Evaluating Evidence-Building Plans: A Review of Five Federal Learning Agendas

Introduction

The Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (Evidence Act) requires federal agencies to produce evidence-building plans, or learning agendas.[1] While the initial cohort of public learning agendas required by the Evidence Act is not expected to be published until 2022, some agencies have already published learning agendas or produced interim plans offering insights and approaches that may be helpful to other organizations.

In 2019, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued initial implementation guidance to agencies about fulfilling the legal requirement while also encouraging agencies to formulate useful learning agendas to conduct evidence-building activities across government.[2] OMB subsequently published additional guidance about the role of learning agendas in supporting evidence-based policymaking and suggesting that all agencies use the tool.[3] Specifically, OMB provided flexibility to agencies in designing the agendas and also encouraged agencies to identify priority questions that will have the biggest impact on agency performance and function, including both short- and long-term questions, and then to review agendas annually. The general instructions allow for considerable flexibility in determining the structure, scope, scale and format of learning agendas for each agency.

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