Abstract

Ongoing changes in the data ecosystems in which members of the NSSs operate are putting enormous pressure on one of the roles of the NSIs - the role of the NSS coordinator. Not only do NSIs have to respond to ever-increasing demands from users, but also at the same time, the NSIs' responsibility for the quality of the official statistics produced within the NSS is being strengthened.
In the conditions of the Slovak Republic, the NSS consists of 12 other national authorities performing the tasks of official statistics, in addition to the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic in the role of coordinator. For the purpose of coordinating the national statistical system, the Office has a number of coordination tools at its disposal, but these have their limits. In practice, it has been shown that even the legislative basis is sometimes insufficient for the proper and efficient functioning of the entire system.
The Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic is currently competing for the role of data steward, at least at the level of the NSS. Other actors are aware that data are becoming an increasingly valuable commodity and an object of interest. This is one of the reasons why the Office tries to maintain its position also through its role as coordinator of the NSS, through which it has some influence on other national authorities. A significant competitive advantage of the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic is the fact that it has the know-how to process and, in particular, to protect confidential statistical data.
In order for the Statistical Office to be capable of fulfilling its role as a coordinator of the NSS, a certain degree of cooperation is also needed from the other NSS members to 'let' themselves be coordinated. Since in some cases the tasks of official statistics are on the edge of the attention of individual ministries, we consider that the topic of statistical literacy is also relevant for the producers of official statistics who are members of the NSS. Only an increased awareness of the needs and the importance of statistics and the role played by NSIs in their production can have a positive impact on the quality of official statistics.