1. © Statistisches Bundesamt, B 2 / Institut für Forschung und Entwicklung in der Bundesstatistik Statistisches Bundesamt ESSnet on Preparation of Standardisation ESSnet Workshop 27. – 28.10.2011 Peter Schmidt (Destatis)

2. © Statistisches Bundesamt, B 2 / Institut für Forschung und Entwicklung in der Bundesstatistik Statistisches Bundesamt Project and Partners ESSnet coordinator: INSEE (Raoul Depoutot) Co-partners: CBS (Netherlands) Destatis (Germany) GUS (Poland) ISTAT (Italy) KSH (Hungary) ONS (UK) Relevant Dates:22.09.2010 Call for Proposal 14./15.10.2010 Workshop on Standardisation 22.10.2010 First Application (modified 5.11.2010) 17.12.2010 Contract with Eurostat duration 9 months until 16.09.2011 21.10.2011 final report

3. © Statistisches Bundesamt, B 2 / Institut für Forschung und Entwicklung in der Bundesstatistik Statistisches Bundesamt Background: the ESS standardisation initiative History: The Hague Action Plan Communication COM 404/2009, the 'Eurostat Vision' Joint Strategy Paper (ESSC May 2010) General objective: Increase the efficiency and quality of statistical production by further standardisation of processes and methods Approach: ESSnet StandPrep: description of current situation, criteria for the adoption, prepare discussion on governance, needs and priorities Sponsorship: strategy (scope, business model, action plan) Multi-annual ESSnet (starting 2012?)

4. © Statistisches Bundesamt, B 2 / Institut für Forschung und Entwicklung in der Bundesstatistik Statistisches Bundesamt Work Programme WP 1: Review of current international methodological handbooks and guidelines WP 2: Description of the process of adopting and implementing other international standards WP 3: Reflection on future work

5. © Statistisches Bundesamt, B 2 / Institut für Forschung und Entwicklung in der Bundesstatistik Statistisches Bundesamt WP 1: Review of current international methodological handbooks and guidelines Objective: Define the concept of standard in statistics, in particular the standard corresponding to statistical methods Tasks: Definition of a statistical standard (corresponding to statistical methods) and of guidance Review of 6 existing manuals Review of support measures Quality of statistical standards and criteria for the assessment

6. © Statistisches Bundesamt, B 2 / Institut für Forschung und Entwicklung in der Bundesstatistik Statistisches Bundesamt WP 2: Description of the process of adopting and implementing other international standards Objective: Systemise standards other than statistical methods Tasks: Systematic analysis of standards other than statistical methods Definition of procedures for adoption of standards Advice on the standardisation process for the ESS

7. © Statistisches Bundesamt, B 2 / Institut für Forschung und Entwicklung in der Bundesstatistik Statistisches Bundesamt WP 3: Reflection on future work Objective: Suggestions to the future work on standardisation, especially to the sponsorship on standardisation Suggestions deal with five main domains State of the art Scope of standardisation Common language Action plan Business model

8. © Statistisches Bundesamt, B 2 / Institut für Forschung und Entwicklung in der Bundesstatistik Statistisches Bundesamt State of the art: methods Review of following manuals: Eurostat sampling references guidelines Recommended practices for editing and imputation in cross- sectional business surveys (EDIMBUS) Guidelines for statistical metadata on the Internet ESS handbook for quality reports Recommended practices for questionnaire design and testing Survey methods and practices Lack of consistency in ESS documents referring to standards Methodological manuals no proper standards Activity not well defined, drafting very unclear Adoption (body) ? No conformity assessment

9. © Statistisches Bundesamt, B 2 / Institut für Forschung und Entwicklung in der Bundesstatistik Statistisches Bundesamt State of the art: standards The ESS has (indirectly) defined many standards: Definition of statistics (output harmonisation) Classifications, national accounts Other types: statistical units, business registers Mandatory (regulations) Body: EU legislators (Council and parliament)

10. © Statistisches Bundesamt, B 2 / Institut für Forschung und Entwicklung in der Bundesstatistik Statistisches Bundesamt Definition of a standard Deep coherence of concepts and definitions in standard- setting organisations (USA, CEN, ISO) Aim of standards: Improve the functioning of markets by providing information to users who cannot easily assess the features of goods or services => standards increase mutual trust in the market ISO reference vocabulary adopted A standard is a document, established by consensus and approved by a recognised body that provides, for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities or their results, aimed at the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given context

11. © Statistisches Bundesamt, B 2 / Institut für Forschung und Entwicklung in der Bundesstatistik Statistisches Bundesamt (Possible) scope of standardisation Methods, classifications, definitions Other possible standards: IT tools: not a documentary standard IT tools contain requirements and recommendations as these form part of the package Tau-Argus, Demetra, SDMX The whole production chain is a potential candidate (including IT and auxiliary activities)

12. © Statistisches Bundesamt, B 2 / Institut für Forschung und Entwicklung in der Bundesstatistik Statistisches Bundesamt Standardisation process Principles for adopting standards: Consensus Transparency Balance Openness … Principles for conformity assessment : first/ second/ third party assessment Drafting of standards Very precise wording Very precise structure of document Very precise use of verbal forms (shall/ should/ may/ can…)

13. © Statistisches Bundesamt, B 2 / Institut für Forschung und Entwicklung in der Bundesstatistik Statistisches Bundesamt Standardisation process Some lessons to be learned : Iterative process Long process (more than 10 years) Consensus is crucial A standard in itself is nothing. It has a value only if it is implemented (ISO advice) Last action of the ESSnet STAND PREP : Presentation of the results and recommendations of the ESSnet STAND PREP in the first meeting of the Sponsorship on Standardisation (22./23.9.2011) Last action of the ESSnet STAND PREP

14. © Statistisches Bundesamt, B 2 / Institut für Forschung und Entwicklung in der Bundesstatistik Statistisches Bundesamt Thanks for your attention! peter.schmidt@destatis.de Questions?