You are invited to a strategy development meeting Statistics and
Evidence-based Policy 
Wednesday 23 January 2008 (1400-1600 hrs) 
The Royal Statistical Society 
12 Errol Street 
London, EC1Y 8LX 

During the Royal Statistical Society's annual conference in July 2007, the
education theme held a meeting which considered the use (or lack thereof) of
evidence in governments' education policy making. This meeting taught us a
lot about how governments think and what evidence-based policy making often
means in practice. It also provided the perfect launchpad for a closer look
at what we - as a profession, as a Society - could do to place reliable
statistical analysis and interpretation more centre-stage in policy making
at all levels and in all sectors - and it raised questions to which we need
answers if we are to move matters forward: 

- How can we ensure that decision makers use statistically-based evidence
when developing policy? - What more can providers do to meet the needs of
policy-making users of statistics? - How can policy-making users better
communicate their requirements to the providers of data? - What can
statisticians do differently/better/more often to increase demand for the
objective interpretation of data (even when the outcomes may not be relied
upon to support pre-conceived thinking)? - How can the RSS effect the
cultural change needed to increase the currency of objective data analysis
in relation to policy making? 

The relationship between user and provider is clearly key and bringing
together policy makers and statisticians will ensure that the answers to
these questions are central to future RSS strategy. 
To help us in tackling these issues, Charles Clarke MP, a former Education
(and also Home) Secretary, and Jon Coles, Director of the 14-19 Reform
Group, Department for Children, Schools and Families, will each share their
experiences as users of statistics in education policy development and
advise the RSS on the role it could/should be playing. Professors Judy Sebba
(University of Sussex and an ex-adviser to the then DFES) and Harvey
Goldstein (University of Bristol) will return to this issue to act as
discussants. Also to look at the role of the provider and how this should
evolve in order to better meet the needs of users and place use of
statistical evidence at the heart of policy making. 
An open panel and active audience participation discussion will consider
next steps for the RSS. 

If you would like to attend, please contact Debra Hurcomb, Theme Manager for
Education at the RSS to reserve your place. Her e-mail address is:
[log in to unmask] and telephone number: 020 7614 3934. We look forward to
seeing you there and thank you in advance for sharing your thoughts on this
important issue.