Why We’re Starting a New Federal Data Forum
We at the DRP are excited to see the federal data community working together in positive ways in the face of the current crisis. Today, we have a guest post by Mark Mather and Beth Jarosz of the Population Reference Bureau (PRB) about their new collaborative forum.
America's federal data infrastructure faces unprecedented threats.
For 95 years, the Population Reference Bureau (PRB) has relied heavily on federal data for our work, and we’re deeply concerned about recent threats to public data access, quality, and availability. Recent losses at the CDC and Department of Education, combined with growing concerns about the Census Bureau's future, have created an urgent need for coordinated action among public data users.
The Growing Crisis
Federal data inform critical research and policy decisions. The federal data ecosystem serves as the backbone for understanding demographic trends, public health patterns, and educational outcomes across the nation. However, we’re witnessing an alarming erosion of this vital infrastructure.
The disappearance of key health, justice, environmental, and education data represent more than just lost numbers—it signals a fundamental threat to evidence-based decision-making in America. When researchers, policymakers, and advocates lose access to reliable statistics, the entire democratic process suffers.
A Community-Driven Solution
In response to this crisis, PRB recently launched the Federal Data Forum—a centralized online community designed to unite public data stakeholders in defense of America's statistical infrastructure. The initiative builds on PRB's previous work as data intermediaries, including our American Community Survey Online Community, which has grown to more than 7,000 members over the past decade.
The Forum is meant to serve as an early warning system for data threats, a resource hub for advocacy strategies, and a coordination center for collective action. By bringing together researchers, policymakers, advocates, and concerned citizens, the Forum aims to create a unified voice for data protection and accessibility.
Existing Efforts and the Need for Coordination
The data advocacy landscape includes several organizations, like the Data Rescue Project, that are working to safeguard federal data that have been altered, removed, or discontinued. PRB aims to supplement, rather than duplicate, these efforts by providing a centralized space for peer-to-peer networking and strategizing around the continuing threats to federal statistics.
Joining the Community
We’re seeking to build this community with a range of voices who care about our federal data.
You can sign up here: https://federaldataforum.prb.org/home.
Please feel free to invite your colleagues to join, and we hope you’ll follow along as we expand the community and its offerings in the coming months!
