Correlation and Causality

Correlation is not causality, they are two different concepts.

Correlation

Correlation is a relationship between variables. When the value of X goes up (or down), the value of Y goes up (or down) in a predictable way. The height and weight of a person are correlated. Their eye color and their weight is not.

Causality

Causality is a cause-effect relationship between variables. A change in the value of X is the cause of a change in the value of Y. For example, viruses make you sick. Be careful not to confuse the cause and the effect: you sneeze because you have a cold, but you don’t have a cold because you sneeze.

Proving a cause and effect relationship is difficult, as all other variables must be controlled. It is also possible for an observation to have more than a single cause; the change of the price of a stock is an example. Normally, the change in the variable causing a change in the other is observed before the change of the value of the dependent variable.

The Management Accountability Framework (MAF)

The Management Accountability Framework (MAF) is a framework used by the Treasury board Portfolio to assess the quality of management in departments. It is structured around 10 elements: Public Service Values, Governance and Strategic Directions, Policy and Programs, Results and Performance, Learning, Innovation and Change Management, Risk Management, People, Stewardship, Citizen-focused Service, and Accountability. Indicators are defined for each element and are used to measure performance in each area.

More information on the MAF is available on the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat's website: http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/maf-crg/index-eng.asp