1. European Socio-economic Classification (ESeC)
I am Jack Eldridge from the UK Office for National Statistics. We have the co-ordianting role for the ESeC project. I am very happy to have with me today ERIC HARRISON from ESSEX University, Essex University is one of the main UK partners in this project and Eric will help me with any technical questions about the ESeC project.
Jack Eldridge Data Collection Methodology
Office for National Statistics UK
Brussels 11/11/2004

2. ESeC project aims To produce a fully validated ESeC that:
captures the underlying conceptual dimension of employment relations
can be used in the comparative analysis of societal problems across Europe.
can improve the quality of public statistics in candidate countries and those EU member states that do not have national SECs.
The proposed project is of direct relevance to Research Areas 1 and 2 in Priority 7 of the Sixth Framework Programme in that it seeks to improve (a) the generation and distribution of knowledge and its impact on economic and social development; and (b) understanding of intergenerational and other inequalities, for example in education and health.
This project is centrally concerned with the promotion and strengthening of the European Research Area in the social sciences through the provision of a major comparative tool for scientific and policy research. Comparative European research is already severely hampered by the lack of a genuinely European SEC. This problem will be apparent with many Framework6 projects since many of the central problems concerned with monitoring the development of the knowledge based society cannot be tackled adequately without comparative research tools such as an ESeC .Issues such as social cohesion, the educational and employment challenges for the knowledge society, the analysis of intergenerational inequality and of poverty and insecurity absolutely mandate an effective comparative measure linking individuals to the social structure.
Currently nine of the EU member states have their own SECs. However, the lack of valid and reliable SECs for cross-national research has been a continuing obstacle to comparative European policy and scientific analysis. This was recognised by Eurostat as an issue to be addressed in the harmonisation of European statistics (Østby et al. 2000and Everaers 1998). To this end it has funded two projects: the first examined the extent, nature and use of SECs in member states (Grais 1999) and the second, by way of an Expert Group (Rose et al.2001), made proposals for an ESEC that could be operationalized using commonly collected data.This proposal is designed to build on these projects.

3. Overview of work packages
Management.
Construct prototype ESeC.
Construct Statistical compendium.
Workshop to revise ESeC prototype and validation plans.
Evaluation studies and reports.
Report on validation studies. Project conference. Final ESeC produced.
Operational guide to ESeC.
Assist new member states to apply ESeC Conference and report.
Work package 1 Overall management and financial control.
Work package 2., to construct a prototype of the ESEC and associated derivation matrices. A blueprint for the ESEC has already been designed. Derivation matrices relating to both 2- and 3- digit ISCO88(COM) occupational groups will be produced for the blueprint. We have recently held a workshop for all partners to consider the blueprint and all outstanding issues from the Eurostat ESEC Expert Group.
In work package 3, using the prototype ESEC, we will produce a statistical compendium based upon Europe wide data resources. This will show variations in socio-economic indicators across ESEC categories for all EU countries. A web-based resource containing this information will be produced by the end of February 2005.
Work package 4, a second project workshop will be held at the end of March 2005 Partners will discuss whether any revisions are required to the ESEC prototype and also agree final plans for the validation studies. At the end of April 2005, a report will be produced by the three UK partners on the evaluation of the prototype, any changes to the derivation matrices and the validation plans.
work packages Between June and November partners 2 and 4-9 will undertake their individual validation studies. Each partner will provide a report on their study.
Work package 12, We will review evidence from these validation study reports. A report will be produced by the three UK partners for discussion at a project conference. This will include both consortium members and Eurostat, NSIs and other academics and will examine both the application and validation of the prototype ESEC and suggested revisions to it. A final version of ESEC will be agreed and placed on this website immediately after the conference.
Work package 13, we will create an operational guide to the ESEC in the form of a web-based resource similar to that for the UK NS-SEC (see This will be available by the end of June 2006.
work package 14, we will assist participants from new EU member states in applying the prototype ESEC to their own national statistical resources. A workshop for new member states will be held in July or August 2006 and a report detailing recommendations for the application of ESEC in these countries will be produced by the end of September 2006.

4. Project management day-to-day co-ordination
Project manager will be responsible for:
day-to-day co-ordination
the main interface between the partnership and the Commission
maintenance of the structured programme of work
the collation of completed reports as specified in the work programme
the production of six monthly progress reports
The Office for National Statistics will measure the progress of theproject.A specific work package (WP1) has been designed as a management activity to review and assess project results and progress towards operational goals.
A Project Manager at ONS will be responsible for day-to-day co-ordination of the project and will be the main interface between the partnership and the Commission. The Project Manager will be responsible for the maintenance of the structured programme of work, and the collation of completed reports as specified in the work programme. The Project Manager will also have the authority to request the presence of technical specialists at workshop meetings, (we have FOUR meetings scheduled that will include all the partners in the project but other smaller meetings to plan work have and will occur with the relevant partners) We also expect members of the consortium to work with each other on some of the validation studies. ONS as the project co-ordinator will hold responsibility for the production of interim reports and recommendations for corrective action.
The interim reports are produced at six month intervals and as well as registering progress will also review the time spent on the project and how spending on the components of the project is matching its budget! We all have to account for time spent on Framework 6 projects, some of our project members already have systems in place that can meet the Commission’s Audit requirements but ONS has developed an Excel spreadsheet approach as a guideline to other partners..

5. Work package reports
Commitment: summary of activity - person months and tasks carried out.
Results: main achievements - milestones, deliverables, reports, etc.
Issues and problems and suggested solutions
Activities: summary of inter-partner meetings or contacts, conferences and publications
Reports are due one week after the end of the work package.
Each partner has specific work packages to complete and will also have to report on their progress. These reports will be a major source of information for our 6 monthly co-ordinators report to the commission. Which is why you will notice the inclusion of person months spent and a log of contacts and activities as well as the expected content about how the package was completed.

6. Main Dissemination
Conference in January 2006 for consortium members, NSIs and academics
A revised ESeC on the project website
Compendium validation studies and conference report
An operational guide to the ESeC
Conference in July 2006 for future member states
Conference report: ESeC in current and future EU countries
A book on ESeC and papers for journals
The project partners will actively encourage the sharing of knowledge about a European socio-economic classification between National Statistical Institutes and other relevant constituents within the European Statistical System, taking into account the needs of EU member states and future member states. To this end a coherent and extensive dissemination strategy is planned within the ESEC project.
The following activities are the main elements of this strategy:
The UK partners will assess the evidence of the validation studies and produce a report for discussion which will take place together with presentation of the results from the studies at a project conference including consortium members, NSIs and invited academics. Any changes to be made to the prototype ESEC will be agreed at the conference and a final version produced following the conference.
A report reviewing the evidence from the validation studies, and a conference on the application and validation of the prototype ESEC for all partners, NSIs and invited academics. A final version of the ESEC placed on the project website.
The operational guide to the ESEC for use by National Statistical Institutes and by Eurostat. The guide will be made available as a web-based resource, making it accessible to both academic and other potential users. The guide will show the linkages between national occupational classifications, ISCO88(COM) and the ESEC and will provide users with detailed instructions enabling them to implement the ESEC within national and European statistical sources.
We will be working with representatives from the EU future (and current) member states to help themapply the ESeC to their data sources and will stage a conference for them to present and discuss their results we will then produce a report assessing the extent to which future member states have applied the ESEC to national statistical sources in a valid manner, with recommendations on how the ESEC should be applied in these countries.