The Foundations for Evidence-Based Policy Making Act of 2018 ("Evidence Act"), signed into law on January 14, 2019, emphasizes collaboration and coordination to advance data and evidence-building functions in the Federal Government. The Evidence Act requires agencies to develop and maintain an Open Data Plan within each agency’s Strategic Information Resources Management Plan, describing the agency's efforts to make public data maintained by the government open to the public as open Government data assets.
M-19-23 Phase 1 Implementation of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 and M-25-05 Phase 2 Implementation of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018: Open Government Data Access and Management Guidance provide the necessary details and instructions to implement the Evidence Act's Open Data Plan requirement. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or the Commission) plans to make at least annual updates to this Open Data Plan in compliance with the Evidence Act, M-19-23, and M-25-05. Details on the Commission’s Data Program are available at www.ferc.gov/data.
Data Strategy
The FERC FY22-26 Strategic Plan identifies challenges and opportunities for mission-related information and data initiatives. FERC established the Data Governance Division, led by the Chief Data Officer (CDO), within the Office of the Executive Director and Chief Information Officer Organization to develop and implement a comprehensive data strategy, governance process and orchestrate shared data services across the Commission and to its external stakeholders. The CDO is required to report on and provide advice regarding data management and to develop a data architecture, defined as an integrated framework for evolving or maintaining existing data to achieve the agency’s goals. The Data Governance Division facilitates better use of data and data-driven decision-making through its data governance model in partnership with program office data stewards and other FERC IT governance bodies. Together, these groups oversee FERC’s data and manage or evaluate the performance of data projects and services.
FERC established and integrated its Data Strategy into the FERC IT and Resources Management Strategic Plan within the Goals of "Mission Forward" and "Advance Innovation". Key data strategic objectives are included under 'Mature Data Stewardship' and 'Improve Data Driven Decision Making'. Within the ‘Mature Data Stewardship’ objective, our focus is on managing our information collections program as part of the data lifecycle and ensuring an effective data management program, to include data standardization and managing our FERC data catalog, in accordance with the requirements of the Evidence Act and the Federal Data Strategy Agency Action Plan requirements. Within the ‘Improve Data Driven Decision Making’ objective, key focus areas include implementing our data analytics capabilities against our roadmap and rolling out data science training across the Commission. In accordance with guidance, FERC established our agency data page at www.ferc.gov/data where the public can find information about FERC’s Data Strategy.
FERC Data Governance Working Group and Charter
In August 2019, FERC established and chartered its Data Governance Working Group (DGWG) to provide senior level decision-making on and oversight of FERC’s data management initiatives and to ensure compliance with the statutory and regulatory direction from Congress and other applicable federal oversight entities.
The Commission’s Chief Data Officer and Chief Information Officer serve as co-chairs of the DGWG. Membership of the data governance body, which meets monthly, includes representatives from all of FERC’s Program Offices.
As noted in its charter, the scope of the DGWG’s purview includes all FERC data, both structured and unstructured, throughout the data lifecycle from creation and initial storage to the time it becomes obsolete and is deleted regardless of whether such data management is performed by government employees or contractors.
Data Collection Processes for Open Formats
The FERC is incorporating open data standards in the information collection process by introducing data requirements, standards, and technical capabilities early in the regulation-making process. DGD fosters discussions around topics such as digital submission, machine readability, end use, storage, and analytical uses so they can be incorporated into the drafting of regulations. This proactive approach to managing collection activities improves the usability of data for the agency and the public, while also identifying ways to reduce the burden of reporting information. Some example projects include conversion of legacy data submission interfaces to modern, automated, and cloud-based resources to make the process of engaging with FERC easier, more accessible, and useable.
Additionally, FERC is documenting information collections as part of its enterprise data stewardship processes, including capturing information about related CFRs, data assets, location of collection assets, collection submission methods and technologies, and engaging stakeholders on potential digital, machine-readable formats and methods. Over time, the open data plan at FERC will improve these planned submission methods, formats, and technologies. These revisions and updates to existing and new collections will align FERC with the goals of the Evidence Act regarding Open Data, helping provide the public with accessible digital datasets as appropriate.
Data Usage Information
FERC uses its open data portal, data.ferc.gov, to make public data assets readily accessible for users to search, view, interact with, and download. To collect and analyze digital information on data asset usage, FERC will leverage website usage tracking to track how often users are engaging with components of the site including viewing and downloading datasets. These metrics, including dataset view counts, will be displayed directly on the portal, providing transparency and context for all users. The portal will also feature the last update date and the update frequency for each dataset, enabling users to assess data currency and anticipate future updates. All data collection and reporting activities are conducted in accordance with applicable laws and policies regarding privacy, cybersecurity, information quality, and burden reduction, as outlined in OMB M-10-22 and other relevant guidance. This approach allows for FERC’s open data usage metrics to be both accessible and responsibly managed, supporting transparency and continuous improvement.
