Data Foundation Releases Fourth ‘Evidence Capacity Pulse Report

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Data Foundation today released its fourth "Evidence Capacity Pulse Report" documenting substantial changes affecting America's data and evaluation infrastructure. The report, compiled in part through the Data Foundation's SAFE-Track (Secure Anonymous Federal Evidence, Data and Analysis Tracking) portal, identified several critical developments since our previous monthly reports affecting government and industry capacity for data collection, analysis, and evaluation activities.

"It's encouraging to see some contract reinstatements, agencies issuing their Annual Evaluation plans, and gradual filling of key Evidence Act positions,” said Sara Stefanik, Director of the Data Foundation’s Center for Evidence Capacity. “However, these positive steps are occurring alongside substantial reductions in statistical capacity and evaluation functions across multiple agencies that require continued monitoring."

The June 2025 Evidence Capacity Pulse Report identifies several new and continued trends:

• Implementation of reorganization plans continues to face legal challenges: Federal court injunctions are delaying implementation of Agency Reduction-In-Force (RIF) and Reorganization Plans at agencies, with the Ninth Circuit upholding restrictions on further reorganizations pending Supreme Court review.
• Data collection activities face operational constraints: Federal agencies are reducing data collection scope and access, including sampling reductions for key economic indicators due to hiring freezes, suspension of researcher access to restricted data, delays in statutory reporting deadlines.
• Contract reinstatements partially offset earlier terminations: The Department of Education disclosed plans to reinstate a portion of terminated contracts to comply with Congressional statutes, and notifications of discontinued data products.
• Leadership vacancies gradually filling across key Evidence Act positions: Chief Data Officer, Evaluation Officer, and Statistical Official posts remain vacant or filled by acting officials in multiple agencies, however some Chief Data Officer and Statistical Official posts have been officially assigned to new officials. 
• Many agencies meeting requirements of Evidence Act evaluation reporting: Following public announcements of the forthcoming President’s Management Agenda, some federal agencies have begun to issue Annual Evaluation Plans for FY 2026 and agencies are developing multi-year learning agendas, as required by the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018.
• Multiple data announcements for new funding available: The National Science Foundation through America's Data Hub continues to post new announcements of potential contracts to support the National Secure Data Service, including four new announcements in June 2025 that support data collection, fraud detection, and use of AI. 

With the publication of the FY 2026 President’s Budget and development of Congressional appropriations bills, the Data Foundation anticipates greater insights into developments in the administration’s and congressional approaches. The Data Foundation will consider these plans in future analysis, while continuing to document operational changes and restructurings occurring across federal departments and agencies. The Data Foundation will continue to work with stakeholders across the political spectrum to advance open data and evidence-informed decision-making as part of our commitment to radical collaboration. We invite organizations and individuals to contribute to this ongoing analysis through our SAFE-Track platform, which provides secure and anonymous reporting of evidence ecosystem impacts. 

The full report is available at: https://datafoundation.org/news/evidence-capacity/635/635-Evidence-Capacity-Pulse-Report-June-30-

About the Data Foundation

The Data Foundation is a Washington, DC-based, non-profit, non-partisan organization. It is a trusted authority on the use of open, accessible data to fuel a more efficient, effective, and accountable government; spark innovation; and provide insights to the country's most pressing challenges. It conducts research, facilitates collaborative thought leadership, and promotes advocacy programs that advance practical policies for the creation and use of accessible, trustworthy data and evidence. The Data Foundation's Center for Evidence Capacity works to strengthen evidence-building functions across government through research, education, and technical assistance to support effective implementation of laws like the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act. The Data Foundation is recognized by Candid Guidestar with the Platinum Seal of Transparency and by Charity Navigator as a 4-Star non-profit. To learn more, visit www.datafoundation.org. (LEI: 254900I43CTC59RFW495)

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