March 11, 2024
Building Evidence for Better Management: Inside the PMA Learning Agenda End of Year Report
By The Performance.gov and Evidence Teams
On March 4, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released the President’s Management Agenda (PMA) Learning Agenda Fiscal Year 2023 Year End Report on Performance.gov and Evaluation.gov.
The year-end report details select studies related to the learning agenda. These were conducted in the federal space, as a part of a wider effort for researchers and policymakers to work together in implementing the President’s Management Agenda (PMA). By creating a clear roadmap with key evidence-building questions, the agenda invites diverse partners to collaborate, ultimately leading to enhanced government experiences for all.
The PMA Learning Agenda seeks to equip government leaders with insights to inform evidence-based policy by posing the following questions:
- How can the Federal Government strengthen and empower its workforce, so it can best serve the American people?
- How can the Federal Government deliver programs and services effectively and build trust?
- How can the Federal Government advance equity and support underserved communities?
Key Evidence Activities
In this report you’ll find summaries of evidence-building activities across each PMA priority area.
Some examples include:
- Government Wide Pulse Surveys to understand the federal workforce perspective on several aspects of employee experience during the shift to teleworking.
- Improving SNAP Benefits Accessibility by producing generalizable evidence on ways to improve form completion and federal customer experience that other federal agencies and High Impact Service Providers (HISPs) can use.
- American Rescue Plan (ARP) National Evaluation to assess selected programs funded by the American Rescue Plan (ARP) to see whether, how, and to what extent their implementation served to achieve their intended outcomes, particularly with respect to advancing equity.
The PMA Learning Agenda focuses on understanding what works through encouraging research that pinpoints effective approaches and the reasons behind them. This learning agenda facilitates the sharing and application of valuable lessons across different government agencies, fostering collaborative efforts to address complex issues. By breaking down silos, the agenda fosters cross-agency knowledge building, ensuring that everyone leverages the most pertinent evidence available.
Continue to Engage with the PMA Learning Agenda
By sparking engagement beyond the federal space, the PMA Learning Agenda is driving activity to build evidence in support of the Administration’s priorities. In the report’s opening letter, OMB’s Deputy Director Jason Miller notes, “Whether you are a researcher, student, practitioner, industry expert, public servant, a member of a community or philanthropic organization, or just passionate about improving government, your role in this process is critical and we welcome your contributions.” This nationwide invitation to those rigorously testing pilots and innovations demonstrates a commitment to leveraging diverse perspectives to better serve communities.
To get involved:
- Explore the PMA Learning Agenda and Federal Agency Learning Agenda Questions on Evaluation.gov
- View agency Annual Evaluation Plans
- Sign up for updates
- Submit research, questions, comments or feedback to PMALearningAgenda@omb.eop.gov