1. Modernisation of European social statistics
Fernando REIS
EUROSTAT
03-04 December 2012
ESSnet Workshop, Rome

2. Context The environment is changing
Rising importance of social statistics for policy making
Rising expectations for flexibility and quality
Growth of enabling technologies for producing, storing and sharing data
Reduced budgets for public spending, including on statistics

3. Context Therefore need to adapt current systems
Vision on the production method of EU statistics
From a stovepipe model
To a re-engineered production method where statistics are produced as parts of integrated model
From Vision to Strategy
A joint approach to modernising European Social Statistics
A framework for modernisation of social statistics

4. Output New data sources (Electronic footprint)
Common concepts and methods
New data sources (Electronic footprint)
Statistical processing
Linking and matching
Warehouse(s)
(micro, meso or macro data)
Output
Non ESS surveys (ECB wealth)
Administrative data
(on individuals or aggregated)
for statistical purposes
Multimode
data
collection
PAPI, CAPI,
CATI, CAWI
Streamlined coordinated
social surveys
Census
Basic registers
(Individuals, Households,
Dwellings, Buildings, …)
Population
frame
(incl. sampling)

5. Streamlining core social surveys
Aims: increase efficiency, responsiveness and level of integration
Modularisation: Breaking surveys down into smaller building blocks
Modularisation criteria: topic, frequency, sample size requirements, …
Integration: reintegrating the building blocks in a different way
Investigation of technical issues: estimation and sample design

6. Statistical data matching
Aim to increase the analytical potential of datasets through the application of modelling techniques
Eurostat actions:
Ex-post: matching of existing micro-data sets
Ex-ante: defining conditions for successful statistical data matching

7. Harmonisation of variables
Prerequisite for
Streamlining social surveys
Statistical data matching
Use of administrative data sources for statistics
Cross-cutting analyses
Core social variables as a good starting point
Eurostat actions:
Harmonised Variables in Social Statistics: Extended set to be used across surveys
Aiming at a de facto harmonisation

8. Multi-mode data collection
Variety of issues:
Move towards the use of computer assisted modes
Introduction of web-based interviewing
Combination of different modes
Eurostat actions:
ESSnet launched end of March

9. Use of administrative data sources
Issues to be addressed:
Legal: access, linkage, storage,…
Technical: common identifier
Relational: cooperation agreements, influence on design of administrative data sources,…
Quality: accuracy and reliability, timeliness and punctuality, coherence and comparability
Situations in Member States differ
Eurostat actions:
Amending Regulation (EC) 223/2009
Exchange of good practices: workshop
Addressing quality issues