The Work of the Committee on National Statistics

The Committee on National Statistics was established by the National Research Council (the operating arm of the National Academy of Sciences) in response to growing concern about the adequacy, validity, timeliness, and utility of statistical procedures and information central to major national decisions. Although the NRC has had a long-standing interest in the quality of the statistical information basic to public policy formation, the immediate impetus to establish the Committee came from a major recommendation of the President's Commission on Federal Statistics, that an independent, continuing group be established to review the federal statistical system and recommend improvements [1]. The Commission reported: "We are convinced that ... a need exists for continuous review of federal statistical activities, on a selective basis, by a group of broadly representative professionals without direct relationships with the federal government." and urged ". . . that an NAS-NRC committee be established to provide an outside review of federal statistical activities [2]." The Committee, first appointed in January, 1972, is attached to the Division of Mathematical Sciences in the National Research Council. Members are appointed for three-year terms and serve without recompense. Current members of the Committee are William Kruskal, chairman, Morris Hansen, Stanley Lebergott, Rupert G. Miller, Jr., Frederick Mosteller, I. Richard Savage, Elizabeth Scott, William Shaw, and Conrad Taeuber. Former members include: Douglas Chapman, Cuthbert Daniel and Bernard Greenberg. In addition, the Committee has a small professional staff, all serving part-time: Executive Director, Margaret E. Martin; Research Director, Edward Tufte; Consultants, Hyman B. Kaitz, Walt R. Simmons. The Committee and its staff represent a broad spectrum of disciplines in which statistics are applied, as well as a variety of experience in statistical methodology, data collection, and data analysis. As a group sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences, the Committee is primarily oriented toward giving scientific advice to the federal government. Yet even its name indicates a somewhat broader interest "national" statistics rather than "federal" statistics is intended to connote any statistics of important public concern, whether collected by the federal government or not. Coming to the Committee months after it had been established, I searched for a detailed statement of its functions or a "frame of reference" as an aid in guiding future planning. The most direct statement was in the President's Commission's report and might be summarized in three words as, "Carry on, chaps." In these circumstances one might think that the early. attention of the Committee would have concentrated on building such a framework and establishing priorities within it. However, it early became apparent, with the wide range of backgrounds and experience represented on the Committee, its infrequent meetings, and the multitude of urgent statistical problems pressing for attention, that we might better proceed with a few critical projects immediately. We were in danger of bogging down in discussions of generalities. Partly, the functions of the Committee on National Statistics may be viewed in terms of what the Committee is not. It is not a group representing the profession, as does the American Statistical Association; it is not a group representing users, as does the Federal Statistics Users' Conference; it is not intended to duplicate the functions of the federal statistical agencies, nor of academic research, nor of commercial or nonprofit contracting organizations. Rather, it is expected, by selecting significant, broadly applicable projects and approaching them in a creative, multidisciplinary fashion, to focus the expertise of specialists outside the government on important statistical issues. At the same time, these projects must be such that most of them can be funded by the specific agencies which will be the recipients of the advice; and the process of developing the projects must be reasonably compatible with the style of operation of the National Research Council. The NRC studies problems of national significance which require scientific or technical competence and for which the resources of the NRC are considered particularly suitable. Despite these constraints, there is no lack of suitable issues to begin on. We are constrained, rather, by the smallness of our staff, the limits of our expertise and the interests of our members and possible sponsors. The I This is a revision of an invited address to the Social Statistics Section, American Statistical Association, New York City, 30 December 1973. * Executive Director, Committee on National Statistics, National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council, 2101 Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20418.