HUNGARIAN CENTRAL STATISTICAL OFFICE

Strategy 2020

Budapest, 2014

ContentsIntroduction by the president ...............................................................................................3

I. Environment of strategic planning ...................................................................................5 Our values ..............................................................................................................................6 Our vision for 2020 ...................................................................................................................7 Implementationofcontentofthestrategicdocument ..........................................................7

II. Measures in the strategic period .....................................................................................9 Strategic objective 1: Satisfyinguserneedsathighlevel,developmentofservices ..........10 Currentpractice .............................................................................................................10 Mostimportantdirectionsofdevelopmentassociatedwiththemainobjective inthestrategicperiod .................................................................................................11

Strategic objective 2: Ensuringbalancebetweendataprotectionanddataaccess ............13 Currentpractice .............................................................................................................13 Mostimportantdirectionsofdevelopmentassociatedwiththemainobjective inthestrategicperiod .................................................................................................13

Strategic objective 3: Improvingthequalityofdata,analysesandservices .......................15 Currentpractice .............................................................................................................15 Mostimportantdirectionsofdevelopmentassociatedwiththemainobjective inthestrategicperiod .................................................................................................15

Strategic objective 4:Improvingtheefficiencyofoperation ...............................................17 Currentpractice .............................................................................................................17 Mostimportantdirectionsofdevelopmentassociatedwiththemainobjective inthestrategicperiod .................................................................................................18

Strategic objective 5: Strengtheningandrecognitionofouremployeess’competence andcommitment .........................................................................................................20 Currentpractice .............................................................................................................20 Mostimportantdirectionsofdevelopmentassociatedwiththemainobjective inthestrategicperiod .................................................................................................20

Strategic objective 6: Developmentofrelationswithdataproviders .................................22 Currentpractice .............................................................................................................22 Mostimportantdirectionsofdevelopmentassociatedwiththemainobjective inthestrategicperiod .................................................................................................23

Strategic objective 7: Strengtheninginstitutionalrelations ................................................24 Currentpractice .............................................................................................................24 Mostimportantdirectionsofdevelopmentassociatedwiththemainobjective inthestrategicperiod .................................................................................................25

III. Appendix 1. Strategicmapofobjectives ............................................................................................28 2. SectoraldocumentsofstrategicvalueofHCSO .............................................................29

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Introduction by the president

TheHungarianCentralStatisticalOffice(HCSO),havingapastofnearly150 years, has been facing new challenges – similarly to the otherEuropeanstatisticaloffices–inadynamicallychangingsocio-economicenvironment. Onthe“demandside”of thedatarevolutionobservednowadays

the informationneedsof society,politicalandeconomicactors soar.Globalisationandtheresultingrestructuringofsocialrelationsrequirethe elaboration of new methods of measurement, the explorationofnewrelationsand theclearandcredible interpretationof results.Besides,userswishtoaccessdatamoreandmorequicklyandinthemost variedpossible forms.Needs arenot only on the increasebuttheircharacterischanging,too.Thereisagrowinginterestinstatisticsdescribingphenomenainacomplexmanner.On the “supply side” of data revolution an unbelievable volume

dumping of available data, big data can be seen. In the courseof strategic planning we cannot leave out of consideration thefact thatHCSO–asanofficial sourceof information, in spiteof itsacceptedcentralposition–isnottheonlyactorontheinformationmarket. Nowadays a larger-than-ever volume of easily accessibledata originating frommany different sources is available for users,however, thesedataareoftenofdoubtfulqualitynotallowing–orallowingonlywith limitations–comparisonsovertimeor inspace.Theactivitiesofenterprisesandinstitutessupplyingnearlyreal-timeinformationurgeus foracompetitionneverexperiencedbefore,atthe sametime theyalso imply the risk that in the future themainparameterofqualitywillbethetimelinessofinformation,whilenotonly quickly available but also credible data are needed, meetinginternationalprofessionalandqualitystandardsanyway.At last, an important aspect of strategic planning is the limited

availabilityofresources:tomaketheprocessofdataproductionmoreefficientandatthesametimetoreducetheburdenonenterprisesandcitizensinsupplyingdataareseriouschallengesatbothnationalandcommunitylevel.Inaddition,adaptationtothechangedcircumstancesrequiresnewdevelopmentswhichnecessitate–atleastintheperiodofdevelopment–theinclusionofseriousadditionalresources.In the lightofall these theHungarianCentralStatisticalOfficehas

an increased responsibility in satisfying user needs more flexiblythan earlier on, by quickly available, accurate, easily accessible andscientifically grounded data, relying on internationally adoptedstandards,servingthisway,too,evidence-baseddecision-makingatallthelevelsofsocial,economicandpoliticallife.The goal of HCSO’smedium-term strategy is to give a systemised

answertocomplexchallenges.

Dr. Gabriella Vukovichpresident

I. EnvIronmEnt of stratEgIc plannIng

our values

our vision for 2020

Implementation of content of the strategic document

I.

