EPA Data Governance Council

Meeting Summary - August 17, 2020

Data Skills Assessment Presentation and Feedback Discussion

•	The basis for the Data Skills Assessment survey is the 2019 Evidence Act which requires the Data
Governance Council (DGC) to conduct data assessments and surveys.

•	To help define survey questions, the subcommittee reviewed survey instruments, including Gartner
instruments, OMB Data Skills Playbook, the Databilities instrument, the Department of Education
survey, and the Statistic Canada Survey.

•	There are 26 survey questions and Six Survey Categories that include the following:

o Demographics of respondent
o Awareness of options to access/share/manage data
o Skills to use options to access/share/manage data
o Skills to interpret data and/or analyses
o Skills to communicate the data
o Business value/use of evidence

•	The subcommittee also discussed how to pilot and deploy the survey, how to motivate staff to answer
the survey, whether skills can be inferred as part of analysis and what competencies may be expected.

•	The CDO and subcommittee lead met with the Office of Human Resources (OHR) to discuss the process
for implementing a survey. OHR recommended working with a region to pilot the survey.

•	The subcommittee will use pilot feedback to refine the survey before deploying it to the entire Agency.

•	The subcommittee provided a copy of the Data Skills Survey to the DGC. DGC members the reviewed the
draft survey and provided comments.

Subcommittee Management

•	DGC members reviewed the subcommittee management procedures.

•	Subcommittee members completed a poll to gather interest in participating in nine subcommittees.

•	The subcommittees are responsible for evaluating and providing recommendations for specific DGC
topics.

•	The CDO will determine the appropriate time to implement each subcommittee and identify leads.

•	The CDO and subcommittee leader will select a kickoff meeting date and establish the responsibilities,
charge, objectives, and activities of the subcommittee.

•	The CDO support team will assist with meeting agendas, materials, note taking and action item tracking.

•	DGC members can contact the CDO with interest in leading a subcommittee.

•	The next subcommittee to be kicked off is the Data Inventory Subcommittee.

•	Subcommittee leaders and members can include individuals that are not a part of the DGC.

Data Activities

•	The CDO presented an update on recent Chief Data Office activities.

•	Twenty-three data discussion meetings were conducted as part of the 2020 Information Technology
Program Review (ITPR) process.

•	The data discussions included:

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August 17, 2020

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o Self-identification of priority data assets
o Identification of data priorities and challenges

•	Outcomes from discussions are being summarized.

•	Next steps include identifying cross agency priorities and building plans to improve those data processes
and assets.

•	Highlighted data challenges from the data discussions include:

o Awareness of data
o Accessing data
o Integration of data
o Data quality

o Understanding of best data fit for any use
o Training on data skills

o Coordination/collaboration across EPA and with status
o Resources lacking for dedicated data management
o Better understanding of business processes across programs and regions

•	Common data assets mentioned include:

o

Regulated facilities

o

Financial

o

Drinking water

o

Wastewater

o

Superfund sites

o

Grants

o

Facilities we occupy

o

Personnel organizational data

Data Inventory Asset Crosswalk to ICR Improvement Process

•	The Agency is working to streamline the Information Collection Request process.

•	The Chief Data Office's review is focused on data collection, data flows, identifying redundant data
collection processes.

Action Items

•	n/a

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