b'InsightsModernizing the U.S. Federal Data System: Insights from Nancy Potok, Chief Statistician, Office of Management and BudgetBy Michael J. KeeganAn effective and efficient U.S. federalPaperwork Reduction Act and put into the Office of government requires evidence aboutInformation and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). where needs are greatest, what works and what does not work, where andMy job is threefold. First and foremost, my job is to safeguard how programs could be improved,the integrity of federal data. I am charged with making sure and how programs of yesterday maythat federal statistics are objective, unbiased, not politically no longer be suited for today. Havinginfluenced, accurate, timely, and relevant. All statistical access to timely, accurate, reliabledirectives that outline standards and rules on handling federal statistical data enables the federalstatistical data come from my office. My office puts out government to make reasoned and disciplined decisionsmethods and standards that federal agencies have to follow if about where to target resources to get the largest possibletheyre going to assert that their statistical data is official U.S. return for the American taxpayer. The federal governmentsgovernment data. statistical agencies and programs play a vital role in generating that data. Timely, accurate, and relevant statisticalGiven we have a decentralized statistical system in the U.S., data are the foundation of evidence-based decision making.I also coordinate all federal statistical agencies. Ill give you a sense of the size and scope: 13 principal federal statistical How is the U.S. federal government leveraging data as aagencies and three recognized statistical unitsagencies strategic asset? How is the federal government buildingwhose principal mission is to produce official federal the infrastructure for evidence-based policymaking? Andstatisticsare joined by over 100 other federal programs what does the future hold for the federal data and statisticalin statistical activities, spanning measurement, information communities? Nancy Potok, chief statistician within thecollection, statistical products, data management, and Office of Management and Budget (OMB), joined me on Thedissemination. I head an Interagency Council on Statistical Business of Government Hour to share her insights on thesePolicy (ICSP), which promotes integration across the Federal topics and more. The following is an edited excerpt of ourStatistical System. discussion, complemented with additional research.My third role is to represent the U.S. internationally. I lead Would you tell us more about the work of the Statistical andthe U.S. delegation to the UN Statistical Commission. I Science Policy Office and your duties and responsibilities? also represent the U.S. at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on statistical matters. When I tell people that Im the chief statistician of theThese are very important partnerships. We collaborate United States, there is this pause. People say, thats thewith the international statistical community and have good coolest title I ever heard in government. There is anotherworking relationship with my international counterparts. pause with an immediate, What do you do? I dont produce statistics. Its a policy job. It was established as part of the WINTER 2019 / 2020 IBM Center for The Business of Government 39'