[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 217 (Monday, November 9, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71353-71354]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-24836]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

[Docket No. DHS-2020-0043]


Request for Information: Evidence-Building Activities

AGENCY: Department of Homeland Security.

ACTION: Request for information.

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SUMMARY: The Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 
requires federal agencies to develop evidence-building plans to 
identify and address questions relevant to Agency policies, programs, 
regulations, management, and operations. Through this request for 
Information (RFI), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) seeks to 
expand ongoing efforts to identify priority questions that can guide 
evidence-building activities by soliciting input from the public.

DATES: Please send comments on or before December 31, 2020. Comments 
received after that date will be considered to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal 
at https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting 
comments via Docket No. DHS-2020-0043. All comments received, including 
any personal information provided, may be posted without change to 
https://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions about this 
notice, please contact Michael Stough, Director, Program Analysis and 
Evaluation, (202) 447-0518, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Evidence Act

    The Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 
(Evidence Act, Pub. L. 115-435) requires each federal agency to 
develop, as part of the agency strategic plan issued every four 
years,\1\ a systematic evidence-building plan (or ``learning agenda'') 
to identify and address policy questions relevant to the programs, 
policies, and regulations of the agency.\2\ The plan must contain (1) a 
list of policy-relevant questions for which the agency intends to 
develop evidence to support policymaking; (2) a list of data the agency 
intends to collect, use, or acquire to facilitate the use of evidence 
in policymaking; (3) a list of methods and analytical approaches that 
may be used to develop evidence to support policymaking; (4) a list of 
any challenges to developing evidence to support policymaking, 
including any statutory or other restrictions to accessing relevant 
data; (5) a description of the steps the agency will take to accomplish 
items (1) and (2) above; and (6) any other information as required by 
guidance issued by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB).\3\ In developing the evidence-building plan, the agency must 
consult with stakeholders, including the public, agencies, State and 
local governments, and representatives of non-governmental 
researchers.\4\
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    \1\ The latest such DHS strategic plan covers the years 2020-
2024, and preceded implementation of the Evidence Act. See DHS, The 
DHS Strategic Plan: Fiscal Years 2020-2024, available at https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/19_0702_plcy_dhs-strategic-plan-fy20-24.pdf (last visited Oct. 26, 2020).
    \2\ See 5 U.S.C. 306, 312.
    \3\ See 5 U.S.C. 312(a).
    \4\ See, e.g.., OMB Memorandum M-19-23, Phase 1 Implementation 
of the Foundations for Evidence Based Policymaking Act of 2018: 
Learning Agenda, Personnel, and Planning Guidance at 16-17 (July 10, 
2019), available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/M-19-23.pdf (last visited Oct. 26, 2020) (``Agencies should 
gather input in the manner that best meets their needs, most 
effectively engages their specific stakeholders, and leverages 
existing activities and/or requirements whenever possible, in 
accordance with applicable law and policy. Potential models for 
doing so include: Requests for Information published in the Federal 
Register, listening sessions with groups of stakeholders, Technical 
Working Groups, and one-on-one consultations. OMB recognizes that 
agencies may use different approaches at different points in the 
process, and that it may not be feasible to engage all stakeholders 
for all updates to the learning agenda. . . .'').
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    DHS has commenced development of its evidence-building plan. 
Consistent with the Evidence Act, DHS now invites comments from the 
public to inform the development of the Department's evidence-building 
plan. DHS invites suggestions in many forms, such as questions to be 
answered, hypotheses to be tested, or problems to be studied. DHS will 
analyze information collected from this RFI to continue developing its 
evidence-building plan.

DHS Background

    With the passage of the Homeland Security Act by Congress in 
November 2002, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) became a 
Cabinet-level agency to unite the Nation's approach to homeland 
security. DHS combined functions of 22 different agencies with broad 
responsibilities that collectively prevent attacks, mitigate threats, 
respond to national emergencies, preserve economic security, and 
preserve legacy agency functions. DHS is committed to evaluating the 
effectiveness and efficiency of its programs, policies, and 
regulations. DHS will use its evidence-building plan to coordinate and 
communicate how evaluation, statistics, research, and analysis will be 
used to help the Department achieve its mission.

Request for Information

    Through this RFI, DHS is soliciting suggestions from a broad array 
of stakeholders across public and private sectors that may be familiar 
with or interested in the work of DHS and wish to volunteer suggestions 
for studies that could help DHS improve the effectiveness and 
efficiency of DHS programs, policies and regulations. DHS invites 
suggestions in many forms--such as questions to be answered, hypotheses 
to be tested, or problems to be studied--and focused on any area of 
Department's work, including policy,

[[Page 71354]]

programs, regulations, management, and operations. Responses to this 
RFI will inform the Department's ongoing development of a set of 
questions that will guide evidence-building activities, such as 
foundational research, policy analysis, performance measurement, and 
program evaluation.
    This RFI is for information and planning purposes only and should 
not be construed as a solicitation or as creating or resulting in any 
obligation on the part of DHS.

Michael Stough,
Evaluation Officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2020-24836 Filed 11-6-20; 8:45 am]
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