For more than a decade, DSFederal supported the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Research Integrity (ORI) with services spanning web design, data analytics, and policy review. ORI protects the integrity of research funded by the U.S. Public Health Services (PHS) by overseeing investigations of misconduct, providing education, and ensuring policy compliance. By safeguarding integrity, ORI helps sustain public trust in biomedical and behavioral research. Within our policy review work, DSFederal policy analysts collaborated with ORI to assess institutional research misconduct policies. We evaluated compliance with PHS regulations, and work with institutions to revise non-compliant policies to ensure full adherence. Our work ensured that policy reviews consistently met ORI’s standards, reinforcing the reliability of the review process and the integrity of the research community.
The Challenge
Policy reviews at the national level present significant complexity. Institutions submit policies that differ widely in structure, language, scope, and regulatory interpretation. Historically, ORI relied on a manual and time-intensive review process, which made it difficult to manage large volumes of reviews efficiently or generate timely reports for leadership. This outdated approach limited scalability and hindered ORI’s ability to adapt to evolving regulatory questions and institutional practices.
Our Approach
DSFederal’s team of policy analysts joined the project with a deep understanding of the meticulous review process and PHS regulations. We strengthened the review process by:
- Applying rigorous and standardized procedures to ensure consistent assessments.
- Providing comprehensive training to onboard and mentor new analysts.
- Embedding peer validation steps to foster accuracy, reliability, and collaboration.
This approach delivered both immediate results and long-term scalability, allowing ORI to adapt seamlessly as policy needs evolved.
Data Visualization
To improve reporting and oversight, our team introduced Tableau dashboards that transformed ORI’s complex review data into clear and interactive visualizations. These tools enabled leadership to quickly identify trends, monitor progress, and detect outliers, streamlining reporting and enhancing decision-making.
The Outcome
DSFederal team completed more than 600 policy reviews, delivering timely and accurate assessments in support of ORI’s mission. Our structured onboarding and training practices strengthened ORI’s internal information-sharing and collaborative capabilities, improving productivity and accuracy for reviews. The Tableau dashboards empowered ORI to produce evidence-based reports and make decisions based on clear cut data, saving time and cutting down on errors and redundancies. Recognizing the value of our strategic support, ORI expanded our team’s scope to include institutional outreach and communication support in 2023. Through this engagement, DSFederal enhanced ORI’s reporting and review processes, leaving the organization with stronger tools, improved workflows, and a more scalable foundation for the future.