Data Sharing

Agencies are increasingly sharing data collected from programs, surveys, or other activities with each other to generate better insights and to minimize data collection burden on the American public, but still run into barriers. Sharing such valuable information can fuel more useful, actionable insights, bolster decision-making, and elevate the value of data as an asset. The more agencies share information, the more they must regard privacy protections to guard sensitive data.

As government moves towards using more of the data it collects, public-private partnerships will play a key role in driving innovation. Public-private partnerships that increase access to federal data will lead researchers and industry to develop solutions for government to consider and adopt. Collaboration improves government efficiency by capitalizing on the ingenuity in the data community, while also supporting agencies in their adoption of data-centric cultures that protect personally identifiable data. 

The Data Coalition supports collaboration between government, industry, non-profits, and academia to ensure government data are accessible and useful for the American public.

Key Laws

National Secure Data Service Act

Press Releases and Statements

• Congress Authorizes Establishment of National Secure Data Service to Improve Data Analytics, July 28, 2022
• Data Coalition Applauds Commerce Department's Announcement of the Advisory Committee on Data for Evidence Building, November 7, 2019 

Resources

• A Blueprint for Implementing the National Secure Data Service: Initial Governance and Administrative Priorities for the National Science Foundation, June 2022, Nancy Potok and Nick Hart

• How Government Gets it Right on Privacy, January 2020, Nick Hart, Ph.D, and Jane Fountain, Ph.D.
• Privacy-Preserved Data Sharing for Evidence-Based Policy Decisions: A Demonstration Project Using Human Services Administrative Records for Evidence-Building Activities, March 2019, Nick Hart, Ph.D, Erin Dalton, M.S., and David W. Archer, Ph.D.
• Evidence-based Policy Report Calls for Secure Data Service, September 8, 2017, Carten Cordell.