A perspective from beyond the ESS

Alistair HamiltonDirector – Statistical Information Standards

Australian Bureau of Statistics

Overview

• Frameworks for collaborations beyond the ESS• Towards a top down view on what’s required

for industrialisation– Possible “top down” pre-requisites

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

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

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

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

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.

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

GSIM

GSIM

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!

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

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

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

Statistical Business Process Conduit

Statistical Information Conduit

Connection Layer

Process/Workflow DefinitionsProcess Metrics (Paradata/BI)

Statistical MetadataData

Connection Layer

“Plugged in”applications

“Plugged in” data& metadata stores

Workflow Management

Registry

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

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

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?