CDC’s and SAMHSA’s Processes for and Challenges With Compiling Data for the National Drug Control Assessment

Purpose of This Data Brief

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) recently conducted a review of fiscal year (FY) 2023 data: (1) for programs aiming to implement Goal 1, Objective 1 (the reduction of overdose deaths) found in the National Drug Control Strategy and (2) for performance measures that were submitted without conclusive data. ONDCP requested OIG’s assistance in conducting a performance audit of specific programs for which performance measures were submitted without conclusive data.

The purpose of this data brief is to provide an understanding of the process that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) used to prepare their respective FY 2023 evaluations of progress submitted to ONDCP and provide ONDCP with clarification about data that it deemed inconclusive.

Key Takeaways

• CDC and SAMHSA used an iterative process to collect and report performance summary measurement data related to the reduction of overdose deaths.
• CDC and SAMHSA faced challenges: (1) in timely reporting data in their evaluations of progress to ONDCP and (2) with the availability of final data to meet the ONDCP reporting deadline.