[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 124 (Wednesday, June 27, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30113-30116]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-13768]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

[Docket Number USBC-2018-0011]


Request for Comments on the Cross-Agency Priority Goal: 
Leveraging Data as a Strategic Asset

AGENCY: Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In March 2018, the Trump Administration launched the 
President's Management Agenda (PMA). It lays out a long-term vision for 
modernizing the Federal Government in key areas that will improve the 
ability of agencies to deliver mission outcomes, provide excellent 
service, and effectively steward taxpayer dollars on behalf of the 
American people. The PMA established a Cross-Agency Priority (CAP) goal 
of Leveraging Data as a Strategic Asset with an intended purpose of 
guiding development of a comprehensive long-term Federal Data Strategy 
to grow the economy, increase the effectiveness of the Federal 
Government, facilitate oversight, and promote transparency (https://www.performance.gov/CAP/CAP_goal_2.html). This notice seeks comment on 
best strategies and processes for achieving this CAP goal.
    In addition to this request, two additional future requests for 
comment in September and December will inform draft federal data 
practices and a year-1 action plan.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by July 27, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments through the Federal eRulemaking Portal. We 
will not accept comments by fax or paper delivery. Include the Docket 
ID and the phrase ``Leveraging Data as a Strategic Asset Phase 1 
Comments'' at the beginning of your comments. Also indicate which 
questions described in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION of this notice are 
addressed in your comments.
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov to 
submit your comments electronically under Docket ID USBC-2018-0011. 
Information on using regulations.gov, including instructions for 
accessing documents, submitting comments, and viewing the docket, is 
available on the site under ``How to Use This Site.''
     Privacy Note: Comments and information submitted in 
response to this notice may be made available to the public through 
relevant websites. Therefore, commenters should only include in their 
comments information that they wish to make publicly available on the 
internet. Note that responses to this public comment request containing 
any routine notice about the confidentiality of the communication will 
be treated as public comments that may be made available to the public.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Hawk, Economist, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, [email protected] or (202) 482-2134.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose

    The Under Secretary for Economic Affairs, performing the 
nonexclusive duties and functions of the Deputy Secretary of the U.S. 
Department of Commerce, along with the Federal Chief Information 
Officer, the Chief Statistician of the United States, and executives 
from the U.S. Small Business Administration and the White House Office 
of Science and Technology Policy, is charged with developing a 
comprehensive Federal Data Strategy under the PMA CAP goal of 
Leveraging Data as a Strategic Asset. Under this goal, the Federal 
Government should leverage programmatic, statistical, and mission-
support data as a strategic asset to grow the economy, increase the 
effectiveness of the Federal Government, facilitate oversight, and 
promote transparency. The Federal Government's role in collecting and 
disseminating data is rooted in the U.S. Constitution. Advances in data 
science have transformed the production and use of data across society, 
business, and government. The Federal Government needs a robust, 
integrated approach to creating, acquiring, using, and disseminating 
data to deliver on mission, serve customers, and steward resources 
while respecting privacy and confidentiality. Over the next year, an 
interdisciplinary team from multiple federal agencies will develop work 
products, including principles, practices, and action steps for a 
unified approach to federal data stewardship and use, and will test 
potential plans as part of The Data Incubator Project (described 
below). Stakeholder engagement is critical to developing a data 
strategy that is viable and sustainable. This Federal Register notice 
is the first of three notices and requests for comment to seek public 
input on the strategy and process. This notice seeks comments on a 
four-part strategy to:
    1. Manage government data as a strategic asset;
    2. enable the American public, businesses, and researchers to 
effectively and efficiently access and use data;

[[Page 30114]]

    3. improve the use of data for federal decision-making and 
accountability, including for policy-making, innovation, oversight, and 
learning; and
    4. facilitate the use of federal data by interested parties to 
enhance the accessibility and usefulness of that data through 
commercial ventures, or innovation, or for additional public uses.

