COE provides a front door for evidence-building and evaluation work for the Census Bureau. Led by the Census Bureau’s Evaluation Officer, COE staff coordinate program evaluation activities across the bureau. COE also serves as the liaison with the Department of Commerce’s Evaluation Officer.

COE provides data services and support to several Commerce agencies for program monitoring, impact assessment, and evaluation. These activities are critical as these agencies implement large-scale programs authorized by legislation, including the American Rescue Plan, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS for America Act, that cover $110 billion in funding to the Department of Commerce.

New funding in FY23 established the infrastructure necessary for COE to provide a service that further leverages the Census Bureau’s capabilities in support of evidence-building and program evaluation activities for social safety net and business assistance programs across the federal government. COE will provide agencies with standard tables outlining the distribution of selected characteristics of program participants.

The goal is to provide this service for two programs in FY24, adding additional partnerships over the next several years as the program matures into a production system. By the end of FY27, COE aims to provide this service for 12 programs each year. Additionally, over this time frame COE will have established the capability to add reimbursable research projects with participating agencies.