ISI Council Meeting

1
ISI Council Meeting

• 22 23 July 2010
• Reykjavík, Iceland

2
Item 2 Action points from Joint Council meeting
in Durban August 2009

• Most points are on the agenda or will be followed
  up in the brainstorming session
• Item 7d Strategic Plan 2007-2011 to be updated
• Item 8 National Statistical Societies a
  special NSS page will be open soon at
  www.isi-web.org.
• Item 9 - the future of the briefing seminars
  continue as leadership workshops. First try-out
  in Africa autumn 2010.
• Item 12 Committees To be reviewed on basis of
  their report later this year.

3
Item 3 Proposals Restructuring and revision of
statutes and by-laws (1)

• Reasons for restructuring
• ISI to remain a relevant organisation
• More and younger members needed
• Create value added in new environment
• Nomination procedures for EC and Council have
  drawbacks
• Need for using more modern communication
  techniques
• Adaptation to legal requirements
• More flexibility needed for change of statutes
  and by-laws

4
Item 3 Proposals Restructuring and revision of
statutes and by-laws (2)

• Introducing a regular membership for the ISI,
  in addition to the elected membership
• New structure for EC and Council and revised
  nomination procedures
• The objective of the ISI will be modernised
• Allow more modern ways of communication with the
  membership, also for formal procedures
• The tasks of General Assembly, Council and
  Executive Committee are formally set in the
  statutes
• The statutes are modernised and brought in
  conformity with Dutch law (annual General
  Assembly and the Annual Report)
• Working language to be English
• Simplified procedures for future changes in
  statutes and by-laws

5
Item 3 Proposals Restructuring and revision
statutes and by-laws (4)

• What comes next
• Council invited to give comments and suggestions
• EC will continue work on improvement of texts
• Information provided to membership we need
  support!
• First formal consultation early 2011
• Voting by ISI membership in March/April 2011
• Endorsement in WSC Dublin 2011

6
Item 4 Financial Cost Sharing

• Cost sharing
• Model for sharing overhead costs (Stationary,
  computer costs, etc) with Sections
• Expenses incurred for benefit of ISI family are
  currently borne by ISI only
• Proposal for updating the model

7
Item 5 Fees for Members from Developing
Countries

• Objective (1) World Bank list to be used by the
  ISI family, as is done by other statistical
  associations
• Objective (2) To attract more members from
  developing countries
• Fee structure
• membership dues for members from the
  upper-middle-income economies be 50 of the dues
  for members from the high-income economies
• membership dues for members from the
  lower-middle-income economies and low-income
  economies be 30 of the dues for members from the
  high-income economies
• The ISI membership rate structure to be kept
  unchanged for a transitional period of three
  years for a country that moves from a
  lower-income group to a higher-income group.

8
Item 6 Committees (1)

• 6.1. Nominations Committee Council to approve
  the chair of Nominations Committee
• 6.2. Ad-hoc Committee of Young Statisticians
• 6.3. Outreach Committee in Latin America
  Council is asked to discuss and establish the
  committee and its composition
• 6.4. ISI Life Sciences Committee How to
  strengthen the role of the LSC in the
  international context joint meeting structure
  and connection with representatives of other
  statistical societies

9
Objectives

• Following initiatives in ISI-Associations, ISI
  needs to take initiative too
• Currently little involvement of YS in ISI due to
  requirements for elected membership
• ISI needs to incorporate their enthusiasm
• Ad-hoc Committee up to Dublin WSC

10
Composition

• Chair Victor Panaretos, Switzerland
• Hidetoshi Murikami, Japan
• Paolo Rodriguez, Portugal
• João Sato, Brazil
• Nayo Ankouvi Mawoudoudji, Ivory Coast
• Kerry Leask, South Africa
• Darryl Miller, Thailand

11
1. Exposure/Networking

• YS Satellite Meeting at WSC
• YS speaker at IPS
• Seating at conference dinner
• Reduced rate for conference dinner
• Interim regional conferences for YS
• Mock sessions prior to key delivery

12
2. Participation

• New type of membership
• Explicit benefits for YS
• Accreditation of YS in their profession
• Questionnaire to current YS

13
3. Recognition

• Awards for YS, irrespective of country of
  residence
• Membership on Editorial Boards
• Newsletter section for YS

14
4. Resources

• Job section on website
• Manual for YS covering issues like
• Paper writing
• Refereeing procedures
• Job trailing
• Conference participation
• YS within nonstatistical environment
• ISI-Wikipedia
• Interactive blog on ISI website

15
Miscellaneous

• Blank period after regular education
• Calls for scientific papers
• Tutoring or expertise-sharing in research
• Lack of confidence of YS from developing
  countries
• Absence of specific YS-network

16
Item 6 Committees (2)

• 6.5. International Relations Committee
  initiative for establishing a Network of
  Statisticians in International Organisations
  (ISI Committee). Initiative launched at CCSA,
  elaborated by ESCAP, WB, ILO, Eurostat.
• To be discussed
• 6.6. Irving Fisher Committee (IFC). Status of
  IFC under discussion for long time ISI Section
  or not. EC recommendation Affiliated
  organisation.