Request for Comments

    This is a general solicitation of comments from the public that 
offers businesses, academic institutions, non-profit organizations, 
government entities, and other interested parties the opportunity to 
offer best practices and use cases to support the Federal Data 
Strategy. Comments also are sought on draft Principles for a 
Comprehensive Federal Data Strategy. Finally, commenters are invited to 
list additional mechanisms that the Federal Government should use to 
seek interested parties' input on the data strategy. It is for 
information-gathering and fact-finding purposes only, and should not be 
construed as a request for proposals or as an obligation on the part of 
the U.S. Department of Commerce or federal agencies to agree with 
submitted comments or to incorporate recommendations identified in 
public comments regarding specific work products.
    The U.S. Department of Commerce requests that respondents briefly 
address the following questions, where possible and applicable. 
Respondents are encouraged to focus on questions informed by relevant 
expertise or perspectives. Clearly indicate which question(s) you 
address in your response and any evidence to support assertions, where 
practicable.

Best Practices Related to the Four Pillars of the Federal Data Strategy

    1. Enterprise Data Governance. Briefly describe which best 
practices the Federal Government should consider as it sets priorities 
for managing government data as a strategic asset, including 
establishing data policies, specifying roles and responsibilities for 
data privacy, security, and confidentiality protection, and monitoring 
compliance with standards and policies throughout the information 
lifecycle.
    2. Access, Use, and Augmentation. List a few best practices that 
the Federal Government should consider as it develops policies and 
practices to enable interested parties to effectively and efficiently 
access and use data assets by: (1) Making data available more quickly 
and in more useful formats; (2) maximizing the amount of non-sensitive 
data shared with the public; and (3) leveraging new technologies and 
best practices to increase access to sensitive or restricted data while 
protecting privacy, security, and confidentiality, and the interests of 
data providers.
    3. Decision-Making and Accountability. Which best practices should 
the Federal Government consider to improve the use of data assets for 
decision-making and accountability? Specifically, list best practices 
for:
     Providing high quality and timely information to inform 
decision-making and learning;
     facilitating external research on the effectiveness of 
government programs and policies which will inform future policymaking; 
and
     fostering public accountability and transparency by 
providing accurate and timely spending information, performance 
metrics, and other administrative data.
    4. Commercialization, Innovation, and Public Use. Outline best 
practices that the Federal Government should consider to facilitate the 
use of Federal Government data interested parties to enhance the 
accessibility and usefulness of the data through commercial ventures, 
or innovation, or for additional public uses. Of particular interest 
are examples of how the Federal Government can promote data use by the 
private sector and scientific and research communities, by state and 
local governments for public policy purposes, for education, and in 
enabling civic engagement. Please include up to four examples of:
     How enabling external users to access and use government 
data for commercial or additional public purposes spurs innovative 
technological solutions and fills gaps in government capacity and 
knowledge; and
     how supporting the production and dissemination of 
comprehensive, accurate, and objective statistics on the state of the 
nation helps businesses and markets operate more efficiently.

Interim Work Products

    5. Principles. The interagency team on Leveraging Data as a 
Strategic Asset has written a draft set of principles for a 
comprehensive data strategy. Please review and provide feedback on 
their clarity, appropriateness, completeness, and potential 
duplications.

Leveraging Data as a Strategic Asset: Principles for a Comprehensive 
Federal Data Strategy

