Content created by Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA)
The Foundations for Evidence-based Policymaking Act of 2018 (Evidence Act) was established to advance evidence-building in the federal government by improving access to data and expanding evaluation capacity. Concurrently, the President's Management Agenda emphasizes the need to leverage data as a strategic asset and calls for the development of a Federal Data Strategy to improve government operations and evidence-based policymaking.. The Evidence Act requires each Department to identify a Chief Data Officer, Evaluation Officer, and Statistical Official to coordinate, oversee, and advise different elements of evaluation, data, and statistical policy issues.
HHS's three designated officials required by the Evidence Act aim to support these efforts through improved data governance, transparency, evaluation, and innovation.
HHS Chief Data Officer
Nikolaos Ipiotis, Chief Data Officer
Email: Nikolaos.Ipiotis@hhs.gov
Phone: 202-690-6162
HHS Evaluation Officer
Susan Jenkins, PhD, Director of the Division of Evidence, Evaluation and Data Policy
Email: Susan.Jenkins@HHS.Gov
Phone: 202-690-6509
HHS Statistical Official
Brian Moyer, Director, National Center for Health Statistics
Email: qbk2@cdc.gov
Phone: 301-458-4255
The need to leverage data as a strategic asset has never been more vital than it is today. As evident in the Department's role in the national response to COVID-19 and in other healthcare initiatives, it is critical that HHS collects, manages, uses, shares, and protects relevant data to support mission functions, inform decision-making, promote transparency, and develop evidence for the most informed decision-making possible.
The Chief Data Officer is responsible for establishing the HHS Data Governance Board (HHS DGB) in compliance with the Evidence Act and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memoranda M-19-18, "Federal Data Strategy – A Framework for Consistency," and M-19-23, "Phase 1 Implementation of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018: Learning Agendas, Personnel, and Planning Guidance."
The HHS DGB currently meets monthly to support these activities.
The Evaluation Officer is required to manage the process for developing Evidence-Building Plans, Evaluation Plans, and conducting a Capacity Assessment of the "Evidence-Building Enterprise" as required by the Evidence Act. Updates about these deliverables may be posted here.