The Future in Research for Official Statistics: Building on previous experiences

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NTTS 2009 ConferenceBrussels 18-20 February 2009

• The Future in Research for Official Statistics
  Building on previous experiences

Prof. Photis NANOPOULOS Fr. Director EUROSTAT
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1. Introduction

• 1.1. Statistics for democracy and governance
• Official statistics is an indispensable
  ingredient for the functioning of every form of
  democratic society with a free market economy.
• Official statistics are usually intended as
  statistical information produced by government
  agencies to
• shed light on economic and social conditions
• develop, implement and monitor policies
• inform decision-making, debate and discussion
  both within government and the wider community

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1. Introduction

• 1.2. Principles that should govern RD in OS in
  Europe
• Article 338 (ex Article 285 TEC)
• 2. The establishment of the statistics is done
  in the respect of the impartiality, reliability,
  objectivity, scientific independence, the
  effectiveness in comparison of the cost and the
  confidentiality of the statistical data it
  should not involve excessive loads for the
  economic operators.
• European Statistical System Code of Practice
• The UN fundamental principles of official
  statistics
• (Decision 47/1992 of the UN Economic Commission
  for Europe)

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1. Introduction

• 1.2. Orientation of RD in Official Statistics
• Policy orientation at EU level, in order to focus
  on EU policy priorities, and policy support for
  financing its activities.
• Operational orientation is required in order to
  specify those components of the statistical
  production process that need most RD for
  improvement.
• Orientation for meeting Quality objectives is
  needed to specify levels of quality measurements
  and assessment of results.
• Science and Technology orientation in order to
  focus on the most appropriate methods and tools
  to be developed in conjunction with the policy,
  efficiency and quality orientations

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1. Introduction

• 1.4.Driving forces
• Research in Official Statistics is driven by
• Changes in users needs with measurement
  challenges
• New statistical coverage with measurement
  challenges
• Previously NEW ECONOMY
• Currently, KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY
• Observing the Economic crisis (Why not to have
  predicted it?)
• Scientific innovations
• Innovative applications of data analysis methods
• New applications of existing methods
• New methods
• Scientific and technological progress.
• New techniques and tools
• Software developments encapsulating innovations

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2. Some history of EU RD programs in OS

• DOSES(4) a happy good start.few results
• DOSIS(22) difficult but successful.
• SUPCOM(20) Introversion..very targeted
• EPROS (48) CPA4 !!!..............36(!) big
  projects
• The five key elements of EPROS were
• a) research and development into generic
  statistical tools,
• b) techniques, methodologies and technologies
• c) statistical applications
• d) statistical indicators for the new economy
  (SINE)
• e) transfer of technology and know-how (TTK) and
  supporting activities
• NORIS, the nomenclature of Research in official
  Statistics
• See publication of Eurostat presenting EPROS
  projects

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3. Lessons learned

• Positive lessons
• Creation of a peoples network for RD in OS
• Through promoting activities project consortia
• Important innovations
• Many new ideas, methods (e,g. SODAS)
• Enhancing and enlarging existing tools
• Existing tools in NSIs found a new development
  (e.g CASC).
• Development of generic tools for statistical
  production
• Several components (eg. EUREDIT) of the
  Statistical Production System were offered
  generic tools

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Attracting-Networking-Supporting RD People.

1. A series of conferences in statistical
   confidentiality .
2. NTTS conference in 1992 and 1995 in Bonn, 1998 in
   Sorrento and 2001 in Crete,
3. A specific conference dedicated to the
   Cooperation between Academic and Official
   Statisticians (CAOS) in 1998 in Bucharest.
4. Support to innovative scientific societies
   (ISI-IASC-ISBA).
5. International Cooperation (Agreement between
   Eurostat and the USA White House OBM .
6. Publication of the ROS Journal.
7. The VIROS site that has been developed offering
   full information to all our projects and
   activities.
8. The TTK (Transfer of Technology and Know-how)
   programme in association with the JRC, was felt
   as a priority for making results accessible to
   users.

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3. Lessons learned

• Draw backs
• Insufficient orientation capacity (focus)
• Caused by IST domains dominant non statistical
  criteria
• No opportunity for SPC to provide orientation
• Effectiveness
• lack of balance between the objectives of
  proposals and users' needs.
• Efficiency
• several other projects were stopped after the end
  of EU financing

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3. Lessons learned

• 3. Causes
• Consortia partners parallel motivations
• Academics looking for papers to publish
• Administrations looking for budget to solve
  current problems
• Private companies looking for turn over and
  benefits!!!
• Consortia partners profiles and qualifications
  (misfits)
• Small companies
• No permanent RD activities
• Ansence of RD capacity within NSIs.

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4. Approach for the future

• Create a Virtual Programme (Vi.E.P.R.O.S) in
  order to better focus on important priorities of
  the ESS and provide maximum orientation
• Communicate and explain the programme
• Increase NSIs involvement in RD projects
• Use coarse system of criteria
• Private sector partners value
• Clear long-term involvement in official
  statistics
• Capacity to continue after the project (RD
  activities)
• Project value
• Specific priority domains
• Quality improvement
• Statistical Production Process components
  improvement
• Technological innovation benefits
• Integrated innovative solutions
• Encapsulate new scientific knowledge

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5. Partners roles

• EUROSTAT and SPC
• Provide a forum for discussion and communication
• Elaborate and maintain ViEPROS
• Support dissemination of results and knowledge
• Start an RD activity within its premises.
• NSIs
• Support and contribute to Eurostat initiatives
• Develop some RD activities in house
• Create clusters of NSI and academic around
  projects
• Take an active role in the dissemination of
  results and knowledge at national level

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5. Partners roles

• Scientific community
• Central role in statistical education and
  research in relation to official statistics. Use
  ViEPROS as a support.
• Develop cooperation with NSI and other National
  statistical authorities
• Have a long term strategy for RD in the
  improvement and use of official statistics.
• Private companies
• Develop their capacity for RD and benefit from
  partnerships with NSIs and scientists
• Give better orientation to the development of
  their products and services in meeting customer
  needs and expectations.
• Develop statistical software industry in Europe.

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6. Concluding remarks

• There exists a real need for RD in Official
  Statistics in Europe as support for facing the
  21st century challenges.
• There exists in Europe a strong community of
  partners capable of undertaking a large programme
  of RD in Official Statistics
• This RD force should be driven by a specific
  (even virtual) programme which orient the
  efforts.
• The European Commission must obtain political
  support and facilitate the implementation of this
  programme
• EUROSTAT and the NSIs should provide the
  guarantees of excellence and efficiency of the
  programme.

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