chance to become involved in areas such
Opportunities, Adventure Await
as setting standards, determining budget
These and many other interesting challeng-
priorities, and reviewing information col-
es and opportunities are available to those
lection requests.
who choose careers in our federal statisti-
Twist to COPAFS, Turn to OMb
cal system. No matter how long I sit at the
helm, I am always enchanted to learn of the
But once again, a government reorganiza-
fascinating activities that engage my fellow
tion led me to pursue a new path—in this
statisticians. Preparing to write this article,
case, to accept the challenge of serving as
I asked the leaders of the federal statistical
the first full-time executive director of the
agencies to provide a few examples, some of
Council of Professional Associations on
which are noted briefly here:
Federal Statistics, a coalition of professional
societies (including the ASA) joined togeth-
TO ReSPOnD to a policy initiative to
er to foster improved dialogue between
reduce class size, a National Center for
the producers and users of federal statis-
Education Statistics team used data from
tics. A budget crisis affecting all domestic
ongoing collections to model different
spending, including statistical programs,
scenarios to provide an analysis of the
null
No matter how long
erupted just after my arrival at COPAFS
funding needed to reduce class size to a
I sit at the helm, I am
in early 1982, and our fledgling organiza-
series of targets; the information was used
always enchanted to
tion soon became the focal point of con-
by policymakers in the Department of
versations between the statistical agencies,
Education, White House, and Congress
learn of the fascinating
congressional oversight and appropriations
to set the parameters of the law.
committees, user communities, and the
activities that engage my
TO ADDReSS ever-growing demands
media. Throughout the next decade, these
for information about small geographic fellow statisticians.
‘emergency’ interactions turned into ongo-
areas that can be used to administer
ing discussions that brought statisticians to
null
federal grant programs, statisticians at
Washington on a more regular basis, both
the U.S. Census Bureau use statistical
to meet with agency statisticians and to
modeling and advanced statistical meth-
testify to congressional overseers. Again,
ods to integrate data from the decennial
perhaps indirectly, the second of my long-
census and current surveys with an array
least 74% of the fleet in question would
term career interests—fostering statistical
of administrative records available from
fail to meet the emissions standards and
literacy—emerged.
federal benefit and regulatory programs.
successfully testified in a court case that
Having expanded my circle of fellow
Through these efforts, estimates are pro-
resulted in the recall of 208,000 cars.
travelers during my COPAFS years to
duced for the number of poor, school-
include statisticians working in virtually
aged children for each of the nation’s
TO ASSIST as an observer during the
every field of application from every van-
14,000 school districts and health insur-
first census of agriculture in the People’s
tage point, I took a turn in the road that
ance coverage for various demographic
Republic of China, a statistician from
brought me back to OMB late in 1992 to
groups at the county level.
the National Agricultural Statistics
serve as chief statistician and pursue my
Service participated in the respondent
longstanding interests:
TO InfORM discussions in the popular
re-interview process in a remote vil-
• Fostering collaborative arrangements
media about the distribution of income
lage. After several days of meeting with
among various levels of government
in the United States and associated pub-
officials at every level, the NASS stat-
to produce official statistics lic debate about tax and economic poli- istician—accompanied by every village
cies, statisticians at the IRS’ Statistics
resident, the mayor, numerous other
• Increasing the interfaces between aca-
of Income Division—which publishes
government officials, and a news cam-
demic and government statisticians
statistical profiles of the income and
era crew—observed the re-interview of
• Strengthening statutory protections
tax distributions of individuals and
the somewhat bewildered respondent.
for confidential statistical information
households—regularly provide tutorials
to reporters and administration officials
The journeys of a government statisti-
• Establishing standards to extend pro- who may need to respond to critiques of
cian do take us to fascinating places! As
cesses that ensure the policy-neutral government policies.
this new section for government statisti-
release of data from statistical agencies
cians is inaugurated, I hope many oth-
TO DeTeRMIne whether there
ers will contribute tales of their travels.n
• Simplifying access to the wealth of
should be a recall of vehicles, a statistician

statistical information produced by
at the Environmental Protection Agency
Editor’s Note: Katherine K. Wallman is
our agencies
designed a procedure to sample vehicles
chief statistician, Office of Management and
• Enhancing the public’s statistical literacy
for their carbon monoxide value. Using a
Budget. The views expressed in this article
model, the statistician concluded that at
are personal.
JUNE 2008 AMSTAT NEWS 29
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