The year 2020 was dubbed “the year of data,” until the novel coronavirus came to U.S. shores. And while the title is no longer as fitting, 2020 is when data partnerships and efforts for the first time became topics of national attention and debate.

As data was used to track and combat COVID-19, Black Lives Matter protests spread across the nation in response to police brutality and systemic racism. And the U.S. Census, the broadest coordinated data collection effort in the federal government, went online for the first time. All of it has to do with data.

In this new guide, we explore how data efforts have folded into government’s responses to modern issues. You’ll discover case studies and learn how leading agencies put in the groundwork to be prepared for all that 2020 has held.