Evidence helps inform humanitarian action so that it is impartial, effective and ethical. The challenges to obtaining and using this evidence are the motivation behind the extremely informative paper “Insufficient evidence? The quality and use of evidence in humanitarian action” written by Paul Knox Clarke and James Dacy for ALNAP*. There are many statistical issues that […]
Statistics for international development and humanitarian action
What are the data-related challenges that those working in international development and humanitarian action face? How can statisticians contribute to solving these issues? This is the focus of some work that I am exploring on behalf of the International Development Working Group (IDWG) of the Royal Statistical Society (RSS). I am particular interested in understanding […]
Statisticians – structural engineers not decorators
What role does a statistician play in a project that requires obtaining and assessing quantitative evidence to address a research or policy question? I find that the work required in building a house can be a useful analogy for such a project . In this analogy the statistician is the painter/decorator*. Decorators make a house […]
