Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt from OMB Memorandum M-14-06, “Guidance for Providing and Using Administrative Data for Statistical Purposes.”  The complete document is attached here.

VIII.   Reporting Requirement

The goal of this Memorandum is to help both program and statistical agencies and components leverage administrative data more fully for statistical purposes, to the mutual benefit of both program agencies and statistical agencies and components.  It will thereby promote burden reduction through the efficient use of information previously collected by Federal agencies while maintaining appropriate privacy and confidentiality protections.

Based on the definitions, policies, and guidance in this Memorandum, departments and agencies are required to provide an initial report to the Chief Statistician, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) by June 30, 2014, using the electronic mail address provided below.  This reporting requirement applies to the 15 departments (the department shall submit a single report to OMB on behalf of all of its agencies and offices) and to those other agencies that had a staffing level, as of the beginning of FY14, of more than 50 FTEs. The status report shall provide a description of both processes established or adapted in response to this Memorandum and substantive findings to date, specifically:

Processes established or adapted:

1.   A copy of the department head’s communication with staff on the importance of promoting the use of administrative data for statistical purposes;

2. The process by which program and statistical agencies and components are convening to review administrative datasets of potential statistical value; and

3.  Identification of the offices or functional areas that are participating in that process.

Substantive findings to date:

4.   Three datasets —whether within or outside of the department—identified through the above process as of highest potential statistical value, as well as:

  • The statistical agency or component(s) that would like access to the datasets; and
  • A brief description of the analyses these datasets would allow statistical agencies and components to complete and the value of these analyses to government and the public.

5. The status of requests related to the statistical use of these three datasets, which could include:

  • Data identified; request in process but not yet submitted;
  • Data provision anticipated and estimated timeframe for provision;
  • Data not provided; access does not seem possible due to critical barriers to data provision for statistical purposes
    • Please specify the reasons the request cannot be fulfilled (critical barriers could include policy, statutory, or related impediments causing significant delays to data provision); and
  • All high-value data identified already provided.

These reports will help OMB to better understand common barriers to administrative data provision for statistical purposes. This understanding will, in turn, inform the need for future guidance, technical assistance, or other support to enhance program and statistical agencies’ and components’ use of administrative data for statistical purposes toward increased operational efficiency and decreased information collection burden.

OMB may request supplemental reports from agencies after the initial reporting deadline.