August 2014 In response to a May 21 request from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for comments on its proposed Statistical Policy Directive on the fundamental responsibilities of federal statistical agencies and recognized statistical units in the “design, collection, editing, compilation, analysis, release, and dissemination of statistical information” (Federal Register, Vol. 79, No. 98), AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine provided comments supporting the goals of OMB’s draft directive while providing three key recommendations for strengthening it.
Levine’s July 21 letter recommended that OMB (1) include a statement on the importance of autonomy in the functioning of statistical agencies and recognized units; (2) make clear its expectation of federal departments to support the work of statistical agencies and mandate that departments review and report on current related procedures and structures; and (3) emphasize the significance of confidentiality protection in the collection and analysis of data.
Read the letter for full details