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Introduction
1. In 1994, the United Nations Statistical
Commission adopted a set of Fundamental Principles
of Official Statistics. For ease of reference,
it is attached at Annex I.
2. The Committee on Statistics of ESCAP
supports the spirit of the principles, realizing
nevertheless that such principles represent
very broad concepts only. The practical
application of the principles would require
further deliberation and substantiation.
In the meantime, statistical offices in different
countries/territories may actually have been
practising the principles, since many
of them are no more than re-statements of some
commonly adopted methods of work.
3. At its 29th session, the United Nations
Statistical Commission discussed and agreed
that more documentations should be generated
to supplement the Fundamental Principles.
It was decided that initially some work sessions
should be held among groups of limited size
with a view to generating ideas and outputs
for subsequent discussion and consultation on
a much wider scale.
4. A major work session was held recently
in Prague, Czech Republic on 23-24 March 1998.
Deliberations in the Prague
Session
5. Intensive brainstorming took place
in the Prague Session and a wide range of practical
issues were discussed. Despite the limitation
of time, participants of the session had a very
good exchange of ideas, views and experiences.
Relevant issues were identified and spelt out
in some detail, enabling a listing of headings
to be drawn up (see Annex II).
6. There was also some debate on the form
of documentation which should be produced to
supplement the Fundamental Principles.
Alternatives would range from a code of practice,
to a set of guidelines with examples and to
a compendium of practical case studies with
suitable annotations.
The need for wider consultation
7. Given that the Fundamental Principles
have been promulgated for quite some time and
the need for supplementary documentation is
keenly felt, some parties hold the view that
action should be speeded up, so that such documentation,
in whatever form, can be produced for United
Nations Statistical Commission to endorse in
the near future.
8. However, strong views have also been
expressed that while timing is an important
consideration, it would be necessary to conduct
wide consultations and thorough discussions
of drafts of such documentations before they
can be finalized, given that there are widely
different cultures, traditions, societal norms,
political systems, administrative arrangements,
resources situations and so on which have to
be catered for. If the set of documentations
is to gain good support globally and to be taken
as authoritative reference, great care must
be exercised and divergent views must be canvassed
in producing them.
Contributions by Members
of the ESCAP Committee on Statistics
9. The United Nations Statistical Commission
will be discussing the subject in its March
1999 Meeting. Members of the ESCAP Committee
on Statistics are invited to express their views
as much as possible on the subject during this
Committee Session for such views to be channelled
to the Statistical Commission. But this
is not the only occasion since United Nations
Statistical Division will be organizing other
activities to tap views and contributions.
In any case, Members should keenly take "ownership"
of the matter to ensure that the final products
will contain Regional views and correspond with
Regional wishes and requirements.
10. Members of the ESCAP Statistics Committee
can express views, perhaps, in three aspects
:
- the process : timing, form
of consultation;
- the products : form of the
documentations to supplement the Fundamental
Principles (i.e. collection of case studies,
or code of practice, or others); and
- the contents : Annex II
of this paper may serve as a framework for
discussing the emphasis and the detailed contents
of the documentations.
11. Whichever form the documentations
will eventually take, we would need examples
or case studies of PRACTICES. Members
of the ESCAP Committee on Statistics are strongly
urged to assist in the preparation of these
materials. Meanwhile, some subject-matter
materials are already available and various
Secretariats should assist in making these easily
accessible to statistical offices.
Annex I
Fundamental Principles
of Official Statistics adopted by United Nations
Statistical Commission
April 1994
1. Official statistics provide an indispensable
element in the information system of a democratic
society, serving the government, the economy
and the public with data about the economic,
demographic, social and environmental situation.
To this end, official statistics that meet the
test of practical utility are to be compiled
and made available on an impartial basis by
official statistical agencies to honour citizens'
entitlement to public information.
2. To retain trust in official statistics,
the statistical agencies need to decide according
to strictly professional considerations, including
scientific principles and professional ethics,
on the methods and procedures for the collection,
processing, storage and presentation of statistical
data.
3. To facilitate a correct interpretation
of the data, the statistical agencies are to
present information according to scientific
standards on the sources, methods and procedures
of the statistics.
4. The statistical agencies are entitled
to comment on erroneous interpretation and misuse
of statistics.
5. Data for statistical purposes may be
drawn from all types of sources, be they statistical
surveys or administrative records. Statistical
agencies are to choose the source with regard
to quality, timeliness, costs and the burden
on respondents.
6. Individual data collected by statistical
agencies for statistical compilation, whether
they refer to natural or legal persons, are
to be strictly confidential and used exclusively
for statistical purposes.
7. The laws, regulations and measures
under which the statistical systems operate
are to be made public.
8. Coordination among statistical agencies
within countries is essential to achieve consistency
and efficiency in the statistical system.
9. The use by statistical agencies in
each country of international concepts, classifications
and methods promotes the consistency and efficiency
of statistical systems at all official levels.
