Abstract

This session, led by Ed Humpherson of the UK's Office for Statistics Regulation, will introduce attendees to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) playbook for trust in statistics.

Trust is both a recurring aspiration for producers of official statistics and a continuing source of anxiety in our information-rich world, with its heightened risk of misinformation.
Many NSOs have strategies that seek to enhance or maintain trust. The risk is that these activities, however well-intentioned, do not have a positive impact because they misunderstand the drivers of trust and the actions that can support it. The UNECE play book for trust in statistics addresses this risk. It sets out a clear conceptual framework for producers of official statistics, and outlines practical steps that they can take to address concerns about trust.

The UNECE Playbook combines conceptual clarity - what do we mean by trust - with practical examples, drawn from studies from around the world, including Ireland, New Zealand, France and Canada. The playbook therefore combines rigorous conceptual clarity with battle-tested practical recommendations. And its central point - that technical competence is no longer enough to secure trust - is essential for anyone interested in the future of official statistics.

This session will introduce attendees to the playbook; feature insights from case studies across the world; and invite comments and debate on how to both refine and implement the playbook.