Page 311 - Special Topic Session (STS) - Volume 2

STS496 Alphonse L.M.

Statisticians misbehaving: The ethical dimensions
of an essential profession
Alphonse L. MacDonald
General Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Paramaribo, Suriname

Abstract
In pre-modern, pre-democratic times the administration of societies was ruled
by the will and whims of the “Sovereign”. In the modern democratic society
civil servants or public officials carry out their functions on the basis of explicit
rules and regulations for the benefit of society as a whole. These rules and
regulations are based on the principles of democracy, transparency and
accountability. Statistics is a key element of the national information system
and society expects statistics to be scientifically correct, of high quality and
timely. To produce this requires the collaboration of the government, the
statisticians and the citizens. Technical and operational independence of
national statistical organisations are key requirements for a well-functioning
statistical system. Legal provisions should exist to ensure that the national
statistical organisations have the required degree of independence and the
required, human and financial, resources. Similarly, the scientific basis of the
profession requires that the statisticians adhere to the principles of science
and apply established methodologies. Citizens have to provide the required
information truthfully and as complete as possible. Occasionally, the
Government or the citizens are not in agreement with the outcome and the
results of the statistical operations and blame statisticians of not carrying out
their duty properly. In the last decades there have been cases were statisticians
were accused of un-professional and even criminal behaviour and have been
disciplined, dismissed or taken to court. These cases have been widely
reported in the media. The international statistical community has come to the
defence of these colleagues with variable success. There are also instances in
which statisticians commit errors, or deviate from established procedures
producing substandard or even useless statistics. This undermines the
confidence of the citizens in the statistical system and could have negative
consequences for the standing of the country in the international community.
To assist statisticians to correctly carry out their duties several professional and
scientific statistical organisations have issued codes of conducts which focus
on both technical requirements and ethical behaviour. However, these codes
of conduct have a limited diffusion among statisticians. It is suggested to
include exposure to the principals of ethical behaviour in the formal training
of statisticians of all levels.

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