Statement on OMB Guidance for COVID-19 Relief Spending

Data Coalition Chief Executive Officer Nick Hart issued the following statement on the White House Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) issuance of guidance to federal agencies on"Implementation Guidance for Supplemental Funding Provided in Response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID- 19)" 

The Data Coalition applauds the focus in the guidance on promoting evidence-based decision-making and open data, balanced with the need to expedite spending in order for resources to meet the needs of the American people and businesses. OMB’s new guidance identifies steps that align with the goal of awarding funds rapidly for mission-critical purposes, while also promoting transparency and accountability. The Data Coalition encourages agencies to lean on existing frameworks like the DATA Act of 2014, which has put federal agencies in a much better position than they were a decade ago to track and report on emergency spending.