Issue Summary
Each year, the federal government spends trillions of dollars to deliver goods and services to its citizens and address various national issues. Evidence—which includes data and information, such as statistics and rigorous studies known as program evaluations—can provide important insights that could improve the federal government’s performance.
However, federal agencies vary in the extent to which they (1) have relevant evidence, (2) use it to inform decisions, and (3) have sufficient capacity (e.g., staff and tools) to develop and use evidence. However, most agencies could improve their ability to build and use evidence in decision-making. For example, collaboration within an agency can help ensure that evidence-building efforts are effective.
In addition:
- Practices. Federal leaders and staff can follow 13 key practices to effectively build and use evidence to manage the performance of federal efforts.
- Capacity. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) should help agencies assess and enhance their evidence-building capacity.
- Lessons learned. OMB should also prioritize efforts to identify and share among agencies proven practices for increasing, and challenges that hamper, the use of performance information in decision-making.
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