GOVERNMENT NEWS
Official Statistics: Diverse Opportunities
and Challenges
Cynthia Clark
reporting to Hal Nisselson, the associate direc-
tor for statistical methods and standards—
a position I later came to hold. I was
the first mathematical statistician at the
bureau to focus on statistical methods
for protecting the confidentiality of pub-
licly released microdata. In that research
First Experiences in
assignment, I learned about approaches for
Federal Statistics
perturbing data for both microdata and tab-
Opportunities that arose during my first six ulations and was introduced to issues of pri-
years in federal statistics have affected my vacy and confidentiality for survey takers and
Clark
entire career. I never anticipated the impact data providers.
one’s early career can have. When I arrived Two years later, I accepted a position as
in Washington, I realized an academic posi- an economic statistician with the Office of
tion as a statistician was neither likely nor Federal Statistical Policy and Standards to
profitable, so I pursued suggestions from my pursue my interest in time series analysis.
Iowa State professors to consider a position There, I worked to develop standards for
S
imilar to Katherine Wallman, who
with the federal government. The search was seasonal adjustment of time series, revision
wrote in the June issue of Amstat News,
somewhat hampered by my realization that of economic data series, and development
I found my way to the world of official
a full-time position was not feasible with five of procedures to share business lists under
statistics accidentally. In my years of academ-
young children, ages 6 months to 12 years, proposed legislation. As a statistical budget
ic preparation, I had not considered becom-
but that employment in the work force very officer, I worked with staff members at the
ing a statistician, much less a government
soon after receiving a scientific degree was Bureau of Economic Analysis on initiatives in
statistician. Obstacles and opportunities
necessary to retain ultimate employability. gross domestic product and with staff at the
along my path to becoming a professor of
My first seven years of federal employment Bureau of Labor Statistics on budget initia-
mathematics ultimately led me to
were on a part-time basis. tives for the major redesign of the Current
Washington, DC, in 1977 with my husband,
After a search lasting several months, Population Survey. My experience with these
children, and a newly granted PhD in statis-
I began a position as a mathematical programs helped greatly in my most recent
tics. Then and there, I found interesting
statistician at the U.S. Census Bureau position in the United Kingdom.
work and problems in the field of official sta-
tistics. I have now spent more than 30 years
in four official statistics organizations and
have never ceased to be amazed at the variety
of intriguing problems.
I have worked in three of the federal sta-
Statisticians Without
tistical agencies—the U.S. Census Bureau
and the Office of Federal Statistical Policy
Borders Anyone?
and Standards (a predecessor to the Office
of Statistical and Science Policy in the For a couple of years, the ASA has had a volunteerism special interest
Office of Management and Budget), both group open to any member interested in any type of statistically related
in the Department of Commerce, and the
volunteering. At a global health policy session during JSM, the idea
National Agricultural Statistics Service
of ‘statisticians without borders’ was floated, patterned after the large
(NASS), in the Department of Agriculture.
and successful Doctors Without Borders. This group would consist of
I also had a three-year appointment at the
statisticians willing to do pro bono work related, broadly, to international
UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS),
based in London. I have now entered what
health. If you have an interest in any kind of pro bono work, send a brief
I expect will be my last stop in official sta-
email message to Fritz Scheuren at scheuren@aol.com.
tistics, as I recently assumed the position of
administrator of NASS.
OCTOBER 2008 AMSTAT NEWS 39
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