COPAFS Corner
COPAFS Focuses on Statistical Activities
Stephanie Shipp, ASA Representative to COPAFS for 2008–2009, and
Stephen Cohen, ASA Representative to COPAFS for 2009–2010
COPAFS is the Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics and
comprised of the membership of 60 organizations, including professional
organizations, businesses, research institutes, and others interested in federal
statistics. As a member of COPAFS, the ASA has two representatives from the
Government Statistics Section who attend the quarterly COPAFS meetings
and report back to the ASA membership. Highlights of the March 6, 2009,
meeting held at the Bureau of Labor Statistics follow.
E
d Spar, COPAFS executive director, began Spar then introduced Gary Chappell of the U.S.
his report by citing the morning’s news that Census Bureau, who gave a quick update on the
the omnibus appropriations bill did not pass. 2010 Census partnership program. The objective
He explained the government was still under a con- is to sign up national organizations as 2010 census
tinuing resolution, but another vote was expected partners. Potential contributions of these partner-
the following week. (Note: The omnibus appropria- ships include promoting the census and providing
tions bill subsequently passed on March 10). speaking opportunities. The bureau has been con-
Spar said no one knew what the final budget ducting email outreach to potential partners and
numbers would be, except for additional funding will host a March 30 partnership kickoff meeting
already approved for Census 2010. For the National in Washington. COPAFS has already signed on as a
Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), the National 2010 Census partner.
Health Interview Survey’s sample is still cut in half,
and they will collect only the bare minimum of vital
Populations at Risk from Disasters
statistics data. We would only get ‘enhanced’ vital
Jim Fitzsimmons from the U.S. Census Bureau
statistics data (e.g., additional information from
described the objective of identifying populations
birth certificates) if NCHS gets additional funding.
at risk for disaster around the world. The ability
There appears to be nothing additional for NCHS
to estimate subnational population distributions is
in the stimulus package.
critical for increasing the data utility in relief efforts.
Spar described a Federal Register notice on the
Subnational population estimates can be a chal-
North American Industry Classification System
lenge to produce because many countries do not
requesting comments by April 30. He also men-
have recent census data. Fitzsimmons noted that
tioned that final decisions have been made on stan-
the bureau has been maintaining an international
dard occupation classifications, with details available
database and conducted a study on the topic. The
at
www.bls.gov/soc. The U.S. Census Bureau is again
project’s use of satellite imagery has received the
considering ways to combine the race and ethnicity
most attention, but a key to the approach has been
questions. The focus is not on Census 2010 or to
a willingness to “take anything we can get.”
establish final questions, but to develop guidelines
Joshua Comenetz from the bureau described a
for future deliberations on this topic. Karen Humes
National Research Council study a few years ago
of the bureau is the recommended contact for those
that called for improved subnational population
interested in following up.
estimates and a wider availability of these data. The
Looking to the June 5 COPAFS meeting, Spar
U.S. Census Bureau has responded with the goal
mentioned there would be U.S. Census Bureau
of maintaining a frequently updated database of
presentations from the Housing Unit Based
such estimates, with an emphasis on countries most
Estimation Research Team (HUBERT), follow-up
likely to require outside assistance with humanitar-
research, and the designation of urbanized areas.
ian disasters. The idea of a worldwide population
The other remaining 2009 meetings are scheduled
register is unattainable, so the minimum objective
for September 11 and December 4.
is a set of estimates of population by age/sex, with
14 AMSTAT NEWS JULY 2009
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