    The following broad principles are intended to guide the 
development of a comprehensive data strategy that encompasses the 
breadth of data the Federal Government acquires, uses, and disseminates 
for program, statistical, and mission-support purposes. These 
principles include concepts reflected in existing principles, such as 
those for the protection of personal information, for federal 
statistical agencies, and for federal evidence building. The principles 
will inform the development of practices and action steps for the 
Federal Data Strategy throughout the data lifecycle.
Stewardship
    1. Exercise Responsibility: Practice effective data stewardship and 
governance by maintaining modern data security practices, protecting 
individual privacy, and maintaining promised confidentiality.
    2. Uphold Ethics: Consider, monitor, and assess the implications of 
federal data practices for the public and provide sufficient checks and 
balances to protect and serve the public interest.
    3. Promote Transparency: Articulate purposes for acquiring, using, 
and disseminating data and comprehensively document processes and 
products to inform data users.
Quality
    4. Integrate Intentionality: Create, acquire, use, and disseminate 
data deliberately and thoughtfully, considering quality, consistency, 
privacy, value, reuse, and interoperability from the start.
    5. Ensure Relevance: Validate that data are high quality, useful, 
understandable, timely, and needed.
    6. Create Value: Coordinate and prioritize data needs and uses, 
harness data from multiple sources, and acquire new data only when 
necessary.
Continuous Improvement
    7. Demonstrate Responsiveness: Improve data sharing and access with 
ongoing input from users and other stakeholders.
    8. Prioritize Best Practices: Model, assess, and continuously 
update best practices throughout the data lifecycle.
    9. Invest in Learning: Promote a culture of continuous and 
collaborative learning with data and about data.
    10. Practice Accountability: Audit data practices, document and 
learn from results, and make changes as needed based on findings.

[[Page 30115]]

Sources for Development of Above Principles

    European Statistical System Code of Practice (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/quality/european-statistics-code-of-practice); Fair 
Information Practice Principles as cited in (https://cep.gov/cep-final-report.html); First Principles of Project Management, (http://www.maxwideman.com/papers/principles/defns.htm); Guiding Principles for 
Evidence-Based Policymaking (https://cep.gov/cep-final-report.html); 
Key Principles of Government Information from the American Library 
Association, (http://www.ala.org/advocacy/govinfo/keyprinciples); OMB 
Statistical Standards (https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/information-regulatory-affairs/statistical-programs-standards/); Principles and 
Practices for a Federal Statistical Agency, Sixth Edition, (https://www.nap.edu/read/24810/chapter/1).
    6. Call for Use Cases. What Use Cases should the Federal Government 
consider in developing the Federal Data Strategy?

