15.10 Other current IT issues

The continuously evolving IT environment means that an NSO has to be permanently alert to the constant flow of new products becoming available from technology companies and from the international statistics community.

In the quest to modernise statistical systems in order to provide even more high-quality data more rapidly to meet increasing demands, an NSO needs to be aware of new developments and to learn from the experience of others within the community. For this to happen, an NSO will need to engage with the numerous collaborative bodies such as HLG-MOS and the SDMX community coordinated by regional institutions and international standards communities.

Of course, a balance needs to be struck between maintaining stable and reliable systems and the continual implementation of changes in order to keep up with the latest technology. Assessments of needs and risks must be built into the strategy and planning of an NSO as an ongoing process.