Institutional Research aims to enhance the operations of institutions through the production of data and information that are used to improve the effectiveness of the organization. Statistical organizations are well positioned in the nature of their operations to benefit from the pursuit of institutional research activity. Since such research employs a variety of statistical concepts and methods in its practice, the training of institutional research professionals is dependent upon the outcomes of education and training and the methods adopted in the teaching of statistics. This paper examines the existing functions and areas of operations as well as the new and emerging demands for statistics and indicators, which pose challenges for National Statistical Organizations (NSO'S), in the 15 member states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) region. The author identifies some of the critical areas in which the practice of institutional research can be established and pursued and suggests that the training of professionals in this area will be a desirable support function at time of increasing statistical demand.
The CAUSE Research Group is supported in part by a member initiative grant from the American Statistical Association’s Section on Statistics and Data Science Education