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Confidentiality and Data Access Committee (CDAC)
About CDAC
Background:
This Committee is the first interest group of OMB's Federal
Committee on Statistical Methodology (FCSM). The Confidentiality
and Data Access Committee (CDAC) was formed
for two main reasons:
- Staff members of statistical agencies who work in the
"confidentiality area" expressed a need to have a forum
where they could communicate among themselves, exchange ideas, etc.
- CDAC is a follow-on activity for the FCSM's Statistical Policy
Working Paper # 22 (SPWP # 22), Report on
Statistical Disclosure Limitation Methodology.
Membership:
- The members of CDAC are federal employees of Executive Branch
agencies and those administrative or independent agencies associated
with the Executive Branch. They are responsible for (and/or working
on) statistical disclosure limitation methods, administrative
procedures to enhance researcher access to confidential statistical
data, an agency=s
Disclosure Review Board, etc.
- CDAC must comply with the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
Consultants and contractors of the participating agencies can attend
meetings in support of their work at the request of their sponsoring
agency if the CDAC member from that sponsoring agency determines
that there is not a conflict of interest.
- The Chair decides on CDAC membership, after consulting with
current CDAC members and the FCSM's Chair.
- The Chair of CDAC is a member of FCSM for the duration of his/her
two-year term. He/she attends the FCSM meetings and reports on CDAC
activities.
Objectives:
- Look for opportunities to implement the recommendations and
research agenda contained in Chapters VI and VII of
SPWP # 22;
- Disseminate SPWP # 22 "beyond the beltway";
- Share current research activities;
- Explore new research ideas;
- Serve as a forum where other government entities (agencies, their
contractors, etc.) can get assistance on confidentiality and access
issues;
- Stimulate and/or renew interest in the academic community to
pursue research in relevant areas;
- Organize sessions for the annual Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM)
sponsored by the American Statistical Association, the International
Biometric Society (ENAR and WNAR), the Institute of Mathematical Statistics,
and the Statistical Society of Canada; and
- Organize sessions for FCSM conferences.
Schedule of meetings:
- CDAC will meet four times a year.
Committee's Officers:
For 2004-2005, the officers are:
Past and Future Officers:
- 1997: the chair was Virginia de Wolf, currently an independent consultant
(previously worked at the Office of Management and Budget and BLS), and
the vice-chair was Laura Zayatz, Census Bureau.
- 1998-1999: the chair was Laura Zayatz, Census Bureau, and
the vice-chair was Al Zarate, NCHS.
- 2000-2001: the chair was Al Zarate, NCHS, and the
vice-chair was Jacob Bournazian, EIA.
- 2002-2003: the chair was Jake Bournazian, EIA, and the
Vice-Chair was, Steve Cohen, BLS.
Duties of CDAC chair:
- Schedule quarterly meetings during his/her term;
- Notify members and their consultants/contractors of meetings;
- Arrange agenda for each meeting;
- Between meetings, notify members and their consultants/contractors
of relevant issues;
- Make decisions on membership after consulting with current CDAC
members and the FCSM chair;
- Attend FCSM meetings and report on CDAC activities;
- Appoint members to CDAC workgroups to deal with new initiatives;
and
- Aid past chair in choosing a vice-chair after consulting
with the FCSM's chair.
Duties of CDAC vice-chair:
- Take minutes at each meeting; and
- Substitute for chair when necessary.
Duties of CDAC past chair:
- Keep membership list current;
- Assist chair and vice-chair;
- Aid chair in choosing vice-chair after consulting with the FCSM's
chair; and
- Help arrange seminars to be held prior to the January and July
CDAC meetings.
Duties of each CDAC member:
- Inform members of our parent committee, FCSM, who work in the same
agency of CDAC activities, scheduled lectures, etc.;
- Distribute notices of seminars, meetings, etc., in his/her agency;
- Contribute information to quarterly CDAC meetings about relative
issues in his/her agency; and
- Participate in new initiatives when relevant or interested.
Responsibilities of members and consultants:
- Because this group provides a forum for the frank interchange on
issues, some of which are quite sensitive, all discussions are made
in confidence and are not to be disclosed outside the group. Should
there be discussion of any topics representing a potential conflict
of interest for the consultants, they are expected to excuse
themselves from that discussion.
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