17
Item 7 Council Portfolios

• Research Portfolio and Coordination of
  Conferences (Mathisca du Gunst)
• promote statistical research
• WSC and conferences
• ISI scientific secretariat
• Awards and Certificates Portfolio
• install an ISI awards and certificate Committee
  at ISI level
• increase prestige of ISI awards and
  certificates
• approve proposed composition and the other
  recommendations
• Fund Raising Portfolio (VN for Alicia
  Carriquiry)
• increase revenue by increasing membership
  (later)
• partner with international organisations
• launch a gifting campaign
• develop and sell statistical tools

18
Item 7.1. Research Portfolio and Coordination of
Conferences Portfolio

• Input from
• Mathisca de Gunst, Marie Husková, Geoff Lee,
  Jef Teugels, Nick Fisher, and Vijay Nair

19
Strategic Plan 2006-09 Item on Research

• Promote excellence in statistical research and
  research training
• Through
• Strategic partnerships with other international
  societies which promote research in the
  statistical sciences
• Organization of conferences and publications on
  emerging developments
• Support of initiatives from the research
  community for the rapid communication of research
  advances using the internet.

20
Updates

• New publication on rapid research communications
  (discussed under Publications)
• Discussion for improving the WSC (later)

21
Proposals

• Creation of Scientific Program Committee
• composed of reps from ISI council and Sections
• coordinate conferences by Sections
• advertise conferences across sections
• promote cross-organization of programs
• examine opportunities to co-sponsor regional
  conferences jointly
• publish highlights of all ISI and Section
  Conferences
• pool resources to explore funding opportunities
  for conferences
• identify opportunities for scientific
  collaboration among Sections and with ISI
• Examine other ways to promote and disseminate
  research within ISI family
• eg. publicizing research papers published in ISI
  and Section journals

22
Proposals (contd.)

• Promotion of research and researchers in
  developing countries
• Several sections already have outreach programs.
• The ISI could/should
• facilitate discussion among the Sections on what
  each group is trying
• help to coordinate efforts
• promote potential collaboration and mentoring
  relationships
• identify funding opportunities to support these
  activities.
• These activities could also focus on nurturing
  young statisticians.

23
Proposals (contd.)

• Draw attention of wider public to the importance
  of statistical research, lobbying for more
  efforts in research in needed countries/regions,
  and publicizing statistical research in areas of
  global importance through press releases and
  helping NSSs.
• Recognition ISI could offer scientific prizes
  for excellent statistical research that fits in
  the above mentioned concept
• Young statisticians could benefit from
  recognition through special invitations for
  meetings under the auspices of the ISI and its
  Sections.

24
Item 8 Report on ISI Short Courses

• Ad hoc ISI Short Course Committee Dublin (SCCD)
  to review programme and make recommendations
  (chair Steve Heeringa)
• Dublin programme 21 short courses
• Additional recommendations
• Permanent Short Course Committee
• Scheduling
• Academic and Administrative Oversight
• Local Administrative support
• Financial

25
Short Courses at WSC
26
Background

• Experience at Durban WSC
• Role of the short courses
• Integral part of overall program of WSC
• Popular, especially among young statisticians
• Crucial for participants from developing countries

27
Approach for Dublin WSC

• Ad-hoc committee with assignment to make a choice
  among suggestions received and to offer
  suggestions for the future
• Chair Steve Heeringa
• Representatives from all Associations
• Ex-officio member from LOC
• Report by the Dublin Committee has been included
  in the material provided

28
Proposal for the future

• Council is asked to agree with the proposal to
  install a Committee for WSC-Short Courses
• Objectives
• Help in soliciting proposals
• Collect suggestions
• Decide on criteria
• Make selection
• Control administration
• Include IASS-program

29
Further Recommendations

• Spell out criteria for selection
• Schedule the short courses within program of the
  WSC
• Secure incorporation of the ISI-PO
• Control the local arrangements
• Provide planning for financial sustainability
• Approve of format of certificates

30
Item 9 Declaration on Professional Ethics

• Revised Declaration on Professional Ethics (1985
  previous)
• Prepared by ISI Ethics Committee (Chair David
  Morganstein)
• Contents
• Shared professional values
• Ethical principles
• Background material
• Council asked to approve and provide comments
• Declaration sent out to Membership for consent
  (through website)
• Publication on World Statistics Day 20-10-2010
• ISI Press release
• Launch at IAOS conference in Chili

31
Item 10 World Statistics Day ISI 125 years
2013 Ars Conjectandi (1)

• World Statistics Day (WSD) 20-10-2010
• UNSD initiative
• ISI extend initiative to all fields of
  statistics
• Appeal to National Statistical Societies
• Publicise on ISI website, press release
• Council is asked
• share information
• help in making the event visible
• any other suggestions?

