FridayOL

During the Trump administration, a significant and concerning trend emerged within federal health agencies: a substantial reduction in workforce. However, the administration declined to publicly release data detailing the extent of these losses, leaving the public in the dark about the potential impact on vital public health services.

ProPublica, committed to investigative journalism and transparency, recognized the importance of shedding light on this issue. Faced with a lack of official information, our team embarked on a meticulous project to independently quantify the workforce reductions. This report details the methods we employed, the challenges we overcame, and the findings that revealed a significant decline in personnel across key federal health agencies.

The Challenge: Limited Transparency

The initial hurdle was the administration's refusal to provide comprehensive data on employee departures. This lack of transparency made it difficult to assess the scope of the workforce reductions and their potential consequences. Traditional methods of tracking such data were unavailable, necessitating a creative and resourceful approach.

Our Methodology: Leveraging the Federal Employee Directory

To circumvent this obstacle, ProPublica turned to a publicly accessible, albeit imperfect, resource: the federal employee directory. This directory, maintained by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), contains information on federal employees, including their positions, agencies, and contact details.

Our team developed a sophisticated data extraction and analysis process. We systematically downloaded and processed the directory data, focusing on employees who had worked within the targeted federal health agencies – including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Data Analysis and Verification

The raw data from the directory required significant cleaning and verification. We implemented several techniques to ensure accuracy and minimize errors:

• Cross-referencing with other data sources: We compared the directory data with other publicly available information, such as news reports and agency announcements, to confirm employee departures.
• Identifying patterns of departure: We looked for patterns in employee departures, such as spikes in resignations or retirements, which could indicate broader trends.
• Manual verification: Where possible, we manually verified employee status through public records or by contacting former employees.

Key Findings: A Concerning Trend

Our analysis revealed a significant decline in workforce across federal health agencies during the Trump administration. While the exact numbers varied by agency, the overall trend was clear: a substantial number of experienced professionals left their positions, potentially impacting the agencies' ability to respond to public health challenges. The loss of expertise in critical areas like disease prevention, research, and regulation raised serious concerns about the long-term health of the nation.

The Importance of Transparency and Accountability

ProPublica's investigation highlights the critical importance of government transparency and accountability. The public has a right to know how government agencies are staffed and how workforce changes might affect the delivery of essential services. Our findings underscore the need for policymakers to prioritize data collection and reporting on workforce trends within federal health agencies, ensuring that the public is informed and that decisions are made based on accurate and complete information.

This report serves as a reminder of the power of investigative journalism to uncover hidden truths and hold government accountable. By leveraging publicly available resources and employing rigorous data analysis techniques, we were able to shed light on a critical issue that had been deliberately obscured.