1. Providing Access to the Federal Information Base for Evidence-Based Decision Making
July, 2019
Joint Statistical Meetings
Marilyn Seastrom and Jennifer Nielsen
National Center for Education Statistics

2. WHY WAS THE INVENTORY CREATED?
To improve the coordination of data collections across program offices
To minimize respondent burden
To ensure responsible data management at ED
To achieve data transparency with the public about ED data
To comply with OMB Information Quality Act Directive M (May 9, 2013); and more recently, OMB Directive M (April 24, 2019) 2

3. WHAT IS IN THE ED DATA INVENTORY?
Metadata about each data collection and
Variables in individual data collections.
HOW IS IT POPULATED?
95% from OMB Information Collection Request ( manual process)
Response rates and variable information added after collection
Modelled after ICPSR data catalogue 3

4. What is included?
Series description—Dataset Title, File Name, Location, and Format
Studies—Scope, Access notes, Data files, Methodology
Variables—Name, Label, Extended Definition, Value Labels, File Name
Name of the Series investigator
Description of the Series and list of Studies included in the Series
List of Series files and information on files including: File Name Dataset Title File Location File Format Study Name
Search function which can be used to: List all variables in the Series Search for variables using keyword 4

5. Drawing information from the OMB Information Clearance Request (Phase 1)
The Cross-Agency Priorities Team provided funds for ED to develop an electronic template of fixed and open fields that:
Produces the OMB ICR
Internally tags the metadata entries
Extracts tagged fields after the ICR is approved
Extracted information electronically updates the ED Inventory 5

6. Drawing information from the OMB Information Clearance Request (Phases 1-4): NEXT STEPS
Test ICR Template in NCES, IES, and another office in ED
Adapt and test electronic ICR template in other Departments
Provide documentation for government-wide implementation 6

7. Tuesday 9:25-10:10 Session 311 No. 29 Convention Center Hall C ED DATA INVENTORY FOR MORE INFORMATION 9