1. DEFINITIONS AND APPROACHES AND APPLICATIONS TO THE ISRAELI OFFICIAL STATISTICS PROGRAM OFFICIAL STATISTICS AND CORE STATISTICS Tom Caplan, Israel Central Bureau of Statistics 1

2. PURPOSES OF THE PRESENTATION To define “official statistics” To outline the terms of reference of a CBS senior level committee appointed to examine the CBS program of statistics and to distinguish between “official statistics” and “core or essential statistics” To describe similar processes that other countries have applied To report on the status of the Committees work. As an addendum to describe the membership and responsibilities of the Public Council for Statistics and to consider its role in this process. Tom Caplan, Israel Central Bureau of Statistics 2

3. 3 WHAT ARE OFFICIAL STATISTICS Definitions: Official statistics are statistics published by government agencies or other public bodies such as international organizations.(Wikipedia) …. Statistical information produced, collated, and disseminated by national governments, their agencies, and the international bodies which link them. (web Dictionary of Sociology) Official statistics are statistics disseminated by the national statistical system, excepting those that are explicitly stated not to be official. (OECD) Official statistics are all statistics produced by government departments and specified crown entities.

4. Tom Caplan, Israel Central Bureau of Statistics 4 WHO ARE THE PRODUCERS OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS? ICBS (producer, compiler and user) Virtually all Ministries and Agencies of the National government such as: Bank of Israel Ministry of Finance Ministry of Industry trade and Labour Ministry of Education Ministry of the Environment The National Insurance Institute Cities and local authorities Universities and colleges Question: Should we include certain non-public organizations such as the Israel Manufacturing Association?

5. Tom Caplan, Israel Central Bureau of Statistics 5 CATEGORIES OF USERS OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS Internet Users Government Ministries and Organizations Researchers Academics and students International organizations Press and other media Commercial Companies/Enterprises Other users ICBS

6. 6 TERMS OF REFERENCE OF CBS COMMITTEE To define ”official statistics” and “essential statistics” that can be considered “core statistics” To recommend criteria by which elements of the statistics program can be examined and classified as core or not Outline a program or process by which statistical series can regularly be evaluated as core or otherwise and to recommend the frequency of the program To test out the program initially. Tom Caplan, Israel Central Bureau of Statistics

7. 7 UK STATISTICS AUTHORITY CRITERIA FOR CLASSIFYING STATISTICS AS OFFICIAL STATISTICS AND THE UK STATISTICS AUTHORITY SUBJECT AREAS Tom Caplan, Israel Central Bureau of Statistics

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10. UK STATISTICS AUTHORITY Classification of statistical products as: Legal products ( required by law) Non-legal Products (not required by law) Tom Caplan, Israel Central Bureau of Statistics 10

11. 11 COLOMBIA METHODOLOGY FOR THE FORMULATION OF THE NATIONAL STATISTICS PLAN Tom Caplan, Israel Central Bureau of Statistics

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16. 16 AUSTRALIA ESSENTIAL STATISTICAL ASSETS Tom Caplan, Israel Central Bureau of Statistics

17. 17 TERMS OF REFERENCE Tom Caplan, Israel Central Bureau of Statistics

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19. 19 What are essential statistical assets? Statistical assets are the statistics, as well as the datasets that they are drawn from (where they exist). Essential statistical assets are defined as a small, core subset of official statistical assets that, due to their application and importance, should be given priority in order to provide a high quality and trusted statistical service. Recognizing those statistics considered to be most critical to Australia will help ensure their level of quality is maintained and enhanced over time.

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28. PRELIMINARY CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE Deciding what is included in Israel's Core Statistics program is not just a matter of definition, there must be an assessment program based on criteria. The Core Statistics Program will include statistical series from the ICBS as well as from the other member institutions of the NSS. To decide what are the core statistics we first must decide what are official statistics. We have examined approaches in other countries and while no country seems to refer to a "core statistics" program, the United Kingdom has a very good approach to identifying and classifying "official statistics" and Australia has a very extensive approach to setting out what are their "Essential Statistical Assets" (or in other words, core statistics. Tom Caplan, Israel Central Bureau of Statistics 28

29. NEXT STEPS Adapt the processes to Israel. Take the criteria from other countries and adapt them to Israel As a preliminary exercise apply the criteria to the CBS current statistics program. Report on the outcome to the Government Statistician Report on the outcome to the Public Council on Statistics Tom Caplan, Israel Central Bureau of Statistics 29

30. ADDENDUM: THE PUBLIC COUNCIL FOR STATISTICS The Israeli Pekuda Lestatistica (Statistics Ordinance) requires the Prime Minister to appoint members to the Public Council for Statistics. The Council is to be made up of 50 to 80 members Members are appointed by the Prime Minister as representatives of government ministries, municipalities, national institutions and institutions set up by law, higher education institutions that have a statistics department, and other public institutions that carry out statistics activities Tom Caplan, Israel Central Bureau of Statistics 30

31. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PUBLIC COUNCIL To provide advice to the Prime Minister and to other Government Ministers with regard to matters related to the statistical activities of national institutions and bodies. To provide advice to the Government Statistician on matters related to the statistical activities of the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. In order to do this the legislation gives the Public Council the right to look at the questionnaires that the CBS presents to the public. To receive from the national institutions their plans for statistical activities and to express an opinion as to the coordination among the institutions of those plans. To propose recommendations concerning the development and efficiency of national institutions' statistical activities Tom Caplan, Israel Central Bureau of Statistics 31