Modernization of Official Statistics, Its Concepts and Main Components

The great progress of technology and science make societies more complicated. In this regard, budget constraints as well as the growing statistical needs of users for high quality and timely statistics, have faced national statistical offices (NSOs) with many new challenges in recent years. In other hand, emergence of multiple data sources has increased the demand of these factors, together forced NSOs to review and redesign the systems and processes of producing and dissemination of official statistics. According to this, a new concept has been raised in the literature which is called the modernization of statistical systems. Given the importance of the issue and for greater coordination at the global level, United Nations Statistics Division asked the UN Economic Commission for Europe to study and act systematically in this field. For this purpose, UNECE in 2010 set up a special committee which is called the High-Level Group for the Modernization of Official Statistics. Numerous conferences and seminars with the participation of scientists, statisticians and experts in official statistics in different parts of the world have been held by international organizations and institutes of official statistics. The United Nations Statistics Commission, as the highest international body, in its 46th, 47th and 48th sessions in 2015, 2016 and 2017, has placed the issue of modernization of statistical systems on its agenda. In this article, while introducing the modernization of statistical systems, the literature on the subject and the studies conducted in this field are reviewed. Then, the dimensions and aspects of this concept will be discussed in detail, focusing on the role and position of the National Statistics Organization in the modern statistical system (NSS). Finally, considering the role of the statistical system in the countrychr('39')s decision-making system and good governance, looking at the third national plan for the development of the countrychr('39')s statistical system, the characteristics, structure and requirements of the NSO and NSS will be mentioned.