Wyoming Labor Force Trends

Understanding R&P’s Function, Part III

by: April Szuch, Information Specialist

This is the final article in a three-part series (available in full at http://doe.state.wy.us/LMI/mission.pdf) detailing the purposes of a statistical agency.

Research & Planning (R&P) is an exclusively statistical entity with the purpose of compiling and analyzing data and making such information available to other government agencies, the public, businesses, and nongovernmental groups. R&P does not administer any worker training, insurance, or regulatory programs.

Credibility and Full Disclosure

Credibility is an essential attribute of any statistical entity. “A [state] statistical entity must have credibility based on a relationship of mutual trust with those who use its data and information” (Martin, Straf, & Citro, 2005). Those who obtain data from the entity must be able to rely on accuracy of the data and credibility of the entity. In addition, the entity must be free from political bias.

The entity also should be candid about the sources of its data and any limitations of that information. By disclosing research and analysis methods, the entity ensures that its audience will understand possible limitations of the data. With this knowledge, the public is able to make clear determinations about how to use the data.

R&P strives to list in detail the data sources used for analysis. In illustration, Dr. Mark A. Harris does so in the “Background and Methodology” section of “Need a Nurse? Examining Labor Sources for Health Care” in the December 2007 issue of Wyoming Labor Force Trends (http://doe.state.wy.us/LMI/1207/a1.htm).

A statistical entity should broadly circulate its data in a timely manner to the widest possible audience. By describing the data in layman’s terms, an entity fulfills its purpose of not only providing data, but also making it accessible to all users. R&P publishes monthly news releases of employment and industry data, as well as quarterly releases of payroll and employment news and other occasional updates (http://doe.state.wy.us/LMI/releases.htm).

Independence

Maintaining independence is necessary for a statistical entity. This enhances credibility and allows the public, government officials, and others access to objective, unbiased information. Data providers will likely be more willing to share information with the knowledge that the entity will use it for statistical purposes and will not share confidential or individually identifiable data for administrative, regulatory, or law enforcement purposes (see 29 USC sec. 491-2 [a][2] at http://doe.state.wy.us/LMI/section309.htm). Administrative uses include wage records, tax audits, and license records. Administrative records can be used for statistical purposes, in conjunction with other research and data, but statistical data are not appropriate for administrative use.

Standards and Guidelines for Statistical Surveys

Statistics collected and published by the federal government constitute a significant portion of the available information about the United States economy, population, natural resources, environment, and public and private institutions. These data are used by the federal government and others as a basis for actions that affect people’s lives and well-being. It is essential that they be collected, processed, and published in a manner that guarantees and inspires confidence in their reliability.

Source: Management and Budget Office. (2006, September 22). Standards and guidelines for statistical surveys (Federal Register, Vol. 71, No. 184). Retrieved December 12, 2007, from http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/
01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pdf/06-8044.pdf

Independence also means that the entity has authority over the circumstances regarding collection of data, means of analysis, and release to the public, as well as the ability to release data without clearance from another agency. For example, R&P sets its own time frame for sharing information by providing news release dates to the public (http://doe.state.wy.us/LMI/0108/a7.htm).

R&P is not restricted to gathering certain types of data or seeking specific results. Because a statistical entity should be independent, even from those persons or agencies with which it shares data, the entity is not obliged to produce anything but the most accurate, complete data.

Standards and Experience

Maintaining high-quality and professional standards is another responsibility of a statistical entity. This includes using up-to-date statistical theory, seeking to increase skills among staff members, and communicating statistical information in ways that are understandable to experts and nonexperts alike.

References

Duncan, G. T., Jabine, T. B., & de Wolf, V. A. (Eds.). (1993). Private lives and public policies. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.

Gallagher, T. (2007). Principles and practices for a state statistical agency. Internal document; also available at http://doe.state.wy.us/LMI/statistical_entity.pdf

Martin, M. E., Straf, M. L., & Citro, C. F. (Eds.). (2005). Principles and practices for a federal statistical agency (3rd ed.). Washington, D.C.: Committee on National Statistics, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education.

Last modified on by April Szuch.

Understanding R&P’s Function, Part III