Abstract

The session intends to discuss how the design of the peer review process affects its implementation and results, what are the conditions and aspects of the peer review process leading to results promoting development and innovation in the national statistical system, what are the implementation arrangements to achieve this. The session will present design aspects of the peer reviews, general conceptual issues and tools/means that could be applied also in other regions for similar process and results already available at the time of the conference, that are drawn on the level of the entire European statistical system. The presentations from the three EU Member States will focus on particularities of the process in their statistical systems, how the peer review process was organised and what could be learnt from it and present some of the results from their peer review and how these results supported the further development of the national statistical system and modernisation/innovation. Lastly, the session will include the perspective of a peer review expert, in the form of a discussant, focusing on what the challenges in reviewing a statistical system are, what kind of expertise is needed and some lessons that could be drawn for the peer review process itself.
The session will reflect on optimal ways to design peer reviews of national statistical systems and on lessons learnt in this process of designing the concept and tools for implementing peer reviews. The presentations will also discuss what aspects need to be considered in order for peer review to serve their purpose and lead to results useful for the reviewed statistical system and stimulating further development. The perspectives of different stakeholders in this process will provide a comprehensive and inspiring overview that could encourage other regions and countries to follow a similar approach.