Building Trust in Federal Statistics

Kerrie Leslie

Office of Management and Budget
Agenda

• Vision of the Evidence Act

 What’s new? 

• Evidence Act / CIPSEA 2018 – 44 U.S.C. 3563

 Rulemaking Process

• Trust Regulation

 Relevant and Timely

 Credible and Accurate 

 Objective

 Confidentiality & Exclusive Statistical Use

*** This presentation does not 

provide new OMB guidance or 

interpret existing guidance ***
Evidence Act’s Vision for Statistical Agencies

• Recognizes statistical agencies as foundation of data 

for evidence-building

• Statistics are a public good that derive their value from 

public trust
Evidence Act’s Vision for Statistical Agencies

• Updates & expands Confidential Information Protection 

and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002 (CIPSEA 2002)

• CIPSEA 2018 requires:

• Codification of Statistical Policy Directive No. 1 (“Trust” Reg)

• Presumption of Accessibility for Statistical Agencies

• Expanding Secure Access to CIPSEA Data Assets

• Standard Application to Access Data Assets for Developing 

Evidence (OMB M-23-04)

• CIPSEA Designation Guidance
Requires 

support 

from other 

agencies!

Elevates

SPD No. 1

to law!

What’s So Exciting?
The Rulemaking Process

Congress passes law 

authorizing/requiring regulation

If “significant,” OIRA reviews 

draft proposed rule

Agency drafts and clears 

internally a proposed rule

Agency publishes notice of 

proposed rulemaking (NPRM) 

Public reviews NPRM and 

submits comments to agency

Agency reviews public comments 

and develops draft final rule

Agency publishes final rule

If “significant,” OIRA reviews draft 

final rule

Rule takes effect

If “major,” Congress reviews final 

rule

Disapproval resolution passed

Rule challenged in court

Court “vacates” all or part of rule

Legislative Branch Executive Branch Judicial Branch
See also:

• CNSTAT, Principles and 

Practices for a Federal 

Statistical Agency

• Eurostat, European 

Statistics Code of Practice

• UN, Fundamental Principles 

of Official Statistics

• OECD, Principles and 

Practices for International 

Statistics

CIPSEA 2018 and 

Statistical Policy 

Directive No. 1

Fundamental 

Responsibilities:

1. Relevant and Timely

2. Credible and Accurate 

3. Objective

4. Confidentiality & Exclusive 

Statistical Use

Fundamental Responsibilities
Fundamental Responsibilities

SUPPORT FROM OTHER AGENCIES

Relevant 

& Timely

Credible 

& Accurate

Objective Confidentiality 

& Exclusive 

Statistical Use

Trust

The 

Four 

Pillars
General Provisions

Statistical agencies to implement the four fundamental 

responsibilities

Other agencies shall enable, support, and facilitate statistical 

agencies in carrying out the responsibilities

Maintain a website clearly branded for the statistical agency

Improve transparency of statistical agency budgets

Delegation of some statistical policy functions to CSOTUS
Relevant and Timely

Be knowledgeable about the issues

Communicate and coordinate across agencies

Seek input on data needs from parent agencies and data users

Be innovative to improve accuracy and efficiency

Publish a calendar of release dates
Credible and Accurate

Regularly evaluate data and products

Publicly describe methods and limitations of the data, including for 

outside data

Seek new methods and adopt new technologies

Publish dissemination policies
Objective

Make products available on an equitable, policy-neutral, timely, 

and transparent basis

Function in an environment that is clearly separate and 

autonomous from the other administrative, regulatory, law 

enforcement, or policy-making activities within their respective 

Departments

Seek to avoid even the appearance that agency design, collection, 

processing, editing, compilation, storage, analysis, release, and 

dissemination processes may be manipulated
Objective (cont.)

Conduct statistical activities autonomously when 

determining ...

what information to collect and process, 

how to secure and protect confidential statistical data, 

which estimation methods to use, 

how to disseminate statistical products, and 

who to hire

 Select candidates based on their scientific and technical knowledge, 

credentials, experience, and integrity

 Maintain and develop in-house staff who are trained in statistical 

methodology
Confidentiality & Exclusive Statistical Use

Ensure the confidentiality of and exclusive statistical use of 

identifiable data

Maintain a strong organizational climate that safeguards and 

protects the integrity and confidentiality of the data

Fully adhere to legal requirements and follow best practices for 

protecting the confidentiality of data
Accountability

Assess compliance with the regulation at least once 

every 3 years
Parent Agency Responsibilities

• Enable, support, and facilitate

• All other agencies – in NPRM, called 

parent agencies (regardless of agency 

structure)

• Delegations of authority to statistical 

agency head where necessary

• Clarify where and how to support 

statistical agencies, including: 

• Budgets

• Shared services (IT, HR, etc.)

• Identifying data needs

SUPPORT FROM OTHER AGENCIES

Relevant 

& Timely

Credible 

& Accurate

Objective Confidentiality 

& Exclusive 

Statistical Use

Trust
What’s next?

If “significant,” OIRA reviews 

draft proposed rule

Agency drafts and clears 

internally a proposed rule

Agency publishes notice of 

proposed rulemaking (NPRM) 

Public reviews NPRM and 

submits comments to agency

Agency reviews public comments 

and develops draft final rule

Agency publishes final rule

If “significant,” OIRA reviews draft 

final rule

Rule takes effect

Executive Branch

Received 33 public comments

View on Regulations.gov

Docket ID: OMB-2023-0015
More info

• Check StatsPolicy.gov for updates and announcements!
Thank You!

Kerrie Leslie

Office of the Chief Statistician of the United States

Office of Management and Budget

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(e) kerrie.l.leslie@omb.eop.gov

(w) CSOTUS | FSS | FCSM

Questions?