VIDEO | U.S. Bureau of the Fiscal Service CDO: We Provide Data with Context in an Unbiased Way

(US and Canada) Justin Marsico, Chief Data Officer and Deputy Assistant Commissioner, U.S. Bureau of the Fiscal Service, and CDO Magazine Global Editorial Board Member, speaks with Denise Collison, SHI International SVP and President of Public Sector Sales, in a video interview about making data accessible, data storytelling, and the Modern Data Stack.

Marsico says that the Bureau of the Fiscal Service publishes a lot of data sets related to government-wide finance like the national debt, deficit, spending, and revenue. He adds that the organization provides the data for the public, with context, in a nonpartisan and unbiased way.

He goes on to highlight a recent data product from the bureau called “Your Guide to America's Finances.” The purpose was to provide a primer for any American interested in federal finance, and was created from people’s feedback, he adds.

Marsico says that, with such an approach, the organization is going from just data to data storytelling to create a more informed public.

When asked about the Modern Data Stack, Marsico states that it is about using data effectively within an organization by thinking about the supply of data. He explains that, if data is not accessible, the supply is zero despite having a lot of data in the systems.

Marsico elaborates that organizations need to increase the supply while also considering the quality aspect. The other side of the coin, he says, is the demand for data or having a workforce that is educated about using data and executing complicated use cases to push data-driven decision-making across the organization.

According to Marsico, a Modern Data Stack needs to be able to make data highly accessible, and as current as the organization needs. Similarly, the organization needs to ensure that its analysts have the tools necessary to make data-driven decisions, he stresses.

CDO Magazine thanks Justin Marsico for contributing his thought leadership to our global community.

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