1. Legal and Institutional Framework for Statistical Agencies in the United States Nancy M. Gordon Associate Director for Strategic Planning and Innovation U.S. Census Bureau IAOS Workshop on Governance October 19, 2010

2. U.S. Federal Statistical System More decentralized than in many countries 13 principal statistical agencies About 70 more agencies that produce some statistical products Coordinated by the Chief Statistician in the Executive Office of the President/OMB Governed by laws, regulations, and directives Some apply government-wide; others are specific to one or a few agencies 1

3. Responsibilities and Authorities of Statistical Agencies Protect confidentiality of respondents Keep burden on respondents as low as possible, while meeting country’s needs for information Produce accurate, relevant, objective, timely, and accessible information Collect data for statistical purposes, including for other government agencies Obtain confidential administrative records from other agencies 2

4. Responsibilities and Authorities of Chief Statistician Coordinate system to ensure efficiency and effectiveness Chair interagency council advising Director of OMB Coordinate and review agencies’ budgets for consistency with system-wide priorities Develop and oversee implementation of government- wide standards for all aspects of statistical work Report to the Congress annually on funding and staffing Coordinate U.S. international participation 3

5. OMB Directives on Disseminating Public-use Statistical Products Goal: timely, transparent, equitable, and policy-neutral releases Release data as soon as possible Press releases must be written by the agency producing the data Clear distinction between statistical release and any policy comment Announce timing of future releases in advance 4

6. Specific Requirements to Ensure Integrity and Objectivity 5 Principal Economic Indicators Within 22 working days for monthly and quarterly releases Only President (through CEA Chair) has advance access No public comment by officials within first hour after release Schedule includes exact date and time of release Other Statistical Products No specific requirement Agency head decides who has advance access Officials may comment immediately Approximate date of release