During the past several decades, ethically and effectively harnessing the power of data has become a growing priority for the federal government. The Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 was approved by Congress with bipartisan support, empowering agencies to become more data-driven in decision-making and their operations. A strong focus on data in the President’s Management Agenda and a cross-agency priority goal led to the development of the Federal Data Strategy to help implement this vision. The strategy provides a framework and a roadmap to improve the federal government’s approach to data stewardship, use and access during the next 10 years.

 As next steps are developed, it will be important to consider the evolution of data and technology, to draw on lessons learned from past reform efforts and to build on progress already made. The table and resources provided offer a starting point for understanding how data and technology initiatives have evolved through past administrations.