By Steve Thomas
Observer Nevis Editor
(Charlestown, Nevis) – Statistics are not just for sports freaks and math geeks. Statistics play a key role in shaping policy decisions that can make a difference in the lives of everyday people.
At a Tuesday morning symposium in downtown Charlestown sponsored by the Department of Statistics and Economic Planning, speakers explained the in and outs of collecting numbers, analyzing data and using the results to help determine policy.
Department director Eren Hanley offered one example of the importance of compiling statistics: their use in determining Gross Domestic Product, commonly called GDP, which is the measure of the good ands services produced by a country.
“It’s very important. GDP gives you an idea of how the economy is doing. It allows you to compare how you’re doing compared to the rest of the world,” she said. “If you noticed a department is doing well based on GDP, you may want to increase funding for that sector.”
The economic information compiled by the department is used for policy considerations, not taxation, Ms. Hanley said.
“We do not give information to the Inland Revenue Department,” she said.
In addition to Ms. Hanley, speakers at the symposium included Laurel Bein, director of statistics for the Central Bank of St. Kitts who spoke on “Data Requirements for Effective Policy” and Carlton Phipps, who spoke on “Legal Framework for Data Collection.”
“We had a good turnout and persons were able to ask questions,” Ms. Hanley said.
To many people, statistics are dry, pointless piles of numbers. There is a completely opposite mindset, though, that takes the notion of “Why Statistics Matter,” as shown on the Web site, Science In Action:
We are faced every day with oceans of facts and figures. It is impossible to consider each fact individually, so we use “statistics” to deal with these piles of numbers. “Statistics” are numbers that describe, or summarize, groups of other numbers. The study of this type of analysis and description of unmanageable bunches of data is called “Statistics”.
Statistics are widely used in news media, in government reports, and in many other information sources. The purpose should be to make the raw information easier to understand, but often misuse of statistics (sometimes deliberate, sometimes incompetent) causes misinformation or confusion.
Three things to keep in mind when you see statistics or other numbers in media articles or web sites:
Reporters and their editors believe people like to see “facts” and figures, so they try to find some to put in.
Reporters (like most other) people don’t have a clue about statistics.
Reporters and most other writers are on a deadline.
Therefore it is up to you to ask:
What is the source of that number?
How certain is that number? What is the range of uncertainty?
What (possibly confused) calculations were used to arrive at that number?
