Scientific Review of the Proposed Risk Assessment Bulletin from the Office of Management and Budget (2007) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
7 Conclusions and Recommendations
7 Conclusions and Recommendations
Pages 105-112
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 105... ...
Although the committee fully supports the goal of increasing the quality and objectivity of risk assessment in the federal government, it agrees unanimously that the OMB bulletin would not facilitate federal agencies in reaching this goal. The committee also agrees that OMB should encourage the federal agencies to describe, develop, and coordinate their own technical risk assessment guidance.
|
From page 106... ...
As noted above, the committee agrees that there is room for improvement in risk assessment practices in the federal government and that additional guidance would help "to enhance the technical quality and objectivity of risk assessments prepared by federal agencies." However, the bulletin conveys the impression that risk assessments can and should achieve total objectivity. Although any scientific work should be free of bias, scientifically accurate, and based on reliable evidence, risk assessments cannot be wholly objective, because some important assumptions and judgments are based on policy or statutes.
|
From page 107... ...
• Without baseline assessments of current risk assessment practices, needs, and capacities for improvement in the federal agencies, neither OMB nor the committee can make informed judgments on the kinds of guidance needed to reach the goals set forth in the bulletin and the related resources required to achieve that end. Conclusions that are related to specific aspects of the proposed bulletin are provided below.
|
From page 108... ...
• The proposed definition of risk assessment in the OMB bulletin departs without justification from long-established concepts and practices, including those developed by National Research Council (NRC) and other expert committees and endorsed in existing peer-reviewed guidelines.
|
From page 109... ...
The more objectionable risk communication guidance in the bulletin includes instructions to the agencies always to communicate ranges of plausible estimates and always to compare assessed risks with other familiar risks -- guidance that is not consistent with relevant research literature. • Although OMB has not constructed a baseline reflecting current agency risk assessment practices, the committee concludes on the basis of agency comments and its own knowledge of risk assessment practices that there are aspects of the bulletin that could be beneficial but that the cost -- in staff resources, timeliness of completing risk assessments, and other factors -- are likely to be substantial.
|
From page 110... ...
• After withdrawing the current bulletin and before proceeding further, OMB should produce a description of current agency risk assessment practices and resources and the likely effects (both benefits and costs) of changing those practices.
|
From page 111... ...
2006. Proposed Risk Assess ment Bulletin.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.