Iris Shimizu, National Center for Health Statistics, and Nancy Clusen, Mathematica Policy Research

Have you considered attending an A.M. or P.M. roundtable at this year’s JSM in Vancouver? Roundtables are 75–80 minutes long and offer an opportunity to explore a topic of interest with a discussion leader in an informal setting. GSS and SSS will sponsor nine that explore substantive and methodological topics central to those who produce or use official statistics. Because participation is limited, it is a good idea to sign up for roundtables when you register and plan your schedule.

Panel to Discuss Role of Statistical Societies in Global Capacity Building
Nilupa S. Gunaratna and Juanita Tamayo Lott

During this year’s Joint Statistical Meetings in Vancouver, British Columbia, GSS and SSS will cosponsor an invited panel featuring leaders from various statistical societies discussing the need and efforts to build statistical
capacity globally.

Statistical capacity has many dimensions. Capacity building is the development and strengthening of knowledge, skills, resources, infrastructure, institutional structures and processes, and policy and legal frameworks. It occurs at many levels—individual, institutional, subnational, national, and international—all with the goal of empowering individuals and institutions to achieve their potential and meet the needs of the communities they serve in a sustainable way.

The panel will expand on an invited panel session, “Building Statistical Capacity Globally,” that was held during JSM 2009 in Washington, DC. A key point of that discussion was that capacity building is not a one-way transfer. It is a participatory process in which individuals or institutions identify needs based on their priorities and action is taken to improve the individual’s or institution’s capacity to meet those needs.

This year’s panel will focus on the specific role statistical societies can play in building statistical capacity, both within their geographical region and globally. Panelists include Sally Morton, past-president of the ASA; Bovas Abraham, president of the Statistical Society of Canada; Denise Lievesley, past-president of the International Statistical Institute; and Jim Cochran, co-chair of Statistics Without Borders. Nilupa Gunaratna is the organizer; Juanita Tamayo Lott is the chair.

Each panelist will discuss current and planned capacity-building efforts within his or her society. As a group, the panelists will discuss how capacity-building efforts can be better coordinated and more effective in meeting global needs. The session, titled “Global Statistical Capacity and the Role of Statistical Societies,” is open to all and will take place August 1 in the Vancouver Convention Centre. Check the JSM program online for up-to-date time and location information.

August 2

Weights in Survey Data, 7:00 a.m. – 8:15 a.m., led by Katie Genadek of the University of Minnesota
This roundtable will consider issues related to weighting and use of survey weights included in the public use files.

Measurement Issues and the Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/
Transgender Population, 12:30 p.m. – 1:50 p.m., led by Diane Herz of Mathematica Policy Research
This roundtable will focus on how to measure relationship status, family status, and health issues of GLBT individuals. These measurement issues are of concern because the legal landscape around same-sex marriage has been changing rapidly. Furthermore, reliable data on marriage, divorce, and family composition are essential for measuring poverty and the employment and earnings situations of families; developing and evaluating health care, tax, and other policies; and addressing other issues of national and local concern.

The Role of Statistics and the Statistician in Public Health Surveillance, 12:30 p.m. – 1:50 p.m., led by Steve Thacker and Myron Katzoff of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
This roundtable will consider the roll of statistical computing and the analytic tools and professionals needed to provide timely and accurate interpretation of surveillance results.

August 3

The 2010 Census Coverage Measurement Survey, 7:00 a.m. – 8:15 a.m., led by Vincent Thomas Mule Jr. of the U.S. Census Bureau
This roundtable will focus on procedures the U.S. Census Bureau plans to use for measuring coverage in the 2010 Census.

Social Network Analysis: Statistical Issues, Models, and Applications, 12:30 p.m. – 1:50 p.m., led by Mark Stephen Handcock of the University of California, Los Angeles
This roundtable will explore networks widely used to represent relational information among interacting units and the implications of these relations. It will give an overview of social network analysis from the perspective and experiences of a social statistician and include discussion of applications, statistical issues encountered, software, and the possible futures of social network analysis.

Are Official Statistics at Risk of Losing Their Preeminent Status with Governments and Society?, 12:30 p.m. – 1:50 p.m., led by Brian Pink of the Australian Bureau of Statistics
This roundtable will consider the standards for the quality, objectivity, and accessibility that are basic in the
collection and dissemination of official statistics.

August 4

Nonresponse Adjustment Using a Response Propensity Model, 7:00 a.m. – 8:15 a.m., led by Donsig Jang of Mathematica Policy Research
The roundtable will focus on issues that may be encountered when using propensity models to adjust for nonresponse.

Microdata Access and Dissemination in a Digital World, 12:30 p.m. – 1:50 p.m., led by Timothy Michael Mulcahy of NORC at the University of Chicago
This roundtable will focus on lessons learned about microdata dissemination through a data enclave and emerging technologies to expand user access to sensitive data.

Planning for Nonresponse Bias Analyses, 12:30 p.m. – 1:50 p.m., led by Jill Montaquila of Westat
This roundtable will focus on nonresponse bias analysis methods and considerations in planning for
these analyses.

Visit the online program for a complete description of these roundtables and up-to-date session information.