Priority Questions Related to Strategic Goal 1: Uphold the Rule of Law

The Department’s first core priority is upholding the rule of law, both by protecting our democratic institutions and by promoting good government through our own management and administration.

In support of these objectives, the Department will prioritize building evidence in two key areas.  First, we will pursue new methods of using data and rigorous analysis to identify programs at risk of fraud, and we will take a variety of evidence-building approaches to identify effective tools for preventing fraud, waste, and abuse.  Second, we will fill important knowledge gaps related to establishing and maintaining high-quality management, functional support systems, and a diverse and inclusive workforce.  To facilitate innovation, we will seek evidence on effective management structures and will develop an evidence-based approach to training leaders to promote creativity and collaborative problem solving.  To promote diversity, we will take a rigorous approach to understanding our hiring, onboarding, and retention practices, with particular focus on barriers that could have inequitable impact across demographic groups.  In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we will also build evidence on the impact of telework in support of our objective to recruit, retain, and foster a high-performing and diverse workforce.

Priority Questions:

• What new and expanding public programs are at risk of fraud?
• What are the most effective strategies, programs, and policies for preventing fraud, waste, and abuse targeting public programs?
• How are large organizations, both within and outside of the executive branch, structured to promote innovation, and how can the Department most effectively adopt or adapt these structures? 
• What are the most critical elements of management training and development to ensure successful leadership?
• In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, what is the impact of telework on productivity, diversity, recruitment, and retention?
• Where are there gaps in the demographics of the Department’s workforce that do not reflect the national labor force?  What barriers to hiring and retention might contribute to these gaps?
• Are recently hired employees satisfied with their hiring and onboarding experience?  Are there disparities across demographic groups and components?