§312 Agency Evidence-building Plan

Summary

Agency heads must include in their strategic plan a clear plan for finding and using evidence to guide policy. The plan must list the policy questions the agency will study, the data it will collect or acquire, the methods it may use, any problems or legal limits to getting data, the steps to carry out the work, and any other items the Director requires. When they submit their performance plan, agencies must also provide an evaluation plan for the next fiscal year. That plan must name the main questions for each major study they will start next year, the key data collections or acquisitions to begin, and any other Director-required information. Agencies must consult the public, other agencies, state and local governments, and outside researchers when making these plans.