Data
USDA Data Strategy
USDA has an opportunity to harness its vast data assets strategically to improve internal decision-making and efficient use of resources, maximize the impact of citizen-facing programs, and provide the public and private industry with easy access to data that can solve national problems and drive innovation.
To learn more, please visit the FY2024 – FY2026 USDA Data Strategy (PDF, 10.2 MB).
- Past Data Strategies
- FY21-23 USDA Data Strategy (PDF, 16.5 MB)
Evidence-Based Policy Officials
As required by the Evidence-Based Policy-making Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-435), USDA is committed to developing evidence-based policy and evaluation plans. The following have been designated Evaluation Officers, Statistical Officials and Chief Data Officers to support and implement those new requirements:
Chief Data Officer: Christopher Alvares
Evaluation Officer: John Rapp
Statistical Official: Joseph Parsons
Data Governance Board Charter
The USDA Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) is responsible for the overall information technology strategy and management across the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) including enterprise data and analytics activities. USDA has established a Data Governance Steering Committee and a Data Governance Advisory Board to lead and implement data governance initiatives at USDA.
Data Governance Steering Committee Members
- Chief Data Officer (Chair)
- Chief Evaluation Officer
- Chief Statistical Officer
- Chief Operating Officers for USDA’s eight mission areas
Data Governance Steering Committee Meeting Cadence
- Standing quarterly meetings
- Ad hoc meetings as determined by the Chair
Data Governance Advisory Board Members
- Deputy Chief Data Officer (Chair)
- Assistant Chief Data Officers for USDA’s eight mission areas
- Non-voting representatives from the USDA Office of the Inspector General, Privacy, Geospatial Programs and Capital Planning
Data Governance Advisory Board Meeting Cadence
- Standing monthly meetings
- Ad hoc meetings as determined by the Chair
To learn more, please visit the Data Governance Board Charter (PDF, 159 KB).
Open Data
The USDA Open Data Catalog is the authoritative source of publicly available USDA data. Also available are the XML version and JSON version of the catalog.
