The PMA Learning Agenda

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the Government-wide management questions in support of the priorities of the President’s Management Agenda. Your comments are under review.

Delivering results for all

The Biden-Harris Management Agenda Vision sets out key priorities for an equitable, effective, and accountable Government that delivers results for all Americans. A management-focused learning agenda in support of the President’s Management Agenda (PMA) will identify key Government-wide questions to answer in support of the PMA Vision.


Why a learning agenda?

Learning Agendas focus leaders’ attention on building the research and evidence needed to solve big problems. This first PMA Learning Agenda will encourage collaboration and research to close evidence gaps within, beyond, and in partnership with the Federal Government.

How you can help

OMB will share an update on the PMA Learning Agenda in Spring of 2022.

Anyone can participate:

  • Read the Draft PMA Learning Agenda to learn how the draft questions were selected, what principles should guide studies, and ongoing related efforts.
  • Sign up for updates.
  • View agency learning agendas at Evaluation.gov (Spring 2022 release).

Questions? Send an email to PMALearningAgenda@omb.eop.gov


Draft PMA Learning Agenda Questions

1) How can the Federal Government strengthen and empower its workforce, so it can best serve the American people?

  • What approaches to recruitment and hiring result in high-performing, diverse teams in Federal agencies?
  • What strategies improve retention, engagement, inclusion, and wellbeing among Federal employees, while reducing burnout and attrition?
  • What approaches build a strong, empowered, and diverse cohort across the Federal Government employee lifecycle?

What approaches to recruitment and hiring result in high-performing, diverse teams in Federal agencies?
  • What hiring assessments and practices effectively identify qualified talent, especially in high-need areas? What approaches result in a positive applicant experience, either leading to acceptance of a position, or willingness for a qualified (but not-selected) candidate to apply for other opportunities? To what extent can alternative hiring mechanisms improve the recruitment of skilled professionals while reducing the time to hire? Do these approaches lead to more or less equitable hiring outcomes?
  • Looking to the future of work, what organizational structures for work, workplaces, and workforces create a competitive advantage for recruitment and retention? What workplace flexibilities and strategies, including related to pay and benefits, promote equity, diversity, inclusion, engagement, and performance?
What strategies improve retention, engagement, inclusion, and wellbeing among Federal employees, while reducing burnout and attrition?
  • How can the Federal Government be nimbler in understanding the Federal employee experience? What information do agency leaders need to improve employee engagement and retention? How can lessons from externally-facing customer experience initiatives inform improvements to the Federal employee experience?
  • What management practices advance disability inclusion and empower Federal employees with disabilities? What management practices advance inclusion and empowerment of other underrepresented Federal employees?
What approaches build a strong, empowered, and diverse cohort across the Federal Government employee lifecycle?
  • What management strategies (e.g., delegating authorities, rewarding innovative risk) can better empower Federal employees to innovate and solve problems? Which of these approaches improve agency and unit-level organizational health?
  • What strategies are effective in boosting career growth (including rotations, fellowship programs, and paid internships)? What approaches to upskilling and reskilling are effective for retention? Which of these strategies effectively strengthen a diverse cohort in senior leadership positions and civil service leadership pipelines?

2) How can the Federal Government deliver programs and services effectively and build trust?

  • How can Federal agencies reduce administrative burdens in programs and services—including complicated, confusing, and time-consuming processes people may encounter when trying to access those programs and services?
  • What approaches deliver an excellent customer experience with the Federal Government?
  • How can the Federal Government enhance the public’s trust?

How can Federal agencies reduce administrative burdens in programs and services—including complicated, confusing, and time-consuming processes people may encounter when trying to access those programs and services?
  • What approaches effectively reduce unnecessary administrative burdens for people, especially those that disproportionately affect underserved communities?
  • How can minimizing administrative burdens also improve upon objectives of minimizing improper payments and strengthening program integrity?
What approaches deliver an excellent customer experience with the Federal Government?
  • Which important life experiences that require interaction with the Federal Government are crucial for improving outcomes and reducing burdens for all Americans? These might include the birth of a child, turning 65, losing a job, or experiencing a natural disaster, which often involve interacting not only with multiple Federal agencies but also with different levels of government.
  • How can Government services be more efficiently integrated and bundled to better deliver results for people?
  • In what cases do people need individual support to navigate a complex Government process, and when can an automated or virtual process achieve a similar outcome?
How can the Federal Government enhance the public’s trust?
  • What methods effectively measure trust in a public service environment?
  • How do various touch points between a person and Government services affect trust in Government? Is it speed (e.g., short hold times for a phone call), transparency (e.g., open data with accessible dashboards), or knowledgeable service (e.g., staff with expertise to solve a problem)? In those contexts, how do different modes or styles of communication (e.g., live chat, in person, over the phone) affect trust?

3) How can the Federal Government advance equity and support underserved communities?

  • How can equity be advanced in the design, delivery, and evaluation of Federal services?
  • What organizational tools and management structures advance equity?
  • What larger organizational changes in agencies are needed to identify and address underlying barriers to advancing equity?

How can equity be advanced in the design, delivery, and evaluation of Federal services?
  • What approaches effectively improve equitable distribution of grants, loans, or other time-sensitive Federal funding and benefits programs from enacted laws (such as the CARES Act, the American Rescue Plan Act, or the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) or in response to disasters, climate-related crises, or public health emergencies? What lessons were learned from the public health and economic crises of the pandemic that can inform the development of future Federal programs that are both responsive to a crisis and deliver equitable outcomes?
  • What strategies effectively remove barriers to awareness of, access to, and delivery of Federal services, particularly for historically underserved individuals or populations?
  • What characteristics of Government procurement, grants, or contracting structures make them effective for reaching underserved communities or businesses owned by historically excluded groups?
What organizational tools and management structures advance equity?
  • What management structures, tools, or trainings for Government employees effectively improve equity outcomes in an agency’s operations and mission? Does changing decision making structures to include equity-focused practices promote more equitable outcomes?
  • What approaches to equity assessments result in Federal agencies improving equity in the outcomes of their work?
What larger organizational changes in agencies are needed to identify and address underlying barriers to advancing equity?
  • If agencies engage with traditionally underrepresented stakeholders at the outset when key decisions are made, does that early engagement affect outcomes and intended impact (e.g., including those whom programs are meant to serve at an earlier stage in the design process or during the definition of eligibility criteria)?
  • What are effective approaches that agencies can take in managing the business of Government to address barriers that have hindered equal opportunity?