Promoting Equity Metrics in the Recovery Act

This meeting will be an opportunity for various groups from around the country who often have not worked together to build on each others' strengths to try to shape the Recovery Act by developing detailed metrics and data the government needs to use to determine the success of Recovery Act spending, particularly with an eye toward equity issues.

Participants will include organizers, experts on specific program areas, watchdogs, funders, and policy analysts and will conclude with a discussion about how to put the ideas developed throughout the day into action.

Implementation of the Recovery Act is happening with incredible speed. To respond, we need to move fast and in a coordinated fashion. This is particularly important because federal agencies will establish rules on what information is collected under the Recovery Act no later than early July. Accordingly, we don't have a lot of time to organize this event.

The Economic Policy Institute, in Washington, D.C., has offered the use of its conference room for this event. A draft agenda is below and more background information about this effort is available on the OMB Watch website at www.ombwatch.org/metricsmeeting [1]).

For more information about this meeting, contact Sam Rosen-Amy at srosenamy@ombwatch.org [2] or 202.683.4806.

8:15 am - 9:15 am
Pre-Meeting Overview of the Recovery Act
Optional session; Light breakfast provided

9:15 am - 9:30 am
Welcome, Introductions, & Purpose

9:30 am - 10:15 am
Data Visualization: Tools for Organizing and Policy Analysis
Moderator: Craig Jennings, OMB Watch
Discussion of Internet tools that can help interpret Recovery Act data. A representative of ESRI, a geographic information systems company, will show the "beta" version of FedStat, a tool premised on Maryland's StateStat, which can provide new analytic capabilities regarding Recovery Act.

10:15 am - 11:00 am
Core Equity Data Elements for the Recovery Act: What's the Scope?
Panel: Phil Mattera, Good Jobs First
Maya Wiley, Center for Social Inclusion

11:00 am - 11:15 am
Break

11:15 - Noon
Core Equity Data Elements for the Recovery Act: What Benchmarks?
Panel: 2 people from state/local

Noon - 1:00 pm
Lunch

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Breakout Groups: Part I
(1) Transportation; (2) Energy; (3) Education; and (4) Housing
Objectives - Identify: (a) Benchmarks in the law; (b) Additional benchmarks that should be used; and (c) Measures that should be used to assess whether reaching the benchmarks

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Breakout Groups: Part II
(1) Transportation; (2) Energy; (3) Education; and (4) Housing
Objectives - (a) Identify "needs" data that are publicly available; (b) Discuss how "data visualization" tools can be put to use in this particular issue area; and (c) Develop strategies for assuring equity in Recovery Act implementation (e.g., community monitoring)

3:00 pm - 3:15 pm
Break

3:15 pm - 3:45 pm
"Speed Sharing" Results from Break-Outs
Representatives from Breakout Groups

3:45 pm - 4:45 pm
Next Steps for Action