implications and uses. The development of standard concepts and classifications is a complex process involving compromise and considerable technical ingenuity. Recommendations for achieving this are presented in appropriate sections throughout this report. General-Purpose Collection Efforts In an attempt to enhance the implementation of standard concepts and classifications and to extend the usefulness of individual collection efforts, considerable attention is focused throughout this report on the development of general-purpose data collection efforts which meet multiple needs. A basic premise of this Framework is that extended generalpurpose collection efforts can increase the quality of U.S. statistical information in a cost-effective manner. This cost-effectiveness is directly related to replacing costly, narrow-purpose statistical efforts with general-purpose collection efforts whose total cost may often be less than the combined cost of the discontinued programs and which may simultaneously yield improvements in the quality of the data provided. Policy Committees The Framework is viewed as a starting point for considering individual statistical programs and developing responses to the priority problems identified. It is therefore essential to have a set of government decisionmakers who are able to accurately reflect the policy concerns of the various agencies and who can articulate the priorities for statistical data in the individual subject areas. A number of policy committees with this purpose are identified in the discussions presented in Section III. Recommendations for creating and improving several policy committees are also set forth in appropriate sections. Technical Interagency Working Groups The key to a strong Federal Statistical System is the people involved in the day-to-day design, collection, processing, and analysis of Federal statistics. The interagency working groups that bring these talented individuals together are essential for implementing improvements in statistical programs. Recommendations for extending and improving the existing network of technical interagency working groups are made throughout the report in recognition of the vitality of this mechanism in the creative evolution of the Federal Statistical System. Public Advice With the emphasis in this Framework on the needs for and uses of statistical information, it is evident that the Federal Statistical System benefits greatly from public advice received from those individuals who utilize Federal statistics in their analytical and decisionmaking processes and who provide the essential data to the Federal Government by completing the various reporting requirements. In some agencies the advisory mechnism is well established and effectively utilized. In other agencies important user groups should be involved more directly and effectively than is presently the case. Consequently, several recommendations for improving the relationship between public suppliers and users of information and statistical collection and analytical agencies are presented. Central Policy Agency For over 40 years there has been a centralized office with responsibilities for improving the planning and coordination of Federal statistical activities. The present document has been developed by the organization with that continuing responsibility, the Office of Federal Statistical Policy and Standards in the U.S. Department of Commerce. It is evident as a consequence of developing this planning document that the interagency perspective provided by such an agency is an essential component in ensuring the appropriate development of statistical programs of high utility. Several recommendations are presented for assignments which should be undertaken by interagency groups under the leadership of this Office. Even though the control function of the central statistical planning agency is limited in its directive aspects, the leadership which can be provided through careful working relationships with the agencies is especially important to the continued development and implementation of improvements in the U.S. Federal Statistical System. ORGANIZATION AND OPERATIONS OF U.S. FEDERAL STATISTICAL AGENCIES Introduction In recent decades there has been considerable debate concerning the organization of the U.S. Federal Statistical System. The debate, which is summarized in Revolution in United States Government Statistics, 1926-1976, has focused on the degree to which the U.S. Federal Statistical System should be centralized or decentralized. A discussion of the organization of Federal statistics is especially difficult since there are a wide variety of agencies and/or activities generating numerical series which are viewed by many users as "statistics." Certain Federal statistical series are used widely by persons with greatly varying information needs; these are frequently called general-purpose statistics. However, with a few exceptions such as the decennial census and the estimation of the national income accounts, most statistical programs are, in fact, special purpose in character; they focus on a particular function of Government and are designed primarily to aid in policymaking in clearly specified areas. The bulk of these statistics relate to specific Federal programs, and are essentially a byproduct of administering or monitoring these activities. All executive requests for information, except for those of regulatory agencies, the Internal Revenue Service, a few bank regulatory agencies, and certain data collection activities in the health manpower field are subject to review and clearance by the Office of Management and Budget under authority of the Federal Reports Act of 1942. The agencies, when requesting clearance, classify their information requests by type. One category, "statistical reports,' is defined as follows: "those used in obtaining general-purpose statistics, collected without primary reference to specific governmental needs." In March 1976, 107 separate agencies were conducting information inquiries which they labeled as statistical. A subsequent review established that some of the inquiries were not actually statistical in character, but well over 90 agencies were undertaking or sponsoring statistical programs. A number of these agencies had only one or two reports included, and frequently the reports were not designed to yield a time series or a continuing statistical report. For purposes of this discussion of the organization of U.S. Federal statistics, the Office of Federal Statistical Policy and Standards has identified 38 agencies which have a key role in developing and using statistical inquiries. These agencies have been selected primarily on the basis of their impact on the statistical system using measures such as their budget level (generally $3 million or more), number of statistical personnel, and the volume of burden (generally 50,000 man-hours or more) which they place on the American public in collecting their statistical information. The 38 agencies are listed in Table 1. TABLE 1: MAJOR AGENCIES IN THE General Coordination Agency Office of Federal Statistical Policy and Standards, Department of Commerce Core Multipurpose Collection Agencies Economics, Statistics, and Cooperatives Service (statistics units), Department of Agriculture Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor Subject Matter Multipurpose Collection Agencies National Center for Education Statistics, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare National Center for Health Statistics, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research, Department of Housing and Urban Development Bureau of Mines, Department of the Interior Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, Department of Justice Employment and Training Administration, Department of Labor Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury Environmental Protection Agency Energy Information Administration, Department of Energy Core Multipurpose Analysis Agencies Economics, Statistics, and Cooperatives Service (economics units), Department of Agriculture Bureau of Economic Analysis, Department of Commerce Office of Research and Statistics, Social Security Administration, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare Research and Special Programs Administration, Department of Transportation Federal Reserve Board Program Collection and Analysis Agencies Department of Health, Education, and Welfare Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Center for Disease Control Food and Drug Administration Health Care Financing Administration Health Resources Administration Health Services Administration National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Department of the Treasury Office of the Secretary, including Office of Revenue Sharing and Office of Tax Analysis National Science Foundation U. S. International Trade Commission The Basic Roles of Statistical Agencies In the abstract, data needs for a particular program, subject matter, or functional area should be clearly identified by the decisionmaker who requires the information. Further, the needs of individual agencies should be closely coordinated before specific plans for collection are developed so that duplication will be minimized and so that a wide spectrum of needs will be addressed. After the needs for data are identified, alternative strategies should be considered for collecting the information through statistically acceptable data collection procedures designed to minimize cost and to minimize burden on the data providers. Centers staffed with statistical personnel should collect the data and prepare them for: National Institutes of Health National Institute of Education Office of Education |