Federal Manager's Daily Report

The SBA is developing an “innovation sandbox” for agencies to test new technologies and methodologies, under a grant from the CIO Council.

It will allow for “simple, time-bound, hypothesis-based statistical experiments within a secure, controlled, cloud-based computing environment. The sandbox enables and encourages cross-agency collaboration to leverage modern tools and technologies to test hypotheses and share their findings, data, and experiences with colleagues across the government,” an announcement said.

“Taking advantage of available government data, new collaborative work efforts will bolster the conversation on government-wide data sharing and will highlight data sharing best practices. These solutions can then be integrated within agencies more rapidly, increasing overall efficiency. As agencies work together using the innovation sandbox, structural and cultural challenges will surface, identifying gaps that can inform recommendations for future activities,” it said.

At the end of the pilot, an assessment will be done on the need and feasibility of a sustained government-wide project, as well as best practices for agencies to create their own.

Interested agency officials should contact feedback@cio.gov.