Modernizing the Federal Statistical System: A Roadmap for Action A roadmap prepared by the American Statistical Association to enable a trusted, interoperable, unified, and adaptive federal statistical system that produces relevant, timely, and cost-effective statistics while protecting privacy, confidentiality, and scientific integrity. The recommendations in this plan are based upon the report issued by the American Statistical Association Committee on Modernization of the Federal Statistical System on June 16, 2026. The report envisions a progression from interoperable to unified and adaptive capabilities while preserving the decentralized structure and scientific independence of federal statistical agencies. ^^ Submitter's Note: This StratML rendition was compiled from the source by ChatGPT and lightly edited in the form at https://stratml.us/forms/Claude/Part1.html American Statistical Association Committee on Modernization of the Federal Statistical System ASA 0a30d775-756e-429d-b088-b023d674505e Project team established to develop recommendations for modernization of the Federal Statistical System. Office of Management and Budget Interagency Council on Statistical Policy Federal statistical agencies Congress Government Accountability Office Federal agencies and programs State governments Local governments Businesses Financial markets Academic researchers Nonprofit organizations Data providers Data users Households and individuals Policymakers General public Steering Committee William Beach Executive Director, Fiscal Lab on Capitol Hill; former Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Erica L. Groshen Senior Economic Advisor, Cornell University ILR; former Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nancy Potok Chief Executive Officer, NAPx Consulting; former Chief Statistician of the United States. Rochelle Martinez Consultant; former Executive Director of the Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking. Jennifer Park Consultant; former Senior Advisor to the Chief Statistician of the United States. Steve Pierson Science Policy Director, American Statistical Association. Constance Citro Senior Scholar, Committee on National Statistics, and Independent Consultant; former Director of the Committee on National Statistics. Fiscal Lab on Capitol Hill Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations NAPx Consulting American Statistical Association Committee on National Statistics Bureau of Labor Statistics Office of the Chief Statistician of the United States Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking Kerri Kennedy Editor supporting preparation of the modernization roadmap. Meeting participants and reviewers Contributors providing guidance, critique, and support during development of the roadmap. Current and former employees and leaders of the Federal Statistical System Public servants whose work and dedication inspired and informed the roadmap. An adaptive, trusted, and functionally integrated federal statistical system providing timely, relevant, accessible, and scientifically objective statistics for the benefit of policymakers and the public. 913f3fa7-5c21-4359-9b2a-ee805d3b596e Enable the federal statistical system to produce more cost-effective, timely, granular, and trustworthy statistics through innovation, interoperability, and coordinated governance. 1aeddf64-15b0-4e2e-9ebe-40cedc1f46a2 Interoperability Enable compatibility among statistical agencies, data systems, standards, and operational processes for secure data sharing, common services, and coordinated statistical production. 870d7b6d-5acb-4a39-8611-6c246f68bc36 1 The first stage of modernization focuses on interoperability among statistical agencies while preserving privacy, confidentiality, objectivity, and public trust. Innovation Promote research partnerships and technologies supporting improved collection, analysis, protection, and dissemination of statistical information. f9fe31d2-232c-402a-a77e-9245f53f6b80 1.1 * Recommendation 1. FSS Modernization Task Force * Recommendation 3. TIP-NSDS Innovation Partnership * Recommendation 4. NAIRR-NSDS PET Development * Recommendation 5. DOIs for Statistical Products * Recommendation 6. AI-Ready Statistical Data * Recommendation 7. Remove Innovation Barriers Data Infrastructure Enable secure and efficient sharing of federal, state, and private-sector data resources. b57c63cc-c616-44e9-971e-f90f2630d1ef 1.2 * Recommendation 8. Private-Sector Data Feeds * Recommendation 9. Legal Review for Data Partnerships * Recommendation 10. State Administrative Data Access * Recommendation 11. Implement Presumption of Access Rule * Recommendation 12. Finalize Data-Sharing Regulations * Recommendation 13. Remove Data-Sharing Barriers Usability Improve the consistency and accessibility of statistical products, documentation, and services. 