Fifth U.S. Open Government National Action Plan
Commitment Tracker

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Commitment:

Oversight of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Implementation

5th National Action Plan | Theme: Counter Corruption and Ensure Government Integrity and Accountability to the Public
Full Commitment Text OGP Commitment Page

Progress for this commitment is tracked based on the following sub-commitment(s). You can also view the full text of this commitment.

US0137.1 For the duration of implementation of programs in BIL, the Biden-Harris Administration commits to implementing this guidance by using data and evidence to guide infrastructure investments and track progress;
Agency & Subagency Executive Office of the President
Office of Science and Technology Policy
Sub-Commitment Status In Progress
February 2024 Progress

Progress Update:

The work of the Subcommittee on Equitable Data (SED)’s Equitable Federal Funding Interagency Working Group (EFFIWG) continues through agency program teams with knowledge-sharing through the Equitable Data Community of Practice.

Evidence:

None.
August 2023 Progress In March 2023, the Subcommittee on Equitable Data (SED) released its Progress on Implementation of the Recommendations of the Equitable Data Working Group (link below), which included an update on how data and evidence are being used to track progress on Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) implementation. On page 23 of the report, it noted that, “The SED’s Equitable Federal Funding Interagency Working Group (EFFIWG) created a process to scope and answer emergent, actionable research questions to inform equitable delivery of the BIL. These ‘rapid equity assessments’ represent discrete projects that use equitable data to improve processes and policies along the entire grant life cycle. To date, the EFFIWG, in collaboration with agency program staff, has conducted many rapid equity assessments including those that evaluate the geographic patterns of programs directly serving Americans and the distribution of project announcements throughout the country to better understand patterns of access among underserved communities".

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Progress-on-Equitable-Data-Mar2023.pdf
US0137.2 For the duration of implementation of programs in BIL, the Biden-Harris Administration commits to implementing this guidance by… reporting on awards and subawards;
Agency & Subagency Executive Office of the President
Office of Science and Technology Policy
Sub-Commitment Status Complete
February 2024 Progress

Progress Update:

This commitment was previously completed.

Evidence:

See previous update
August 2023 Progress Reporting on Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) implementation, which includes reporting on awards for a subset of BIL programs and instructions for how members of the public can download the full dataset of all BIL awards via USASpending.gov, can be found at - https://d2d.gsa.gov/report/bipartisan-infrastructure-law-bil-maps-dashboard. The Office of Science and Technology Policy is continuing to explore the completeness and comprehensiveness of subaward data for use in reporting.
US0137.3 For the duration of implementation of programs in BIL, the Biden-Harris Administration commits to implementing this guidance by... collaborating with the IG and oversight community, including by engaging with IGs on the front end of program design and holding regular joint program review meetings with IGs;
Agency & Subagency Executive Office of the President
Office of Management and Budget
Sub-Commitment Status In Progress
February 2024 Progress

Progress Update:

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) continues to work with agency inspectors general to identify risks and risk-mitigation opportunities upfront while strengthening internal controls and preventing waste and fraud. As of February 15, 2023 the White House has held 13 Joint Program review meetings which include an in-depth upfront discussion of program design, risk mitigation strategies, financial controls, and data, tracking, and reporting. White House leadership also meets monthly with Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) leadership on areas of mutual interest to help ensure any issues are addressed early, and ensure a fair and accurate accounting of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) execution.

Evidence:

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law - https://www.transportation.gov/bipartisan-infrastructure-law
August 2023 Progress OMB encouraged agencies to adopt an open and transparent approach to collaborative program design, including early and ongoing engagement with agency inspectors general to identify risks and risk-mitigation opportunities upfront while strengthening internal controls and preventing waste and fraud. In addition, OMB worked with agencies and the agency inspector generals to identify significant BIL programs that would benefit from a Joint Review Meeting which would include an in-depth upfront discussion of program design, risk mitigation strategies, financial controls, and data, tracking, and reporting.
US0137.4 For the duration of implementation of programs in BIL, the Biden-Harris Administration commits to implementing this guidance by... reducing barriers faced by State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments in accessing infrastructure funding opportunities, including through outreach, engage- ment, and technical assistance.
Agency & Subagency Executive Office of the President
Office of Management and Budget
Sub-Commitment Status In Progress
February 2024 Progress

Progress Update:

The White House continues to create a suite of resources to help communities navigate programs that can help them deliver infrastructure projects. It built a “Thriving Community” network to help Cabinet agencies coordinate strategy, collaborate across initiatives, and target deployment of a full range of Federal place-based technical assistance and capacity-building resources to urban, rural, and Tribal communities experiencing a history of economic distress and systemic disinvestment. This effort includes resources to help disadvantaged communities with grant and financial management, pre-development assistance, community engagement, planning, and project delivery support. The Administration released a Technical Assistance Guide in September 2023 to help communities get access to the programs, processes, and resources that provide targeted support to a community, region, organization, or other beneficiary to help them access and deploy federal funding to deliver results. Further the White House is working with agency partners to quickly deliver the necessary technical assistance and capacity to underserved communities, ranging from the interagency Thriving Communities initiative to the Local Infrastructure Hub established by philanthropy and nongovernmental organizations.

Evidence:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/invest

Guidebook to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: https://www.whitehouse.gov/build/guidebook/

Technical Assistance Guide: https://www.whitehouse.gov/build/technical-assistance-guide/

Thriving Communities Network: https://www.transportation.gov/federal-interagency-thriving-communities-network

Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/environmental-justice-thriving-communities-technical-assistance-centers
August 2023 Progress Over 90% of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's historic funding will be deployed by non-federal partners. In the past, too many communities have lacked the resources to apply for and deploy transformative infrastructure opportunities. While many funding streams in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law specifically set aside funds for underserved communities, the White House Infrastructure Implementation Team has also been engaging states, local governments, Tribal governments, territories, federal agencies, philanthropy, and others to leverage all available resources to quickly deliver the necessary technical assistance and capacity to underserved communities.

54 states and territories have appointed state infrastructure coordinators, responding to the call from Senior Advisor to the President and White House Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu to appoint an individual to coordinate efforts in a state along with serving as a single point of contact for the White House Infrastructure Implementation Team. This structure has enabled closer coordination between federal and state implementation efforts.

The White House has also created a suite of resources on build.gov that highlights programs that help communities navigate programs and resources that can help them deliver infrastructure projects. Build.gov also has resources for state, local, Tribal and territorial governments including a guidebook to each of the nearly 400 federal programs in BIL, a regularly updated list of open funding opportunities, resources specifically for Tribal governments, rural communities, territories, and a technical assistance guidebook. In September, the White House will bring technical assistance providers to the White House for a training. Additionally, the White House and federal agencies routinely engage with state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments to share information, provide policy updates, and gather feedback.

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