A perspective from beyond the ESS

1. A perspective from beyond the ESS Alistair Hamilton Director – Statistical Information Standards Australian Bureau of Statistics

2. Overview • Frameworks for collaborations beyond the ESS • Towards a top down view on what’s required for industrialisation • Possible “top down” pre-requisites

3. ESS Strategy & “GSS” Aspirations • Legal framework • Different situation • Very little binding governance across GSS (Global Statistical System) • More diverse national contexts(?) • Methodological Developments • Shared interest : Best practice & common tools • More heterogeneous, less well bound, context • Modernisation of IT Infrastructure • Shared challenge, broadly shared directions • Standardisation and industrialisation • Shared aspirations : eg HLG-BAS

4. HLG-BAS • High Level Group for Strategic Directions in Business Architecture in Statistics • Created by Bureau of the Conference of European Statisticians (CES) in 2010 • Mission : Oversee and guide discussions on developments in the business architecture of the statistical production process, including methodology and information technology aspects • Strategic Vision endorsed by CES in June 2011 • Translating vision to strategy (and implementation) is theme for workshop next week

6. Some key points from the vision • We have to re-invent our products and processes and adapt to a changed world • We need to work together • The challenges are too big for statistical organisations to tackle on their own • Emphasis on related themes of Industrialisation and Standardisation

9. Examples of other joint efforts : Statistical Network • Idea discussed at CSTAT (OECD Committee on Statistics) in 2009 • Trial a collaboration approach in striving for improvement in Statistical Information Management • Initial members : SE, NO, NZ, GB, CA, AU • Critical goal : "Harmonising statistical methods, systems and capabilities across statistical agencies". • Practical small steps to industrialise methods and processes to quickly and effectively benefit all participating NSIs • Building with sharing and re-use across the whole community, in mind • 5 specific collaborations in 1st round

10. Example project • Generic Statistical Information Model (GSIM) • developing & operationalising GSIM agreed as highest priority strategic enabler of efficient & effective collaboration in the development & sharing of statistical information management systems. • progress through to associating GSIM with, eg, commonly agreed representation in XML • harness existing standards based representations wherever fit for purpose • SDMX & DDI-L agreed as key starting points • Co-ordinate & collaborate with other “networks” & groups • Eg METIS, ESSnets • GSIM focuses on all information objects used and/or produced in the course of various sub processes within a statistical business process.

11. GSIM GSIM (additional level of formalisation & detail required to support consistent operationalization)

12. Other examples • Statistical Open Standards (SOS) Group • Members : IS, NO, SE, FI, DK, NL • OECD.Stat User Group • Members : OECD, IMF, IT, AU, NZ • Paris Microdata Access Group • Groups associated with PC-Axis & Blaise Many, many cases of individual NSIs undertaking R&D on topics covered by ESSnets!

13. Top Down Pre-requisites (1) • Industry definition • Value propositions • Scope • Relationship with allied industries • comparisons with other information industries that have industrialised • More detail on what industrialisation means • Implications for future roles of NSIs, for staff

14. Top Down Pre-requisites (2) • Ways and means • Effective industry bodies • Role of international agencies • Additional industry frameworks/guides • Includes collaboration frameworks covering legal/IP/whole of life considerations • Agility (financial resources, projects, staff) • Confidence in delivery • Cultural change • Easier matching of costs & benefits

15. Top Down Pre-requisites (3) • Industry standards • Reference architecture • Service/component (particularly interface) • Information • GSIM + operationalisation • Process • GSBPM + operationalisation via CORE IM etc • Method • Combine service/component and information in plug and play and connectivity

16. “Plugged in”applications Connection Layer Statistical Business Process Conduit Workflow Management Statistical Information Conduit Process/Workflow Definitions Process Metrics (Paradata/BI) Statistical Metadata Data Registry Connection Layer “Plugged in” data& metadata stores

17. Challenges • What are the other pre-requisites? • What is the critical path? • What are the first steps on it? • What is the role & path for connecting concept & practice? • How quickly can we progress it? • How best to organise to progress it? • What is the best interim strategy for agencies already undertaking major developments? • The local vs global “industrialisation” approach • Product vs Process

18. External observations on ESSnets • A lot of current interest beyond the ESS in regard to various ESSnets • Wider awareness (at a summary level) would generate even more interest • ESSnet processes are commendably open, eg • external participants as observers • dissemination of results & sharing of experiences • Admire resources and frameworks available to facilitate collaborative R&D within ESS and produced shared outputs • Agreed common directions across member states potentially represents a critical mass of “aligned” NSIs in a global context • ESS decisions influence broader GSS • ESSnet outputs, however, are not always put into practice consistently across member states? • Can be difficult to determine actual focus of an ESSnet and relationships with other work

20. Possibilities • Mapping is useful (of ESSnets & other work) • Network analysis of activities? • May also help identify gaps and overlaps? • Top down priorities may be clarified by • HLG-BAS Strategy for industrialisation & standardisation, and • Sponsorship on Standardisation • Architectural framework for ESS • Continue to consider going beyond ESS in “state of the art” studies • Seek to identify national & multi-national initiatives beyond ESS which strongly intersect with proposed ESSnets (or specific work packages within them) • via “community knowledge within the ESS” • via “advertising” to parties beyond the ESS self identify • possible use of UNECE, OECD etc channels?