Just a few weeks after the Commission on Evidence-based Policymaking released its final report, Congress is moving to implement some of the commission’s key recommendations. H.R. 4174, or the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2017, introduced by House Speaker Paul Ryan, was reported out of the House Oversight Committee on November 2. H.R. 4174 and a companion bill sponsored by Senator Patty Murray are important steps to improve the use of evidence and data in federal agencies.

Three provisions in H.R. 4174 hold promise for increasing the priority and understanding of the role of evaluation in federal policymaking:

  1. Define multiple types of evidence: Formal program evaluations, statistical analysis, policy analysis, performance analysis, and implementation analysis all build evidence.
  2. Require agencies to have a chief evaluation officer and use learning agendas: Having a technically skilled, nonpolitical, senior leader with expertise in relevant disciplines and programs is essential to building a culture of evidence.
  3. Codify cross-agency evaluation coordination activities: Building a culture of evidence in the federal government will require not only agency-specific activities but cross-agency coordination and collaboration.

Read the full article on strengthening federal evidence-based policymaking by Demetra Smith Nightingale at Urban Institute