Seminario del dott. Walter Radermacher (Presidente di EUROSTAT e Chief-statistician dell’Unione Europea) nell'ambito della Giornata della Scuola di Dottorato in Scienze Statistiche (Martedì 9 Febbraio).
Abstract
CAUTION: THIS IS A POTENT MEDICATION. FOLLOW THE PRESCRIBED SCHEDULE EXACTLY TO AVOID THE RISK OF POTENTIALLY SEVERE SIDE EFFECTS.
This standard warning highlights the fact that the success of any prescription depends on the right doses and timing of its application. Extracts from 'foxgloves' (lat.: digitalis) for example are used for the treatment of heart conditions, although the entire plant is toxic and an overdose of digitalis "causes nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea" (*)
"Evidence based decision making" is such a medication with high potential to improve decisions, by making them more objective, not just rational in terms of the logic and opinion of the decision maker, by allowing others to participate and to follow the decision, and finally by optimising the result of the decision according to (economic) theories of rational choice and management. The two-way-dynamic interaction between decision making and measurement has never been more visible as in the recent post-2015 SDG procedure at the level of the United Nations.
Unfortunately, the abovementioned caution is not yet seen as relevant or necessary in this context. It is therefore worth to reflect for a moment in order to understand, where the potential opportunities and risks of this two-way dynamic interaction lie, what the reasons for misunderstandings or misuse might be and which measures should help to mitigate these risks.
(*)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digitalisps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digitalis
Per informazioni:
Maurizio Vichi maurizio.vichi@uniroma1.it
Giovanna Jona Lasinio giovanna.jonalasinio@uniroma1.it