Collaboration with Data Users
FERC facilitates collaboration with external stakeholders through multiple channels designed to gather feedback and understand how users value and utilize FERC data. A dedicated mailbox for Data.FERC.gov ([email protected]) gives users the option to submit questions, report issues, request additional data be added to the site, and provide feedback, with inquiries monitored daily and responses provided as appropriate. In addition, with the support of the Data Governance Division and in partnership with the Office of Public Participation and Office of External Affairs, program offices across FERC periodically host technical conferences and public forums on specific topics, creating opportunities for direct engagement, knowledge sharing, and the solicitation of stakeholder input.
Open Data Point of Contact
Kirsten Dalboe, the Commission's Chief Data Officer, and the [email protected] email box will serve as the agency Open Data Point of Contact. Through the Commission's regular Data Governance Body meetings, FERC's CDO will continue to ensure that public input is shared with the agency's Data Governance members for appropriate response.
Improvement Processes
FERC consistently evaluates and improves its data assets as part of its data stewardship and governance programs. Currently, data stewards, information collection sponsors, and mission subject matter experts from across the Commission’s 13 program offices govern data assets’ quality and usability for all mission purposes through review and approval processes through the enterprise Data Governance Working Group (DGWG). As part of these DGWG review and approval processes, business data stewards and subject matter experts are required to document significant metadata on qualitative state of data assets, including on its sensitivities and suitability for open data requirements. The governance process includes a scoring on descriptive and contextual metadata that, when complete, reliably indicates data assets suitable for Open Government sharing.
As part of the information collection process, sponsors review comments on rulemakings and relevant information collections from the public. The governance process also includes efforts to streamline collections and act on input from the public. Input from the public are shared with data stewards during governance activities to ensure prioritization of data assets for improvement and modification that enhance the Commission's ability to make public data available for open data sharing. Lastly, business data stewards are tasked to understand challenges in data assets’ quality and usability and implement strategies to address those challenges.
Open Data Goal Requirements
FERC will continue following its established processes for acquiring, updating, and repurposing of information technology in accordance with Capital Planning and Investment Control processes, Federal Acquisition Regulations, and FERC’s IT Strategic Plan. Additionally, staffing and training requirements will be addressed in alignment with FERC's IT Strategic Plan goal of ‘Investing in People’.
Prioritizing Public Data Asset Review
As FERC continues to expand the capabilities of Data.FERC.gov, additional public data will be regularly evaluated and added to the portal. FERC employs a structured process to prioritize which data to disseminate, considering factors such as feasibility, data usability, data sensitivity, and demonstrated public interest. Public interest is assessed through multiple channels, including feedback submitted to [email protected], analysis of usage statistics for existing datasets, and input received through the Office of Public Participation and other program offices. This multi-faceted approach ensures that priority public data are identified and scheduled for evaluation and possible inclusion on Data.FERC.gov and the Federal Data Catalog. FERC also encourages the public to request prioritization of specific data and to suggest criteria for prioritization, supporting a transparent and responsive process for data dissemination.
FERC will regularly evaluate if additional FERC data should be made publicly available based on various factors including sensitivity of the information, public interest, need, or demand (e.g., FOIA), potential impact or benefit to the public or other key stakeholders who could use the information to support decision-making, and/or to support the progression of research and innovation.
Compliance Status
FERC complies with all legal requirements when disseminating a public data asset including requirements from the OPEN Government Data Act, which is Title II of the Evidence Act, and in alignment with the requirements of 44 U.S.C. § 3511. FERC maintains a comprehensive data inventory, or data catalog, that accounts for all data assets and data sets created by, collected by, under the control or direction of, or maintained by the agency. In accordance with this requirement, the public can find FERC’s Public Data Catalog at data.ferc.gov which is characterized by metadata sourced from FERC’s data catalog.
FERC continues to improve the breadth and depth of the data inventory and catalog through regular updates as data assets and data sets continue to be identified, inventoried, and approved through our data governance process. Every Program Office at the Commission has been tasked with identifying and inventorying their data assets and data sets using the FERC DGWG-approved metadata standard, which includes a designation as to whether the data asset or data set can be released to the public, in alignment with Zero Trust Data Security and Controlled Unclassified Information guidance. This review includes both new data as well as data that may already be in existence but is currently not inventoried. FERC utilizes Data Catalog Vocabulary (DCAT) 3.0 standards for metadata identification and documentation to facilitate interoperability between data catalogs published on the Web.
Publishing high-value data sets that increase transparency, and accountability is an important responsibility of the Commission. The Commission ensures that the public has access to high-value data sets and continues to work to improve both the access and the quality of these data sets by making more data sets machine readable and improving the way that data can be accessed. By maturing our implementation of the Open Data requirements, we intend to be responsive to the needs and demands of the public.
Updating the Strategic Information Resources Management Plan
The FERC plans to make updates to this Open Data Plan at least annually.