32
Item 10 World Statistics Day ISI 125 years
2013 Ars Conjectandi (2)

• ISI 125 years
• e-message of ISI President and Director
• ISI President has a session at IMS Meeting
• 2013 Ars Conjectandi (Bernoulli) 300 years
• Cooperation with national and international
  statistical societies (esp. Swiss)
• Preparation of congress in Basel, Switzerland
• Programme Committee

33
Objectives

• 2013 marks 300-th anniversary of the publication
  of ARS CONJECTANDI by Jacob Bernoulli
• Occasion to organize main meeting on the history
  (and future) of probability theory
• Cooperation with other learned societies

34
1. Other Interested Societies

• History of Science Society,
• Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of
  Mathematics,
• Swiss Statistical Society
• European Mathematical Society
• Max Planck Institut für Geschichte der
  Wissenschaften
• British Society for History of Science

35
2. Current State of Affairs

• ISI takes the lead
• Strong cooperation with Swiss Statistical Society
• Search for a Programme Chair
• Installation of a Programme Committee
  representatives from other learned societies
• Installation of Local Organizing Committee

36

• Location Basel, Switzerland
• Time Fall 2013
• Venue depends on collaboration with other
  societies

37
Item 11 Annual Report 2009

• Annual report required
• Sections contributions
• Member auditors report recommendations
• Spend more money on new initiatives and new
  publications
• Make ISI more visible PR and communication
  specialists
• Attract younger members
• New Strategic Plan

38
Item 13 Africa and ISI
39
1. Introduction

• Low quality of the higher education in statistics
• Include women and younger people from Africa into
  ISI operations
• Support for and further development of centers of
  excellence
• Ageing researchers

40
2.1. Elaborating on Ongoing ISI Activities
(General)

• Help NSO to acquire the best and most recent
  information on the collection and treatment of
  statistical data
• Participate in and contribute to up-to-date
  training programmes
• Intensify initiatives for training in important
  statistical areas of official statistics but
  also in other vital branches of statistics

41
2.2. Elaborating on Ongoing ISI Activities
(Specific)

• At WSC organize short courses of direct relevance
• Involve African statisticians in ISI policy
  making bodies (EC, council, committees, )
• Ad-hoc working group of young statisticians
• Conduct leadership workshops

42
3. New Objectives

• Organize instruction on neglected areas of
  statistics
• Undertake partnership with other international
  and national bodies with similar
  responsibilities
• Create mentoring schemes
• Develop training of trainers
• Support university curricula in statistics

43
4. Develop Statistical Areas

• Agricultural statistics
• Environmental statistics
• Business and industrial statistics
• Mathematical statistics
• Statistical software
• Health risk
• Tourism statistics
• Actuarial and financial statistics

44
5. Procedure

• Tentative list of short courses
• Select specific institution for a specific
  package
• - Existing research and/or training
  centers
• - National Statistical Offices
• - Universities
• Discuss tentative list and add methodological
  courses
• Choice of instructors
• Advertise courses also to National Statistical
  Societies
• Evaluate performance
• Ultimately attempt self-sustainability

45
6. Support of Mentoring Schemes

• MARM Mentoring African Research in Mathematics
• International Statistical Literacy Project
• Tutoring project from Norway, ...
• Jaroslav Ceska Fund

46
7. Training of Educators

• 8. Supporting University Curricula in
  Statistics

47
APPENDIX 1

• STATISTICAL PACKAGES
• 1. METHODOLOGICAL COURSES

48

• 1.1. ELEMENTARY LEVEL
• Statistical techniques using elementary tools
• Reasoning under uncertainty
• Introduction to statistical software
• Time series analysis
• Stochastic modeling
• Graphical models
• Introduction to survival data
• Design and analysis of experiments
• Categorical data analysis

49
1.2. ADVANCED LEVEL

• Statistics of extremes
• Item response theory
• Reliability data analysis
• State space-time series analysis
• Generalized linear models
• Longitudinal data analysis
• Introduction to meta-analysis
• Statistical computing in R
• Bayesian statistics using R
• Introduction to Markov Chain Monte Carlo
• Introduction to data mining
• Modern methods for smoothing and regression

50

• 2. SPECIALIZED COURSES

51
2.1. TOURISM STATISTICS

• Tourism satellite accounts
• Tourism marketing
• Human resources in tourism
• Statistics for tourism

