Developing a modern statistical system - a review of Scotland's Census 2022

Recommendations

This report makes four recommendations to the Chief Statistician. Recommendations 1 to 3 can be viewed as steps required to implement Recommendation 4.

Recommendation 1: The Chief Statistician should consider activities including a task and finish group to define and identify the ‘Cross-cutting Statistical Components’ of the Scottish Statistical system and other projects.

Recommendation 2: The Chief Statistician should consider opportunities to enable planning and training for the wider statistical profession to be linked to the broader skills needed for delivery of Cross-cutting Statistical Components by different organisations across the Scottish statistical system.

Recommendation 3: The Chief Statistician should ensure that outcomes and impacts on the statistical system of Cross-cutting Statistical Components are clearly understood and agreed with producers of official statistics in Scotland, and that these programmes have strong risk mitigations available to ensure successful delivery.

Recommendation 4: The Chief Statistician should consider what mechanisms are required to provide oversight and assurance of Cross-cutting Statistical Components in a holistic way and escalation of key decisions that could impact an integrated statistical system.