Principles and Practices for a Federal Statistical Agency

Government statistics are widely used to inform decisions by policymakers, program administrators, businesses and other organizations as well as households and the general public. Principles and Practices for a Federal Statistical Agency, Seventh Edition will assist statistical agencies and units, as well as other agencies engaged in statistical activities, to carry out their responsibilities to provide accurate, timely, relevant, and objective information for public and policy use. This report will also inform legislative and executive branch decision makers, data users, and others about the characteristics of statistical agencies that enable them to serve the public good.Table of ContentsFront MatterSUMMARYPART I: IntroductionTHE VALUE OF NATIONAL STATISTICS IN THE UNITED STATESFEDERAL STATISTICAL AGENCIES AND UNITSTHE COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL STATISTICS AND THIS REPORTPART II: PrinciplesPRINCIPLE 1: Relevance to Policy Issues and SocietyPRINCIPLE 2: Credibility Among Data Users and StakeholdersPRINCIPLE 3: Trust Among the Public and Data ProvidersPRINCIPLE 4: Independence from Political and Other Undue External InfluencePRINCIPLE 5: Continual Improvement and InnovationPART III: PracticesPractice 1: A Clearly Defined and Well-Accepted MissionPractice 2: Necessary Authority and Procedures to Protect IndependencePractice 3: Commitment to Quality and Professional Standards of PracticePractice 4: Professional Advancement of StaffPractice 5: An Active Research ProgramPractice 6: Strong Internal and External Evaluation Processes for an Agency's Statistical ProgramsPractice 7: Coordination and Collaboration with Other Statistical AgenciesPractice 8: Respect for Data Providers and Protection of Their DataPractice 9: Dissemination of Statistical Products That Meet Users' NeedsPractice 10: Openness About Sources and Limitations of the Data ProvidedREFERENCESAPPENDIX A: Legislation and Regulations That Govern Federal StatisticsAPPENDIX B: Organization of the Federal Statistical SystemAPPENDIX C: Some International Frameworks and Guidance Relevant for Federal StatisticsCommittee on National Statistics