Federal Data Strategy: Call for Use Cases

    To solve the most pressing issues facing the nation, we must 
leverage data as a strategic asset. The United States Federal Data 
Strategy seeks to replicate, scale, and prioritize key data use cases 
to serve the public.
What is a Use Case?
    For the purposes of the Federal Data Strategy, a ``Use Case'' is a 
data practice or method that leverages data to support an articulable 
Federal agency mission or public interest outcome. The Federal Data 
Strategy is seeking best practices, missed opportunities, common 
solutions, and game changers that can help inform the four strategy 
areas:
    1. Enterprise Data Governance. What data governance and stewardship 
practices should the Federal Government be employing and why?
    2. Use, Access, and Augmentation. What data interoperability 
techniques or coordination tactics would better serve agency missions 
and the public?
    3. Decision-making and Accountability. How can the Federal 
Government better assist policy-makers with data?
    4. Commercialization, Innovation, and Public Use. What data 
solutions could address a pervasive problem in government service 
delivery or the public sphere?
Example Use Case Submissions
     Economic Development--State and local authorities 
increasingly need detailed local information about their economies to 
make informed decisions. The US Census Bureau's Longitudinal Employer-
Household Dynamics (LEHD) program (https://lehd.ces.census.gov/) 
produces new, cost effective, public-use information combining federal, 
state and Census Bureau data on employers and employees under the Local 
Employment Dynamics (LED) Partnership (https://lehd.ces.census.gov/state_partners/).
     National Security--Preventing and minimizing adverse 
effects of cyber-attacks is imperative to national security in the 21st 
century. National Institute of Standards and Technology's National 
Vulnerability Database (https://nvd.nist.gov/) and the Homeland 
Security Systems Engineering and Development Institute's Common 
Vulnerabilities and Exposure (https://cve.mitre.org/) list enable 
automation of vulnerability management, security measurement, and 
compliance.
     Education--Students seek colleges that give them the best 
return on their investment. The College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/) provides up-to-date, comprehensive, and 
reliable information about college costs, student loan amounts, student 
ability to repay loans, and their expected earnings.
     Public Safety--Emergency responders rely on up-to-date 
addresses for timely response. The Federal Geospatial Data Committee 
(https://www.fgdc.gov/topics/national-address-database) recognizes the 
need for a free, open, and up-to-date National Address Database (NAD) 
(https://www.transportation.gov/nad) to serve these critical needs as 
well as a broad range of government services such as mail delivery, 
permitting, and school siting. Based on a minimum content approach, the 
Department of Transportation and the US Census Bureau's NAD pilot 
collected and standardized addresses from 22 state partners.
     Health--Local communities and health professionals 
reacting to the opioid crisis require timely data to assess impact and 
deliver effective interventions. The Department of Health and Human 
Services' 5 Point Strategy to Combat the Opioids Crisis includes Point 
2, Better Data (https://www.hhs.gov/opioids/about-the-epidemic/hhs-response/better-data/index.html)--supporting more timely, specific 
public health data and reporting, and accelerating the Center for 
Disease Control's reporting of drug overdose data.
Why does the Federal Data Strategy need Use Cases?
    While many high-level civic data challenges have been identified--
archaic data management practices and IT legacy systems, issues with 
data sharing and interoperability, and a lack of secondary use 
considerations--the Federal Government lacks an overall approach to 
prioritize data infrastructure improvements that serve the public. The 
Federal Data Strategy is seeking priority data use cases to ensure it 
is comprehensive and actionable.
How will the Federal Data Strategy incorporate Use Cases?
    These use cases will be identified and discussed in the Federal 
Data Strategy, and a select number of ready use cases will be assessed 
more deeply in The Data Incubator Project.
What is The Data Incubator Project?
    A select number of Use Cases deemed ``ripe for testing'' will be 
included in The Data Incubator Project. To be ``ripe for testing,'' 
these Use Cases must demonstrate potential for replication, scaling, 
and mission impact. They also must have a ready team for further 
exploration and assessment purposes. The Data Incubator Project is not 
a new platform or set of resources, but rather is focused research 
aimed at identifying methods for the Federal Data Strategy and for 
agencies going forward. The Federal Data Strategy team will seek 
academic, private sector, and NGO partnerships to further our learning 
from The Data Incubator Project.
How can I submit a Use Case?
    Please submit information about Use Cases in response to this RFC 
by July 27, 2018.
    To ensure complete use case entries, please provide as much 
contextual information as possible, such as: contact information for 
follow-up questions, the Federal agencies or bureaus related to the 
relevant data, related reference materials (including URLs) such as 
documentation about the data, practice, or goal of the project, and why 
this Use Case should be included in Federal Data Strategy development.

Stakeholder Engagement

    7. What are the best mechanisms for engaging stakeholders in the 
development of the data strategy? What platforms and processes are both 
comprehensive and efficient for collecting stakeholder feedback on

[[Page 30116]]

interim work products and input on next steps?

Guidance for Submitting Documents

    We ask that each respondent include the name and address of his or 
her institution or affiliation, and the name, title, mailing and email 
addresses, and telephone number of a contact person for his or her 
institution or affiliation, if any. No specific information pertaining 
to the respondent is required, other than that necessary for self-
identification, as a condition of the agency's full consideration of 
the comment.

    Dated: June 20, 2018.
Karen Dunn Kelley,
Under Secretary for Economic Affairs, Performing the Nonexclusive 
Duties and Functions of the Deputy Secretary of Commerce, Department of 
Commerce.
[FR Doc. 2018-13768 Filed 6-26-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-07-P