7ab7f951-70ee-4e93-88e2-6aa5c5593335 1.3 * Recommendation 17. External Data Product Review * Recommendation 18. Assess Data User Demand * Recommendation 19. Private-Sector Standards Collaboration * Recommendation 20. Update Statistical Policy Directives * Recommendation 21. Shared IT Infrastructure Trust Maintain confidence in official statistics through protection of privacy, confidentiality, objectivity, and scientific integrity. c96035d0-996c-4805-bf5b-06e48a51fe49 2 Trust is both a prerequisite and a product of modernization. Statistical information should be used exclusively for statistical purposes and protected against misuse in administrative or enforcement proceedings. Confidentiality Protect statistical information against unauthorized disclosure. cd5655a9-1c50-4c0d-9eeb-b26d9b68dd81 2.1 * Recommendation 14. Strengthen Confidentiality Penalties Burden Reduction Reduce unnecessary reporting burdens on respondents and data providers. 11c192f7-034c-4bcd-b81b-d5fb31e2ff2c 2.2 * Recommendation 15. Reduce Respondent Burden Objectivity Protect the scientific integrity and independence of official statistics. 51e90c78-f327-4e42-81c0-1afa6d59084b 2.3 * Recommendation 16. Protect Statistical Objectivity Integration Coordinate planning, budgeting, governance, and shared services across the Federal Statistical System. 78cc5f8a-80fb-425c-8da1-3551dacf3772 3 Although the statistical agencies would remain organizationally distinct, they would increasingly function as components of a coherent and coordinated system under the leadership of the Chief Statistician and the Interagency Council on Statistical Policy. Planning Coordinate strategic priorities and budget planning across the Federal Statistical System. 8296bb5e-7d78-4f0e-bc0b-2921286d6046 3.1 * Recommendation 22. Coordinate FSS Budget Planning Governance Strengthen system-wide governance and strategic coordination. 9bb309d6-e1eb-433b-b97e-18d17e1adb14 3.2 * Recommendation 23. Streamline IT Governance * Recommendation 24. Unified Strategic Planning Funding Provide flexible and coordinated resources for shared initiatives and long-term investments. 544e12f0-c77b-47e9-92a2-cea669ef0d17 3.3 * Recommendation 25. Multiyear Funding Flexibility * Recommendation 26. PFEI and Major Interdependency Funding Adaptability Enable the Federal Statistical System to anticipate emerging needs and continuously incorporate improved methods, technologies, and data sources. 88bed8b7-145d-4db2-992f-d21dd727ff20 4 The Adaptive stage envisions a highly resilient and agile system whose agencies operate as though they were components of an integrated enterprise while preserving their specialized expertise and relationships. Innovation Capacity Provide resources and incentives supporting continuous innovation and modernization. 2c3cb015-868a-4652-9f42-07b0131f153d 4.1 * Recommendation 27. Create FSS Innovation Fund * Recommendation 28. Fund FSS Innovation Initiatives Identity Strengthen recognition and reputation of Federal Statistical System products and services. ff094791-89f5-473a-8f87-e862b03fbea9 4.2 * Recommendation 29. FSS Brand and Product Identity * Recommendation 30. Gold-Standard Statistical Designation Accountability Assess progress and ensure that modernization efforts produce sustained value while preserving public trust. 647c7ee0-89d4-4fe3-ac37-13cb1891141c 5 The roadmap emphasizes continual evaluation and course correction. Administrative consolidation should be considered only if functional integration proves inadequate to achieve the intended outcomes. Oversight Strengthen executive, congressional, and independent oversight of modernization efforts. 13d31c87-cc70-4dd2-8cba-e2a4d60d4fa8 5.1 * Recommendation 2. Congressional Oversight * Employ performance measurement, audits, and GAO reviews to monitor implementation and results. Assessment Measure progress and identify opportunities for improvement. 53ee9152-1d09-4497-9187-d58ef8ea7c76 5.2 Conduct ongoing evaluations and apply corrective actions to maintain progress toward an adaptive Federal Statistical System. Consolidation Provide for administrative integration if functional coordination proves insufficient. 24e6a16a-13ed-4a1c-8cac-8d218124d6ea 5.3 Consider consolidating statistical agencies into a national statistical office led by the Chief Statistician if regulatory, legal, or appropriations barriers prevent achievement of a functionally integrated system. 2026-06-16 https://www.amstat.org/docs/default-source/amstat-documents/modernizing-the-federal-statistical-system/fss_modernizationroadmap.pdf Owen Ambur Owen.Ambur@verizon.net