Production processes of official statistics and analytics processes augmented by trusted smart statistics: Friends or foes?

Abstract

National statistical institutes are using frameworks to organise and set up their official statistical production, e.g. GSBPM. As a sequential approach of statistical production, GSBPM has become a well-established standard using deductive reasoning as analytics’ paradigm. For example, the first GSBPM steps are entirely focused on deductive reasoning based on primary data collection and are not suited for inductive reasoning applied to (already existing) secondary data (e.g. big data resulting, for example, from smart ecosystems). Taken into account the apparent potential of big data in the official statistical production, the GSBPM process needs to adapted to incorporate both complementary approaches of analytics (i.e. inductive and deductive reasoning) and, for example, through the usage of, for example, data-informed continuous evaluation at any GSBPM step. This paper discusses the limitations of GSBPM with respect to the usage of big data (using inductive reasoning as analytics’ paradigm), and also with respect to trusted smart statistics. The authors give insights on how to augment and empower current statistical production processes by analytics, and also by (trusted) smart statistics. In addition, the paper also highlights challenges and opportunities that should be addressed to embrace this major paradigm shift.