Chapter 4 - The National Statistical System

   

 

The National Statistical System (NSS) consists of the national statistical office and all other producers of official statistics in a country. This Chapter examines organizational and institutional issues for NSSs, derived from the principles and the definition of official statistics and how these principles are translated into institutional safeguards for the various actors in official statistics and, in particular, respondents, data providers, producers and users. The Chapter presents and discusses the pros and cons of centralized versus decentralized statistical systems and the prerogative of the national chief statistician, taking into account specific national contexts such as the political structure, the history and the size of the country.