52
2.2.a. LIFE AND HEALTH STATISTICS

• Biostatistics
• Ecological statistics
• Statistical methods in epidemiology
• Epidemiological and public health indices

53
2.2.b. LIFE AND HEALTH STATISTICS

• Development/use of Lives Saved Tool
• Effectiveness of vaccination and vitamin
  treatment
• Statistical analysis of clinical trials
• Disease mapping

54
2.3. BUSINESS AND INDUSTRIAL STATISTICS

• Introduction to Six Sigma
• Statistics for quality improvement
• Mark-recapture analysis
• Essential skills for statistical consultants

55
2.4.a. AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS

• Economics of the food chain
• Food prices, agricultural income and
  governmental influence
• Employment and gender issues in agriculture,
  forestry and fisheries
• Forestry statistics

56
2.4.b. AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS

• Data Fusion for official statistics
• Conceptual framework
• Governance
• The statistics of famines

57
2.5.a. ENVIRONMETRICS

• A general statistics for evaluation of the
  environment
• Environmental indicators
• Health effects of environmental pollution
• Computational aspects in environmental statistics
  
• Environmental impact assessment

58
2.5.b. ENVIRONMETRICS

• Spatial and spatio-temporal statistics in
  environmetrics
• Climate modeling
• Landscape scale environmental monitoring designs
• Environmental sampling
• Water quantity and quality

59
2.6. ACTUARIAL AND FINANCIAL STATISTICS

• Actuarial statistics
• Life insurance
• Financial statistics
• Fundamental financial statistics

60

• APPENDIX 2 STATISTICAL TRAINING AND/OR RESEARCH
  CENTERS
• APPENDIX 3 AFRICAN STATISTICAL SOCIETIES

61
FURTHER POSSIBILITIES

• Islamic world
• Latin-America
• Asia

62
Item 14 ISI Section Publication Matters
63
A. Proposal for an e-magazine

• Newly designed website serves many of the
  purposes of previous newsletter updates on new
  items, conference information, etc.
• Also monthly updates from President and PO
• Should we have a separate newsletter? If yes,
  what should be its role?
• Discussion in Publications Committee and EC
• Members unlikely to check websites regularly on
  their own
• Need a separate communication medium
• a regular magazine

64
Scope and structure of magazine

• E-magazine (cost considerations) ? some value in
  having a hard copy -- could consider later (need
  to generate advertising revenue)
• Provide ISI and association members with a sense
  of community
• Presidents and Directors messages
• Selected feature articles of broad interest that
  are integrative across associations (public
  policy, global interests, controversies,
  histories, easy reading)
• Highlight selected member achievements and
  stories
• Short interviews
• Brief articles of interest to different regions
  in different issues
• (eg., development of statistics, challenges,
  history, )

65
Logistics

• Preliminary ideas
• three times a year
• editorial board made up of member volunteers
• representation across associations and regions
• involve younger people
• need help with professional writing?
• coordination with PO
• some duplication with web site, such as calendar
  of events

66
Next Steps

• Project to be undertaken by Ms. Pinkasovych in
  PO
•  
• Stage 1 Research magazines/ newsletters
  published by other scientific/ statistical
  associations such as RSS, ASA, etc.
•  
• Stage 2 Survey of ISI/Section members by means
  of a questionnaire
• Stage 3 Analysis of the results
•  
• Stage 4 Estimation of resources - human and
  financial
• Stage 5 Writing of report
• To be submitted for discussions by Publications
  Committee Oct 2010
• Proposal to be circulated to Council in Nov 2010

67
B. Rapid Research PublicationTaskforce headed by
Nick Fisher

• Proposal discussed earlier
• Scope
• e-research journal
• Short papers
• Quick decision time
• Exploit features of internet
• Approached Wiley for partnership
• Wiley has expressed interest and is developing
  business model (expected in September)
• Wiley proposal will be circulated for discussion
• Hope to launch journal in Jan 2012

68
C. Section Publications

• Contracts with Wiley ISBIS and TIES
• Extended through end of 2011
• Wiley will review use of on-line access (ASMBI)
  and free tokens (Environmetrics) in first quarter
  of 2011
• ISI will discuss with Wiley renewal options
• Official statistics journal and Wiley? IAOS
  considering options

69
D. IS Review

• Issues with Editor-in-Chief
• Current status
• Plans
• IS Review Advisory Board

70
ISI and National Statistical Societies

• There is already a list of NSS on the ISI
  website.
• More information for NSS on the following will be
  posted
• Co-sponsorship by ISI of conferences organized by
  NSS
• Articles on how statistical societies were
  established
• A section in ISI e-magazine for news items and
  articles by NSS