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| 24 Mar 2026 | |
| Reports |
The Chief Data Officer role in the federal government has reached a pivotal moment. Six years after the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (Evidence Act) established the CDO function, the 2025 Federal Chief Data Officer Survey captures a maturing data leadership community navigating unprecedented transition. The Data Foundation’s sixth annual survey of federal Chief Data Officers, conducted in collaboration with Deloitte, includes department-, agency-, and bureau-level Chief Data Officers and Statistical Officials, documenting how CDOs are adapting to organizational change, workforce reductions, and the rapidly expanding intersection of data governance with artificial intelligence. In 2025, federal CDOs operated against a complex backdrop: a new administration, government-wide workforce reductions, shifting reporting structures, and evolving responsibilities that increasingly integrate data and AI policy. Despite these challenges, the survey reveals continued progress in mission achievement and a growing recognition of the CDO’s strategic value. The long-awaited publication of the Office of Management and Budget’s implementation guidance for Title II of the Evidence Act provided essential clarity, though it simultaneously elevated new organization-specific implementation needs that will shape the CDO function in the years ahead.
Ensure adequate CDO capacity. While CDOs have demonstrated continued progress on Evidence Act implementation, reported capacity constraints may limit their ability to effectively fulfill statutory requirements and meet growing demands. With implementation deadlines for OPEN Government Data Act requirements such as DCAT-US 3.0 in 2026, department and agency leaders must prioritize sustained resources (personnel and data infrastructure) for CDO offices to maintain and advance progress on quality data for trustworthy AI. CDOs should also be empowered to apply AI tools to their own operations as a way to improve efficiency in core data management functions.
Harness AI potential by robust data governance. Harnessing AI’s full potential starts with robust data foundations and governance—clear data ownership, consistent definitions, high-quality pipelines, strong privacy/security controls, and traceable lineage—so AI outputs are accurate, compliant, and trusted. Chief Data Officers (CDOs) can lead the way by setting enterprise-wide standards, prioritizing high-value data products, and aligning stewards, risk, and technology teams around measurable data quality and accountability that enables responsible scaling of AI use cases.
Provide clarity around the role of CDOs. Organizational clarity about responsibilities and authorities becomes increasingly important as organizations adopt more sophisticated AI capabilities, including agentic AI systems that can operate with greater autonomy. Department and agency leaders should provide comprehensive guidance delineating the distinct yet complementary responsibilities of CDOs, CIOs, and CAIOs. 4. Provide sustained CDO Community support. As AI innovation increases the need for interagency data interoperability, the CDO Council’s coordinating function becomes even more important in ensuring that federal data management evolves cohesively rather than in fragmented agency-specific directions. Durable support and long-term predictability will allow the CDO Council to effectively serve the maturing CDO community. Further, by ensuring CDOs have the capacity to engage beyond their organizational boundaries, agencies can fulfill transparency requirements while maintaining awareness of innovations that may benefit government modernization. Public private partnerships can also be leveraged for providing support to the CDO community through future technological and organizational transitions.
Provide sustained CDO Community support. As AI innovation increases the need for interagency data interoperability, the CDO Council’s coordinating function becomes even more important in ensuring that federal data management evolves cohesively rather than in fragmented agency-specific directions. Durable support and long-term predictability will allow the CDO Council to effectively serve the maturing CDO community. Further, by ensuring CDOs have the capacity to engage beyond their organizational boundaries, agencies can fulfill transparency requirements while maintaining awareness of innovations that may benefit government modernization. Public private partnerships can also be leveraged for providing support to the CDO community through future technological and organizational transitions.
CDOs have demonstrated remarkable adaptability and progress over six years of Evidence Act implementation. As the CDO function continues to mature and AI transforms federal operations, data leaders need sustained organizational commitment, clear authorities,
and adequate capacity to fulfill their expanding mandates. By addressing the challenges documented in the 2025 Federal CDO Survey while building on demonstrated successes, the federal government can ensure that CDOs continue driving data-enabled transformation in an increasingly complex technological landscape.
