Grant Thornton-Partnership for Public Service Report: Multifaceted Approach Key to Transform Federal Agency Operations

Grant Thornton’s public sector business and the Partnership for Public Service organization have published a report that proposes a multifaceted approach for federal agency leaders to modernize operations with the use of data and evidence. 

The report, titled “Seize the Data: Using Evidence to Transform how Federal Agencies do Business," was based on interviews and workshops that took place from April 2018 to May 2019.

Authors said agency officials should implement top-down and bottom-up leadership strategies; use long-term research insights while conducting rapid experimentation to inform programs and policies; provide stakeholders access to new and existing data; and collaborate with outside professionals to strengthen internal capacity.

“Agencies with the strongest learning cultures have leaders who take the results of program evaluations seriously, scaling up programs that are achieving their objectives and modifying or eliminating programs that are not,” the authors wrote.

The report also suggests establishing research and evaluation offices, conducting data training for employees and participating in agency-academic partnerships.