The World Assembly (WA),
Noting the frequent need for the WA and WA states to collect statistical data (“data”) for analysis and as part of a decision-making process;
Desiring the assurance that such data collection is subject to rigorous professional standards;
The WA hereby enacts as follows:
Definitions.
"Agency" means one (or more) entities in charge of statistical practice (defined below) on behalf of a WA state and/or on behalf of a WA organ, including WA organs conducting statistical practice themselves.
"Practitioner" means any individual involved in statistical practice.
"Statistical practice" means the practice of statistical sciences for and on behalf of an agency, including (but not limited to) survey design, methodology, sampling, survey field work, data collection, analysis, and presentation.
"Survey" means both sampling (such as stratified sampling) as well as a survey of all members of a population (such as a census).
"WA organs" means any of the sub-committees of the WA.
Scope of regulation.
The standards for statistical practice set forth in clauses (3) to (6) apply to any data collected by a WA state and/or WA organs for official statistics purposes; and apply to any data for regulatory approvals by a WA state or WA organ, or for compliance with any WA resolutions.
The WA reserves the right to impose additional rules on statistical practice at its discretion.
This resolution does not regulate how an agency of a WA state is organized, whether it is a public or private body, and whether multiple agencies are employed for different political subdivisions or functions of a WA state.
Establishment of PDAA.
The "Principal Directorate for Administrative Affairs" (PDAA) is hereby established as an organ of the WA.
PDAA is funded by the WA General Fund.
Integrity. Each WA organ and each WA state must ensure that, at all times, all of its agencies and their practitioners must:
remain impartial and independent from political interference;
employ practitioners deemed qualified and competent by that agency;
treat all participants in a survey (whether paid or unpaid) with dignity and respect.
Standards of practitioners. Each WA organ and each WA state must ensure that, at all times, all of its agencies and their practitioners must base their practice on:
scientifically valid methodologies on all matters of statistical practice, including setting all parameters to a survey prior to the start of a survey;
transparent, informed and prudent decision-making;
completing all work to the best of their capabilities and available resources.
Publications. Subject to relevant laws and extant resolutions (such as on matters concerning national security and privacy of personal data):
All WA organs and all WA states are required to ensure that all of their official statistics be made public free-of-charge, and available through convenient physical and/or electronic means.
All such publications must include all underlying methodologies, assumptions, and raw data for verification and re-testing of hypotheses by third parties.
Role. The PDAA is responsible for:
Provide updated best practice guidelines in statistical practice to agencies;
Reviews and inspections from time to time regarding the implementation of statistical practice by agencies;
Conduct additional forensic testing, such as stochasticity testing, if suspicions arise as to the quality of any data submitted and/or published;
Provide accreditation (if required) of practitioners and continuous professional training of practitioners (if required);
Provide up-to-date guidance to WA organs and agencies from WA states on statistics software, such as bleeding edge linear regression and modeling tools.
Delegation.
A WA state may request PDAA to act as its agency on its behalf.
PDAA will only accept such a request if it determines that a WA state (i) lacks a functioning government or (ii) lacks the resources necessary to maintain such infrastructure.