10. Bilateral and multilateral cooperation
in statistics contributes to the improvement
of systems of official statistics in all countries.
Annex II
Headings for policies
and practices
1. Relations with
Respondents
1.1 Relations with
respondents : Burden Minimization
1.1.1 Legal basis for questionnaires :
compulsory, voluntary and mixed systems
1.1.2 Questionnaires and public relations
1.1.3 Questionnaires and return of information
1.1.4 Questionnaires and Technology
1.1.5 Questionnaires and supporting measures
1.1.6 Questionnaire simplification
1.1.7 Sanctioning non-response to questionnaires
1.1.8 Demanding quality in questionnaire
response
1.1.9 Ensuring proportionate dimensions
for questionnaires
1.1.10 Designing, planning and monitoring systems
for questionnaire compliance
1.1.11 Controlling the distribution of
burden
1.1.12 Calculating an index of burden
1.1.13 Replacing statistical questionnaires
by administrative records
1.2 Relations with
respondents : Confidentiality
1.2.1 Integrity of physical holdings
1.2.2 Procedures to prevent inadvertent
disclosure
1.2.3 Reactions to inadvertent confidentiality
violation
1.2.4 Legal provisions dealing with violation
1.3 Relations with
Data Protection Agency
1.4 Data Archives,
Micro-data public files, Image and substance
2. Relations with
Users
2.1 Affecting users' beliefs
2.1.1 Transparency
2.1.2 Meta-data standards
2.1.3 Data quality standards
2.1.4 Monitoring user satisfaction
2.2 Treating users
fairly
2.2.1 Privileged and general access
2.2.2 Scheduling releases in advance
2.2.3 Dealing with media
2.2.4 Analytical commentary
2.2.5 Public good and retrieval charges
2.2.6 Commissioned work
2.3 The Brand name
2.3.1 Dealing with other data producers vis-a-vis
users
2.4 Relevance and Effectiveness
2.4.1 Advisory networks
2.4.2 Access to Policy Advisers
2.4.3 Marketing and User tracking services
2.4.4 Programme Evaluation
2.4.5 Ensuring smooth access
3. Relations with governmental
structures : professional autonomy
3.1 Threats affecting
professional autonomy
3.1.1 Limiting role and missions of National
Statistical Offices (NSO's)
3.1.2 Extending NSO's role and missions
to political analysis or political work
3.1.3 Disproportionate cutting of budgetary
resources
3.1.4 Pressures to suppress statistical
fields or statistical series
3.1.5 Political appointment of NSO's staff
members
3.1.6 Political pressures on methods, concepts
and classifications
3.1.7 Using classifications for non statistical
uses without NSO's acceptance
3.1.8 Censoring or altering data
3.1.9 Deliberate inexact use of statistical
data
3.1.10 Exaggerated use of statistically-driven
formulas for making political decisions
3.1.11 Threatening data confidentiality
3.1.12 Active campaign to discredit statistical
service, outputs, methods or staff
3.2 Positive reactions
to threats and/or misleading practices : factors
maintaining statistical integrity in the face
of political pressures
3.2.1 Factors beyond NSO's control
3.2.1.1 Sound civil service system
3.2.1.2 Long tradition of statistical integrity
3.2.1.3 Uncensored and active media
3.2.2 Factors that NSO's may promote (in partnership
with political decision-makers)
3.2.2.1 Strong links between users and producers
3.2.2.2 Laws relating to the autonomous
status of NSO's
3.2.2.3 Location of NSO's within governmental
structures
3.2.2.4 Stature and contractual status
of Heads of NSO's
3.2.2.5 Pre-announced schedule of released
data
3.2.2.6 (For decentralized systems) increasing
statistical co-ordination
3.2.3 Factors under NSO's and statisticians'
control
3.2.3.1 Creating active professional statistical
societies
3.2.3.2 International support (Club of
Friends)
3.2.3.3 "Social" proximity with political
decision-makers (without compromising)
3.2.3.4 Better understanding of politicians'
role and missions
3.2.3.5 Dealing with the General Auditor
4. Relations with "lobbies"
and pressure groups : professional autonomy
4.1 Threats affecting
professional autonomy
4.1.1 Accepting without precaution to
work for private interests
4.1.2 Dealing without precaution with researchers'
demands
4.1.3 Pressures to suppress statistical
fields or statistical series
4.1.4 "Lobbies" pressure on methods, concepts,
classifications
4.1.5 Deliberately misleading use of statistical
data
4.1.6 Media campaign to discredit statistical
service, outputs, methods or staff
4.2 Positive reactions
to threats and/or misleading practices : factors
maintaining statistical integrity in front of
"lobbies" pressures
4.2.1 Listening to the media and users'
needs
4.2.2 Training the media and the users
4.2.3 Being active in professional statistical
societies
4.2.4 "Social" proximity with "lobbies"
and private decision-makers (without compromising)
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