How to fund official statistics production to support statistical principles and ethics

Abstract

The amount together with the modalities of provision of funds and other resources to statistical offices create opportunities for pressure on statistical principles and ethics via various means of interference in official statistics and via the development of self-censorship. A shorter time distance between the provision of funds and statistical production leads to more risks for ethics. So does a shorter distance in terms of political involvement in the use of funds in statistical production. We make a proposal for a multiannual statistics office budget to be adopted by the legislature, with its implementation lagged by more years than in an electoral cycle, and for setting up a trust fund fed by predetermined transfers from the government and by a prespecified share of a tax. An annual lump sum allocation would be made from the trust fund to the statistics office by a law-provided committee of representatives of users reflecting official statistics’ global public good nature. Full financial autonomy would be given to the statistics office to use the resources provided. A set of additional specific conditions are discussed that ought to be provided for in national law to supplement and support the implementation of this proposal, including for safeguarding good financial management, efficiency and accountability in the use of resources.