Weekly Roundup: December 17-21, 2018

Evidence Act Advances.  The Senate passed the “Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018” – If it clears the House again (a high probability, given its sponsor is Speaker Ryan), then we can look forward to agencies appointing both Chief Evaluation Officers and Chief Data Officers!

OMB Posts Quarterly Progress Reports.  The performance.gov website’s quarterly updates on progress of the 14 Cross-Agency Priority Goals is now available.

A Nuanced Look at Engagement. Federal News Network reports: “Margaret Weichert, from her seat as both deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget and acting Office of Personnel Management director, said she looks at engagement in the federal workforce and sees a complex picture. . . . Every agency is different. Each has its own challenges. Some lost top leaders in high-profile shakeups. Some are reorganizing.”

Hey Big Spender! Do you ever wonder how much money the government spends each day? How daily spending varies over the course of a year? How much money is spent per day on programs like Medicaid and Social Security benefits? Treasury’s Data Lab team recently launched the Daily Spending Tracker, an interactive visualization tool which explores the total amount spent by the government each day.

Blockchain Live.  Federal News Network reports: “The Department of Health and Human Services can now use live data from its acquisition shop in order to buy things faster, and more cheaply, using a blockchain-and-artificial intelligence tool called HHS Accelerate. . . . “We believe that there’s significant savings and significant price negotiation power that will come with having full visibility into prices paid,” said Jose Arrieta, the associate deputy assistant secretary for acquisition.

Next Week on The Business of Government Hour - Jacqueline Carter, co author of The Mind of the Leader: How to Lead Yourself, Your People, and Your Organization for Extraordinary Results.: What are key leadership qualities for a digital age? How can you become a Mindful Leader? What tools and practices can be employed to better lead yourselves, your teams, and your organizations. Join host Michael Keegan next week on The Business of Government Hour as he explores these questions and more with Jacqueline Carter, co-author of The Mind of the Leader: How to Lead Yourself, Your People, and Your Organization for Extraordinary Results.

Broadcast Schedule: The show airs Monday at 11 a.m., and Friday at 1 p.m. on Federal News Radio 1500AM WFED.

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