Abstract

This presentation will try to get beyond the idea that 'the value of official statistics' is merely an interesting topic for philosophical discussion, and will instead introduce the suggestion that focusing on this topic can really help official statistics in concrete ways.
It will look at what the Conference of European Statisticians has done in recent years, including the development of CES-endorsed recommendations, to guide the conversation in the international arena; ensuring that it does not become narrowed into a discussion merely of improving dissemination tools and communication techniques (important as these are), but rather that it remains broad and outward-looking, concerning itself not only with what NSOs produce, but also with discerning and responding to what society needs and wants.

The presentation will serve as an introduction to the national case studies that will make up the remainder of the session.