To follow our earlier discussion, RSS wanted views 'by September 30 if at
all possible'. This means that if we want to get views in we need to move
quickly. As I said in the message Ray has just recirclated, I can't see
any sense in trying to get a collective response from Radstats. For what
it's worth, my response is below. I'm not all that happy with it, but
couldn't afford to spend more time. I hope others will do better.
Alison
Text is below:
I am writing in response to the invitation to fellows to give our views
on the draft RSS charter.
As you will guess my concerns are about section 3. I fully recognise the
importance of ensuring that the qualifications of the 1500 of our 7200
fellows who are professionally qualified are recognised throughout
Europe and that our 1887 charter was granted when there were still
relatively few professional statisticians.
Having said that, I am very disappointed that the spirit of the original
aims of the society, embodied in the 1887 charter, seems to have been
lost. Of course it is no longer the role of the society itself to be a
primary producer or publisher of statistics or to restrict their
presentation to 'tabular forms'. Despite this, I think it essential that
fostering and informing the production of and ensuring that other
relevant bodies publish 'facts illustrating the conditions and prospects
of society' should be among our foremost aims. I am pleased at the way
that this has been returning to our agenda over the past ten years, but
it is essential that this appears explicitly in the new charter, as it
is still held in much lower esteem than the development of new
statistical methods. Ideally esteem should be equal, as each should
inform the other. The very fact that we do not have at our fingertips an
equally impressive twenty first century phrase to supersede the
nineteenth century phrase is a symptom of what has been lost and I think
it is essential to find a new form of words for the purpose. I presume
that it has been argued that all this is subsumed in the phrase 'the
science of statistics', but as this is not defined in the charter, it is
hardly surprising if people interpret the phrase in a narrower
methodologically oriented sense.
More generally, section 3 suggests that the society seeks a passive and
inward looking role, particularly in section (iii), rather than actively
promoting the understanding and informed use of statistics, not only by
professional statisticians, but by a wider public. This same restricted
view is reflected on the web site. Of the three 'main purposes' listed,
the first and third are academic and inward looking. Surely the second
purpose should be expanded as the main aim and the first should follow,
in smaller print, as explicit things the Society does and the third
should spell out the 'other objectives' to include promoting better
public use of statistics.
What has delayed my reply to the consultation on the draft charter, is
the need to make a positive suggestion of an alternative. This is
something which needs to be done in discussion with others, rather than
by an individual, but there is no RSS forum for fellows to have such a
discussion. As I am unwilling to criticise without offering an
alternative, I would like to offer the following as a draft for further
discussion and improvement.
3. The object for which the Society is constituted is the advancement of
statistical methods, their application to the production of statistics
relating to all aspects of society and the promotion of public
understanding and use of statistics. For that purpose it aims:
(i) To foster and support the production and publication of statistics,
where appropriate on all relevant aspects of society.
(ii) To encourage the development of statistical methods and their
application to all areas of activity to which they may be relevant and
beneficial.
(iii) To establish, uphold and advance standards of competence for
professional statisticians.
(iv) To promote public understanding of statistics and the competent use
and interpretation of statistics in all areas of national life and to
offer advice on the analysis and interpretation of statistics in matters
of public interest, policy making and decision making.
_________________________________________________________________________
Alison Macfarlane Tel (44) (0) 1865 226706 (direct)
Medical statistician 227000 (unit)
National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit Fax (44) (0) 1865 227002
Institute of Health Sciences
Old Road
Oxford OX3 7LF
England
Email [log in to unmask]
_________________________________________________________________________
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