Transcript Implementing the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics Session 1 UNECE Conference of European Statisticians June 2012 Jil Matheson, National Statistician, United Kingdom.

Implementing the Fundamental Principles of
Official Statistics
Session 1
UNECE Conference of European Statisticians June 2012
Jil Matheson, National Statistician, United Kingdom
Introduction (1) – The Fundamental Principles (1-5)
1. Official statistics are to be compiled and made
available impartially as public information.
2. Decision-making according to strictly professional
considerations.
3. Correct interpretation through application of
scientific standards.
4. Statistical agencies entitled to comment on
erroneous interpretation and misuse
5. Drawing data from all types of sources.
Introduction (2) – The Fundamental Principles (6-10)
6. Individual data are strictly confidential and
used only for statistical purposes.
7. Laws and measures for operation of statistical
systems are made public.
8. Coordination of national statistical agencies is
essential
9. International standards promote consistency
and efficiency
10. Bilateral and multilateral cooperation
contributes to improvements in all countries
Review of papers – Implementation straightforward?
3. Correct interpretation through application of
scientific standards.
6. Individual data are strictly confidential and used
only for statistical purposes.
7. Laws and measures for operation of statistical
systems are made public.
9. International standards promote consistency and
efficiency
10. Bilateral and multilateral cooperation contributes
to improvements in all countries
Straightforward implementation - Good practice
FP3 Publication of information about metadata and quality
management systems (Azerbaijan)
FP6 Working to embed statistical law amongst the actors within
and outside the statistical system (Romania)
FP7 Positive impact upon its relationship with the public of an
NSI becoming independent (Georgia)
FP9 Introduction of Quality Assurance Framework (Eurostat)
FP10 Outcomes of Global Assessment of NSI contributing to
development of long term strategies (Ukraine)
Straightforward implementation – key
questions
• Identify what you did that made
implementation a success?
• How do you propose to sustain/ build upon
this success?
Review of papers – Significant implementation
challenges?
1. Official statistics are to be compiled and made
available impartially as public information.
2. Decision-making according to strictly professional
considerations.
4. Statistical agencies entitled to comment on
erroneous interpretation and misuse.
5. Drawing data from all types of sources.
Review of papers – (Principle 1) Official statistics are to
be compiled and made available impartially as public
information.
•
Political pressure on official statistics systems
•
Development of measures of trust, including
assessment systems
•
Role of user engagement
•
Value of investing in good statistical storytelling
Principle 1 – key questions
• How can user engagement contribute to
building trust in official statistics?
• Would the introduction of an assessment
regime make a difference to the legitimacy of
official statistics?
Review of papers – (Principle 2) Decision-making
according to strictly professional considerations
•
Use of international pressure to impose
independence
•
Adaption of national charters to commit
governments to Fundamental Principles?
•
National laws to protect NSIs from political
interference
•
Self-assessment against the FPs, standard tools?
•
‘Retaining trust’ – trust v ‘trustworthiness’
Principle 2 – key questions
• How can an NSI help itself against
unwelcome political interference in its official
statistics system?
• Is there a role for international organisations
in that endeavour? If so, explain.
Review of papers – (Principle 4) Statistical agencies
commenting on erroneous interpretation and misuse
•
Regulation, including a role for an independent
arbiter?
•
Role for an international code in dealing with
situations of abuse?
Principle 4 – key questions
• Identify the barriers that prevent an NSI from
commenting on misuse of statistics.How are
they overcome?
• What does an NSI do to make sure that
preventing misuse of official statistics
improves their trustworthiness?
Review of papers – (Principle 5) Drawing data from
surveys and administrative records
•
Some countries have very limited access to admin
sources
•
Lack of influence on the design and development of
admin sources
•
Be smarter in thinking how to optimise use once we
have access?
Principle 5 – key questions
• How can an NSI improve its ability to access
administrative sources for statistical
purposes?
• What improvements need to be made to
administrative sources to make them more
useful to statisticians?
Review of papers – Other important questions
•
How does NSI manage tensions between statistical
law on confidentiality and others requiring data to
be disclosed?
•
How does an NSI improve the capability of its
human resources in a time of economic restraint?
Summary of key questions (1)
• Identify what you did that made implementation a
success?
• How do you propose to sustain/ build upon this success?
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• How can user engagement contribute to building trust in
official statistics?
• Would the introduction of an assessment regime make a
difference to the legitimacy of official statistics?
• How can an NSI help itself against unwelcome political
interference in its official statistics system?
• Is there a role for international organisations in that
endeavour?
Summary of key questions (2)
• Identify the barriers that prevent an NSI from commenting on
misuse of statistics . How are they overcome?
• What does an NSI do to make sure that preventing misuse of
official statistics improves their trustworthiness?
• How can an NSI improve its ability to access administrative
sources for statistical purposes?
• What improvements need to be made to administrative
sources to make them more useful to statisticians?
• How does NSI manage tensions between statistical law on
confidentiality and others requiring data to be disclosed?
• How does an NSI improve the capability of its human resources
in a time of economic restraint?
Implementation of Fundamental
Principles – broader questions
• Is there a need to adapt processes to
facilitate easier implementation?
• What needs to be done to raise the profile of
the Fundamental Principles in order to
improve their penetration?
• What scope is there to better align the
Fundamental Principles with other
professional or ethical codes?