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Strengthening Federal Statistics

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Strengthening Federal Statistics 18. STRENGTHENING FEDERAL STATISTICS The Federal Statistical System (FSS) has reliably and consistent with system-wide priorities; and develop and impartially informed the nation about its population, con- oversee the implementation of Governmentwide statis- dition, and progress since its founding, beginning with tical policies, principles, guidelines, and standards. The the first constitutionally-mandated Census in 1790. The Chief Statistician chairs the ICSP, made up of the heads mission of the FSS is to collect and transform data into of the thirteen PSAs and one rotating member from a non- useful, objective information; making it readily and eq- PSA agency that conducts significant statistical activity, uitably available to government, private businesses, currently the National Center for Veterans Analysis and and the public. There are thirteen Principal Statistical Statistics. The ICSP provides strategic leadership for Agencies (PSAs—see Table 18–1) and almost 100 non- the FSS on system-wide priorities such as improving PSA statistical units spread across the Executive Branch researcher access to confidential data while protecting that generate statistics on such topics as the economy, privacy, increasing response rates on surveys while eas- workforce, energy, agriculture, foreign trade, education, ing the cost and burden on respondents, and acquiring housing, crime, transportation, and health. The PSAs and maintaining a highly skilled workforce. CIPSEA pro- are continuously developing new methods for collecting vides a common statutory framework for the collection, and combining data from multiple sources in order to ex- handling, and dissemination of confidential data and al- pand and improve the quality and timeliness of statistical lows agencies to assure respondents that their data will evidence needed to make important decisions in today’s only be used for statistical and research purposes. information-rich society. Agencies are increasing their The recently enacted Foundations for Evidence- collaborative efforts as demands grow for more high qual- Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (Evidence Act) further ity, reliable information to drive mission and meet the emphasizes the importance of coordination of the evi- needs of the public. dence-building functions of the Federal Government, and Coordination of the Federal Statistical System includes several provisions to improve capacity and co- ordination at not only the thirteen principal statistical Although the Principal Statistical Agencies are spread agencies, but also at the numerous other offices that con- across government, they share common principles and duct significant statistical activities in the performance of practices and operate as a closely-knit network. Many of their regulatory, enforcement, program delivery, or scien- the data products and publications generated by the FSS tific missions. The Evidence Act requires the head of each are the result of collaborative efforts involving multiple CFO Act agency to designate a statistical official to advise agencies. Through conferences, joint training sessions, on statistical policy, techniques, and procedures, and spec- and informal engagements, agencies share best practices ifies that these officials will serve as members of the ICSP, and innovations in topics ranging from secure storage of providing a forum for broader coordination across the confidential data to natural language processing of writ- FSS. The Act also requires each agency to produce an as- ten responses. Because of its interconnected nature, the sessment of the coverage, quality, methods, effectiveness, state of the system as a whole depends on the health of and independence of the statistics, evaluation, research, the individual member agencies. Changes to programs at and analysis efforts of the agency as part of their strategic one agency frequently impact many other agencies in the plan, providing an opportunity for increased intra-agency system. coordination. The Act calls for the Chief Statistician to Recognizing the importance of coordination and the in- chair a new Advisory Committee on Data for Evidence terdependent nature of the statistical system, Congress Building to make recommendations on how to facilitate used the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and data sharing, enable data linkage, and develop privacy the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical enhancing techniques to coordinate Federal data use for Efficiency Act of 2002 (CIPSEA) to create three important evidence building across agencies. Several provisions tools: the position of the Chief Statistician of the United in the Evidence Act are designed to promote intra- and States at the Office of Management and Budget, the inter-agency sharing of government data for statistical Interagency Council on Statistical Policy (ICSP), and a purposes, including an update to CIPSEA that creates a consistent framework for protecting confidential respon- presumption of accessibility of government data assets dent information. The PRA directs the Chief Statistician for statistical agencies and units, calls for the use of dis- to coordinate the activities of the FSS to ensure its closure limitation techniques to expand the availability of efficiency and effectiveness, integrity, objectivity, impar- less-restricted versions of confidential data sets, and the tiality, utility and confidentiality of information collected requirement of a standard application process for secure for statistical purposes; ensure that budget proposals are researcher access to CIPSEA-protected data. 249 250 ANALYTICAL PERSPECTIVES Focus on the Value of Collaborative by linking that data with other administrative or statis- Evidence-Building tical data to create new insights. In turn, the statistical agencies rely on the data collected or generated by pro- In addition to the implementation activities of the gram implementation, regulatory, and other agencies in Evidence Act, several exciting interagency initiatives are order to reduce burden on the public and increase the underway that promise to strengthen collaboration and accuracy, timeliness, and granularity of their statistical cooperation across government: products. The Evidence Act promotes this relationship in The President’s Management Agenda, released its new presumption that CIPSEA agencies, where em- in October 2018, includes a Cross-Agency Priority goal ployees take an oath to protect data confidentiality and on Leveraging Data as a Strategic Asset. This goal is face severe penalties for any violations, should be allowed operationalized as a Federal Data Strategy designed to access to program data unless specifically prohibited by coordinate and integrate the Federal Government’s ap- statute. Some recent examples of interagency cooperation proach to using data to deliver on mission, serve the taking on real world problem-solving follow. public, and steward resources while respecting privacy Post-prison employment. Research suggests that and confidentiality. The Data Strategy is co-led by the employment may reduce the likelihood of recidivism Chief Statistician and many of the statistical agencies are following an offender’s release from a correctional in- providing staff, expertise, and best practices to the effort. stitution, yet the nation lacks detailed information on The Administration’s Reform Plan and post-prison employment activities of offenders. At the Reorganization Recommendations include a pro- request of Congress, the Bureau of Justice Statistics part- posal to relocate the Bureau of Labor Statistics within nered with data linkage experts at the U.S. Census Bureau the Commerce Department alongside the Bureau of the to combine state prison data with data on employment Census and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Aligning and income to produce the first national-level estimates these three agencies more closely will not only increase for post-prison employment, job stability, and time from cost-effectiveness and reduce respondent burden, it will release to employment. improve data quality and result in the creation of much Veterans food security. According to recent research, needed new information products that help our under- veterans overall experience lower rates of food insecu- standing of the nation’s economy. rity than the general population. However veterans of The Federal Committee on Statistical the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan experience greater Methodology and the Interagency Council on food insecurity and lack of access to sufficient food for a Statistical Policy are working to create a unified healthful lifestyle compared to other veterans and non- framework for transparent reporting of data quality for veterans. The Economic Research Service linked data integrated data products, including appropriate statistical from their Food Security Supplement on the U.S. Census standards. Whether Federal statistics come from tradi- Bureau’s Current Population Survey with the Department tional household and establishment surveys and carefully of Veteran’s Affairs administrative data on veterans in designed administrative records systems or from sources order to examine the prevalence and trends in food secu- not initially designed for statistical purposes, data qual- rity among working-age veterans and their households. ity must be communicated transparently and understood The combined survey and administrative data provides to provide the best available statistical information to accurate and detailed information
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