Producing statistics has always been a complex process, involving a sequence of steps, from the inception of the information need to the release of statistical outputs and their evaluation. Indeed, this complexity is increasing as producers of statistics utilise diverse sources of data, from surveys and administrative data, to non-traditional sources. Meanwhile, there are ever- greater demands for timely, accurate and granular outputs that can easily be accessed and utilized by human and machine users.
Modern production systems require standardization of the processes, information and architectures that are involved in producing statistics, so that those processes can be automated, and information (including data) can be seamlessly passed between organizations or between different IT systems, where software developed by one organization can be used in another to reduce costs, share knowledge, and boost efficiency.
The Supporting Standards Group maintains a set of standards and models for processes, information, architectures and other activities needed to produce statistics, and supports collaboration activities for their implementation, to provide a foundation for modern production.
The group is chaired by Canada. More information on its recent outputs can be found as below: