History and objectives of the Statistics User Forum

The Statistics User Forum is the successor to the long-established Statistics User Council and was set up to make sure that the needs and views of the statistical user community are properly taken into account.

Developing and strengthening user groups that help you to have a voice

As statistics play an increasingly important part in all sectors, it is vital that users can get their views across and know that they will have an influence.

User groups bring users together so that they can share their experience and develop a consensus on what needs to be improved. The Forum works to support user groups so that this role can be developed.

Influencing statistics producers

By building and maintaining a dialogue with statistics producers the Forum can make sure that users' views are not only heard but that they have real influence.

The Forum can also help producers by ensuring consultation with users is done efficiently and effectively. In particular, the Office for National Statistics is developing its user engagement and has confirmed its wish to give greater support to its involvement with the Forum.

Coordinating user community views

Statistics are used in many different sectors, with increasing cross-disciplinary use. This makes it even more important that users know that they are using statistics that are produced to high standards. By bringing representatives of user  groups together, the Forum can coordinate the views of users and develop consistent policy and compelling arguments. The Forum has adopted five priorities for action.

Effective help for User Groups

The Statistics User Forum is administered by the Royal Statistical Society. The Society has made the following services available to affiliated user groups on an optional basis:

• Helping with organising and publicising meetings
• Facilitating the provision of user group information on the Society's web site, including maintaining a diary of meetings and events
• Maintaining electronic mailing and discussion lists
• Maintaining an alert system which identifies and alerts the relevant user community to publications, consultation documents, deadlines etc
• Coordinating and sharing responses to consultation exercises

Members of user groups that are affiliated to the Royal Statistics Society can also take up linked associate membership of the Society.