA STEM Services Contract, NASA Office of STEM Engagement
• Angela Skeeles-Worley, Ph.D., Evaluation Specialist, Guardians of Honor, NASA STEM Services Contract, NASA Office of STEM Engagement
• Tara Strang, Ph.D., Assistant Program Manager, Performance and Evaluation, NASA Office of STEM Engagement

1:55 p.m. - Better Metrics to Guide Public Health Policy: Lessons Learned From COVID-19 for Public Health Data Systems Improvement (Individual)

• Michael Stoto, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Department of Health Management and Policy, School of Health, Georgetown University

2:10 p.m. - Break

2:15 p.m. - Using the Criminal Justice Administrative Records System to Improve Administration of the Criminal Justice System (Group)

• Keith Finlay, Ph.D., Research Economist, U.S. Census Bureau
• Brian Miller, Ph.D., General Programmer/Analyst, University of Michigan
• Jordan Papp, Ph.D., Project Manager, University of Michigan

3:15 p.m. - Analysis of Alternative Poverty Measures Applied to the Case of Montana (Individual)

• Robin Clausen, Ph.D., Stakeholder Liaison and Research Analyst (Statewide Longitudinal Data System), Montana Office of Public Instruction

3:30 p.m. - From Evidence Generation to Better Decisions: MCC's Evidence Lifecycle (Group)

• Casey Dunning, Director, Results and Learning, Millennium Challenge Corporation
• Hana S. Freymiller, Senior Advisor, Monitoring and Evaluation, Millennium Challenge Corporation
• Algerlynn A. Gill, Senior Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, Millennium Challenge Corporation
• Sarah C. Lane, Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, Millennium Challenge Corporation

4:30 p.m. - Closing Remarks

• Data Foundation

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