The Royal Statistical SocietyThe Royal Statistical Society
Transforming Official Statistics to Serve Society

Transforming Official Statistics to Serve Society

Wednesday 12 November 2008 at The Royal Society, 6 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AG
 
This year's annual conference is without doubt our most important to date. It marks the moment when the prospect of a statistical service that meets the needs not just of government, but of all users, has been recognised.
 
The Statistics and Registration Service Act (2007) does not, however, specify the means by which this is to be achieved. This conference provides the perfect opportunity for both users and the UK Statistics Authority to find common ground, to explore the structures that will ensure that user views are fully indentified and evaluated and that the resulting statistical outputs are not only reliable and trustworthy, but relevant to a participating democracy.
 
In our drive to ensure that evidence based decision making becomes a reality, the conference will review the full role and scope of official statistics in a 21st century democracy.
 

Programme

9:15-10:00 Registration and Coffee
 
10:00: Opening Address
Tony Wright MP, Chairman, the Public Administration Select Committee (PASC)

Session 1: The Nature of the Challenge
Chair: Lord Moser
 
  • Measuring Societies Progress. A Key Issue for Policy Making and Democratic Government
    Enrico Giovannini, Chief Statistician, OECD

    Biography (Word 71 KB)
    Paper (Word 177 KB)
10:45-11:15 Coffee
 
Session 2:  Aspects of the Challenge
Chair: Karen Dunnell, National Statistician 
 
  • Informing Society
    Ian Maclean, Statistics Users Forum

    Paper and Biography (Word 132 KB)
    Discussion Points (Word 28 KB)
  • Local Authority Requirements
    Tim Allen, Director Local Government Analysis and Research

    Biography (Word  KB)
  • The Interface with Attitude Surveys
    Sir Roger Jowell, Founder Director, Centre for Comparative Social Surveys

    Paper (Word 88 KB)
  • Improving Relevance through Private Sector Participation 
    Roger Taylor and David Ashby, Dr Foster Holdings

    Paper and Biographies (Word 73 KB)
  • Accessing statistics, What Users Want from the Web
    Alastair Allan, Sheffield University

    Paper and Biography (Word 84 KB)
 
12:30 -13:45 Lunch 
 
Session 3 Meeting The Challenge
Chair: Ian Diamond, Chief Executive, ESRC
 
  • Ensuring International Comparibilituy
    Pedro Diaz Munoz,Eurostat

    Abstract and Biography (Word 70 KB)
  • Putting Effective Procedures in Place
    Richard Alldritt, Head of Assessment, UK Statistics Authority

    Paper (Word 83 KB) 
  • Today and Tomorrow - Some Thoughts on Relevance
    Guy Goodwin, Director of Population Health & Regional Analysis ONS

    Paper (Word 100 KB)
    Biography (Word 68 KB)
  • A Devolved Administration View
    Duncan Macniven, Registrar General Scotland

    Paper and Biography (Word 88 KB)
  • Publications Hub
    Jon Simmons, Divisional Director for I-dissemination ONS

    Paper (Word 77 KB)
 
15:30 - 16:00 Tea
 
Session 3: Continued
Chair, Jenny Church, Chair Statistics Users Forum


  • Supporting Society's Decision Making
    David Rhind, Director UK Statistics Authority
  • Open Forum

17:00 Reception