Conference on quality emphasized the role of official statistics as a pillar of democracy
On June 4–7, Dr Jūratė Petrauskienė, Director General of the State Data Agency (Statistics Lithuania), together with other delegation members from the Agency, visited the European Conference on Quality in Official Statistics (Q2024), held in Estoril, Portugal.
This conference gathered statisticians, academics, and external stakeholders to discuss issues related to improving quality in official statistics. By bringing diverse stakeholders together, Q2024 aimed to enhance and improve cooperation between official statistics and the scientific community, and to promote closer dialogue between users and producers.
During the event, the main focus was on discussing official statistics. It was emphasized that official statistics are one of the key conditions for a democratic system, essential for state governance (public administration) and societal needs. The conference topics aimed to cover the diversity of challenges faced by the statistical community while also addressing the most relevant dimensions within the field of quality.
The Agency’s Director General moderated the debate “Quality Assessment and Review”, which was attended by the colleagues from the United Kingdom, Norway, Croatia, Abu Dhabi, and representatives from Eurostat. Dr Jūratė Petrauskienė, along with statistical experts from other countries, also discussed the topic of communication on official statistics in the current data ecosystem.
“Communication on official statistics in the modern world poses complex challenges: from maintaining public trust to determination to combat the threats arising from actively spread misinformation. The State Data Agency ensures the reliability of statistics by applying strict standards, using transparent methodologies and clear metadata”, stated Dr Jūratė Petrauskienė.
According to her, various meetings with stakeholders are regularly organized with a view to communicating the ways of data collection, processing and validation. For example, the latest relevant data is presented live to media representatives.
Another way to expand public understanding and increase trust in official statistics is through facilitating and development of statistical literacy. Young people are the main target group of the activities planned in the framework of the State Data Agency. Educational sessions and trainings are organized for schools and universities, presenting the benefits of official statistics and the significance of participating in statistical surveys. Furthermore, training and seminars are conducted for public sector representatives, researchers, and scientists.
All National Statistical Institutes (NSIs) should clearly communicate on data collection and analysis methodologies, publish metadata and quality reports. It is essential to ensure that users of statistics understand the processes and standards that guarantee data quality.
