Podcast

Government Data and How to Handle It with Nick Hart of Data Foundation and Richard Coffin of USAFacts

Government data is having a moment, but you knew that already, because data is every moment! What's happening with how governments large and small keep track of how they're serving their people? Nick Hart of the Data Foundation and Richard Coffin of USAFacts joined James-Christian Blockwood on the podcast this week to talk about what's new and exciting in the enormous and expanding universe of government data. How can we serve the public better? And how will we know that we have? Data!&...

November 3, 2025 Season 2 · Ep 21 30:02 Listen Now

Now Playing

0:00 30:02

About This Episode

Government data is having a moment, but you knew that already, because data is every moment! What's happening with how governments large and small keep track of how they're serving their people? 

Nick Hart of the Data Foundation and Richard Coffin of USAFacts joined James-Christian Blockwood on the podcast this week to talk about what's new and exciting in the enormous and expanding universe of government data. How can we serve the public better? And how will we know that we have? Data! 

Management Matters is a presentation of the National Academy of Public Administration produced by Lizzie Alwan and Matt Hampton and edited by Matt Hampton. 

Support the Podcast Today at: donate@napawash.org or 202-347-3190
Episode music: Hope by Mixaund | https://mixaund.bandcamp.com
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Follow us on YouTube for clips and more: @NAPAWASH_YT

Episode Details

Published
Monday, November 3, 2025
Season
2
Episode
21
Duration
30:02
Back to All Episodes

Keep Listening

More Episodes


S2 · E39

May 18, 2026

Big Changes Mean Big Challenges for Shared Services and Government HR with Academy Fellow Brodi Fontenot and OPM's Rebecca Ayers

James-Christian Blockwood discusses U.S. Office of Personnel Management's modernization of federal HR and retirement IT systems with OPM’s Rebecca Ayers and Academy Fellow Brodi Fontenot. Building on a 2021 academy report urging congressional funding to modernize OPM systems, they describe the administration’s goal to build a merit-based workforce and modernize people management through the Federal HR 2.0 initiative. Key elements include moving agencies onto a mandatory single cor...

S2 · E38

May 4, 2026

Executive Power and Civil Service Reform with Adam White and Clark Kelso

Host James-Christian Blockwood talks with Academy Fellow and McGeorge School of Law Professor Clark Kelso and American Enterprise Institute Senior Fellow Adam White about why public agencies struggle and what the executive branch does in response. They discuss how checks and balances slow action and make errors hard to undo, while polarization and congressional dysfunction push presidents toward unilateral action, creating separation-of-powers conflicts and court intervention. The conve...

S2 · E37

April 20, 2026

Budgeting is Policy, or How Government is like 'The Matrix' with Teri Gullo and Karl Maschino

Host James-Christian Blockwood interviews Teri Gullo, former CBO Director of Budget Analysis, and Karl Maschino, former GAO Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, about why federal budget work matters amid scrutiny of spending, workforce cuts, and “DOGE”-style reforms. They outline the normal OMB-agency-Congress budget timeline, emphasize GAO/CBO’s nonpartisan transparency and need to explain “the story behind the numbers,” discuss polarization blocking fiscal solutions as ne...