The UCLA Department of Statistics and the Center for Social Statistics presents:
Rules of Engagement in Evidence-Informed Policy: Practices and Norms of Statistical Science in Government
Collaboration between statistical scientists (data scientists, behavioral and social scientists, statisticians) and policy makers promises to improve government and the lives of the public. And the data and design challenges arising from governments offer academics new chances to improve our understanding of both extant methods and behavioral and social science theory. However, the practices that ensure the integrity of statistical work in the academy — such as transparent sharing of data and code — do not translate neatly or directly into work with governmental data and for policy ends. This paper proposes a set of practices and norms that academics and practitioners can agree on before launching a partnership so that science can advance and the public can be protected while policy can be improved. This work is at an early stage. The aim is a checklist or statement of principles or memo of understanding that can be a template for the wide variety of ways that statistical scientists collaborate with governmental actors.
Speaker:
Jake Bowers, Associate Professor at University of Illinois and Fellow of the Office of Evaluation Sciences
