Federal Chief Data Officers Council Holds Inaugural Meeting

Washington – More than 60 federal Chief Data Officers and their representatives gathered on January 31 at the General Administration Building on F Street NW in Washington, DC, for the inaugural meeting of the Chief Data Officers Council.

Council members were welcomed by OMB Deputy Director of Management Margaret Weichert, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Deputy Administrator Dominic Mancini, and Federal Chief Information Officer Suzette Kent.

In their remarks, OMB leadership emphasized the importance of data as a strategic asset and the role the council will play in supporting the national economy and priority areas, as well as OMB resources available to assist the Council in continuing the path forward for data strategy implementation and results.

Required by the Foundations for Evidence-based Policymaking Act, the council will develop resources to support CDOs in fulfilling their responsibilities under the Act, identify and evaluate new technology solutions for improving the collection and use of data, and coordinate with other government-wide councils that conduct data-related activities.

Over the course of the next few meetings, the council will elect a chair, develop a governance framework, define priorities, and create subcommittees to work on specific areas of interest.

This inaugural meeting marks completion of Federal Data Strategy 2020 Action Plan milestone 7.1.

For more information about the Federal Data Strategy and the 2020 Action Plan, visit strategy.data.gov.