2.1 The FPOS in a Changing World#
2.1.1 Open Data, Data Protection and Privacy Laws, and Data Stewardship#
The Fundamental Principles have critical linkages with open data principles, data protection and privacy laws, and data stewardship that producers of official statistics must consider carefully. These connections reflect the evolving landscape of data management and use in the digital age.
Open Data Principles
The Fundamental Principles align with open data principles in several key areas:
Accessibility: Principle 1 emphasizes that official statistics should be “made available on an impartial basis” to honor citizens’ right to public information. This aligns with the core open data principle of making data freely available to all.
Transparency: Principle 3 requires presenting information on sources, methods, and limitations, which supports the open data goal of transparency.
Usability: The Principles emphasize the importance of practical utility and accurate interpretation of data, which aligns with the open data principles of providing data in usable, machine-readable, and interoperable formats.
However, producers of official statistics must balance openness with other principles, such as statistical confidentiality (Principle 6). This requires careful consideration of data anonymization techniques and access controls.
Data Protection and Privacy Laws
The Principles must be implemented in harmony with data protection and privacy regulations:
Confidentiality: Principle 6 states that individual data must be kept confidential and used exclusively for statistical purposes. This aligns closely with the core tenets of data protection and privacy laws, which safeguard personal information.
Legal framework: Principle 7 emphasizes the need for public laws and regulations for data collection, processing, and dissemination. This connects to the legal basis required for data protection.
Ethical use: The FPOS promotes the ethical use of data, which complements the principles of purpose limitation and data minimization found in many privacy laws.
Official statistics producers must ensure their practices comply with the FPOS and relevant data protection laws. This may require implementing strong data governance frameworks and privacy-enhancing technologies.
Data Stewardship
The concept of data stewardship is closely intertwined with the Principles:
Trust and Competency: Data stewardship emphasizes the fiduciary responsibility towards data, which aligns with FPOS’s focus on maintaining public confidence in official statistics.
Governance: FPOS and data stewardship stress the importance of clear policies and procedures for managing and using data.
Stakeholder Engagement: Data stewardship models often involve collaboration with various stakeholders, which can enhance the relevance and quality of official statistics as promoted by the FPOS.
Balancing Interests: Both data stewardship and the Principles require striking a balance between the need for data access and the protection of privacy, as well as ethical considerations.
Continuous Improvement: The maturity model approach to FPOS adherence aligns with the focus on continuously enhancing data management practices, particularly in data stewardship.
Official statistics producers should consider adopting comprehensive data stewardship practices encompassing the entire data lifecycle, from acquisition to dissemination, while adhering to the FPOS.
Considerations for Official Statistics Producers
To successfully navigate these connections, producers of official statistics should:
Create comprehensive data governance frameworks incorporating FPOS, open data principles, and data protection requirements.
Establish strong data stewardship practices that ensure the ethical and secure management of statistical data throughout its lifecycle.
Engage in inclusive and participatory data stewardship to balance power dynamics and ensure accountability to data subjects and affected populations.
Regularly evaluate adherence to FPOS utilizing maturity models and continuous improvement methodologies.
Stay informed about evolving legal and ethical standards in data management and adjust your practices accordingly.
Foster collaboration among statistical offices, data protection authorities, and open data advocates to ensure coherent and complementary approaches.
By carefully considering these linkages, producers of official statistics can uphold the FPOS while embracing open data principles, respecting privacy laws, and implementing effective data stewardship practices. This holistic approach will help maintain public trust, ensure legal adherence, and maximize the value of official statistics in an increasingly data-driven world.
2.1.2 Data sources: no longer just surveys and administrative records#
Applying the FPOS to use nontraditional and nonconventional data sources to produce official statistics presents challenges and opportunities. As the data collection and analysis landscape evolves, NSOs must adapt while maintaining the core values of official statistics.
Input Data Sources for Official Statistics
For this discussion, the input data sources for official statistics are:
Surveys and censuses
Administrative data
Geospatial data
Big Data
Some illustrative examples of non-traditional and non-conventional data include the last three sources, such as:
Administrative data generated or collected from the administration of a program (be it governmental or not), e.g., electronic medical records, hospital visits, insurance records, bank records, and food banks
Commercial or transactional sources generated or collected from the transaction between two entities, e.g., credit card transactions and online transactions, including those with mobile devices
From sensors, e.g., satellite imaging and road and weather sensors;
From tracking devices, e.g., tracking data from mobile telephones and GPS;
Citizen data.
Evolving Role of NSOs
In the era of rapidly accessible information, NSOs need to transform from mere providers of high-quality statistics to:
Storytellers
Data stewards
Data integrators
Quality assessors
Providers of standards and secure data architecture
This evolution is crucial in combating misinformation and maintaining public trust.
Challenges in Applying FPOS to Non-Traditional and Non-conventional Data Sources
New Demands and the Data Revolution
Globalization and digitization require the exploration of new areas and data sources.
Changing social attitudes towards data sharing, privacy, and confidentiality
Need for regulating access to private sector data for statistical purposes
Specific Challenges
Professional Independence: Ensuring autonomy when working with external data handlers
Access to Sources: Negotiating with private companies for data access
Mandate for Data Collection: Establishing the legal basis for acquiring privately held data
Adequacy of Resources: Developing capabilities to handle new data types
Impartiality and Objectivity: Maintaining neutrality when integrating diverse data sources
Clarity of Methods: Transparently communicating new methodologies
Opportunities and Adaptations
Complementarity with Traditional Sources: Non-traditional and non-conventional data sources complement surveys and administrative registers, enhancing the breadth and depth of official statistics.
Partnerships and Innovation: NSOs should build partnerships with non-official data producers and owners while preserving core values embedded in the Principles
Quality
Standards
Professional independence
Reinterpretation of FPOS: The proliferation of new data sources allows for testing and reinterpreting the FPOS, confirming their universal character and relevance in the digital age.
While using non-traditional data sources presents challenges in applying the Fundamental Principles, it also offers opportunities for innovation and enhancement in official statistics. NSOs must strike a balance between adaptation and the essential principles that ensure the reliability and credibility of official statistics. Table 2.1 maps the applicability of the Principles to various non-traditional data sources.
Table 2.1. Mapping of the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics against non-conventional data sources
New data sources |
Principle 1 |
Principle 2 |
Principle 3 |
Principle 4 |
Principle 5 |
Principle 6 |
Principle 7 |
Principle 9 |
Principle 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DATA from |
Impartiality principle. Official statistics meet the test of practical utility and are compiled and made available on an impartial basis to honour citizens’ entitlement to public information. |
Official statistics are decided according to strict professional considerations, including scientific principles and professional ethics. |
The correct interpretation and presentation of data follow scientific standards and transparent methods. |
Statistical agencies are entitled to comment on erroneous interpretation and misuse of statistics. |
Data may be drawn from all types of sources. Quality, timeliness, costs and burden on respondents are considered. |
Individual data collected for statistical compilation are strictly confidential and used exclusively for statistical purposes. |
Laws, regulations and measures under which statistical systems operate are made public. |
Use of international concepts, classifications and methods promotes consistency and efficiency at all levels. |
Bilateral and multilateral cooperation contributes to improvement of official statistics systems in all countries. |
Mobile phones |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
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Smart electricity consumption meters |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
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Satellite imagery |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
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Social media |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
|
Web scraping activities |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
||||||
Road traffic sensors |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
||||||
Scanner and cash registers |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
||
CCTV (security/surveillance videos) |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Source: Supplementing the United Nations Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics: Mapping and Guidance for the United Nations Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics against non-conventional and nontraditional data sources (🔗)