Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Policies & Priorities

Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018

Policy Overview

The Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act (or OPEN Government Data Act, Pub.L. 115–435) is a United States law that requires the federal government to modernize its data management practices.

The bill requires agencies to submit annually to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Congress a systematic plan for identifying and addressing policy questions. The plan must include, among other things:

  • Questions for developing evidence to support policymaking;
  • Data the agency intends to collect, use, or acquire to facilitate the use of evidence in policymaking;
  • Methods and analytical approaches that may be used to develop evidence to support policymaking; and
  • Challenges to developing evidence to support policymaking, including any statutory or other restrictions to accessing relevant data.
  • Each agency shall designate a senior employee as Evaluation Officer to coordinate evidence-building activities and an official with statistical expertise to advise on statistical policy, techniques, and procedures.

Learn more about this policy.

❮   Back to Policies, Priorities and Resources

CIO.gov

An Official website of the Federal Government

Looking for U.S. government information and services?
Visit USA.gov