6

Environment of strategic planning

Theofficeisaprofessionallyindependentgovernmentofficehavinganautonomousfinancialmanagementandmaking up an individual chapter in the central government budget, it is the centre of the statisticalservice.With itsunbrokenstability,professional independenceandactivitiesofscientific standardsince itwasestablished,ithasachievedanhonouredandrespectedposition.Theoperationoftheofficeisinlinewiththenationallegalenvironment.Inourstrategicplanningwetookinto

account the guidelines on content, as laid down inGovernmentDecreeNo. 38/2012 (12March) on StrategicControlinGovernment,andtheobjectivessetandtheresultsachievedintheareaofthedevelopmentofpublicadministrationandstrategiccontrol.HCSO’sprofessionalworkisinharmonywiththecommonEuropeannormsandstandardsaswellastheinternationalethicalrulesonstatistics.Abasicrequirementonitsoperationisthatstatisticalinformationshouldbecredible,objective,scientificallyandmethodologicallysoundandshouldallowforcomparisonsovertimeandinspaceaswellasensureequalaccess.

Our valuesInthepastperiodmanyinformalforaandmanagerialdiscussionswereengagedinplansaimingatimprovingtheoperationoftheinstitution,allowingfortheopenexchangeofviews.OnecanstateasauniformresultoftheforathatthebasicvaluessharedbyHCSOmanagementandstaffarethefollowing:• Theprofessionalindependenceandimpartialoperationoftheinstitutionandtheobjectivityofitsdataand

analysesareavaluetobepreservedandprotected.• Commitmenttoqualityisadecisiveelementofourworkandourvision.• Weaimatawide-rangingcooperationwithusersandmeetingtheirneedsandexpectations.• Thepastoftheinstitutionishonourable,usersareawareofourtraditionsandthefactthatourprofessional

traditionscontributetothetrustworthinessofHCSO.• Weguaranteetheprotectionofconfidentialindividualdata.• Thestaffiswelltrainedanddedicatedinprofessionalterms.• Specialknowledgeandhumancapitalareourhighlightedvalue,whichisenhancedbyourextensiveinternal

trainingsystem.

InadditiontomaintainingaccumulatedvaluesHCSOwishestomeettheexpectationsofchangingtimes,too.Nowadaystheusersofstatisticalproductsalreadywanttoaccessasmuchcomparable,accurateandspatiallydetailedinformationaspossibleinasshorttimeaspossible.Besidesofficialstatisticsmanyunofficialstatistics,studiesandestimatesareproduced.Therefore,itisavitalinterestofHCSO,astheleadinginstitutionandco-ordinatoroftheofficialstatisticalservice,tosharplydistinguishitsproductsfromotherinformation,whichcannotbeconsideredofficial.Theonlyacceptablecriterionofdifferencecanbethebestqualityofdataandanalysesandtheapplicationoftransparentmethods.Therefore,itistheimprovementofdataqualitythatisprimarilyinthefocusofprofessionalchallenges,butthedecreaseoftheburdenonrespondents(thespreadofelectronicdatacollection,theapplicationofdatacollectiontechniquesusingon-lineandmobiletoolsininterview-basedsurveys,theuseofadministrativeregistersforstatisticalpurposes),themodernisationofdisseminationmethodsandtools,presenceonsocialmediasurfaces,the improvementofoperationalefficiencyandamoremarkedco-ordinationoftheofficialstatisticalserviceareimportanttasksaswell.ThroughstrengtheningcoordinationwewouldliketoimplementgoalsandmeasuresdefinedasananswertoprofessionalchallengesnotonlyforstatisticsproducedbyHCSO,butwealsosupportotherorganizationsproducingHungarianofficialstatisticsintheimprovement.Thegoalssetforandthemeasuresanddevelopmentstoberealisedinthenextperiodarebuiltontheresults

oftheprecedingyears,Vision2020oftheEuropeanStatisticalSystemandthedevelopmentprojects inthe

MissionOur mission is to assist informed decision making, research and dialogue between all actors of the society by producing and disseminating credible and trusted high-quality official statistics and analyses.

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Environment of strategic planning

frameoftheUnitedNations(UN).WeincorporateintoourdailypracticetheUNGeneralAssembly’sDecisionontheFundamentalPrinciplesofOfficialStatisticsandtherecommendationsoftheEuropeanStatisticsCodeof Practice, aswell as the intentionsof adomesticPublicAdministrationandPublic ServicesDevelopmentStrategy.TheoperationofHCSO canbe considered effective if it provides theusers of official statistics,within the

time and in the form required, the information they require, includingmethodological information helpingunderstandingifnecessary.Weintendtounderstandusers’needs,tobeabletoreacttothemquicklyandalsotobeabletoprovideinformationproactivelyinresponsetointerestsexpectedinthenearfuture.Meanwhile,weperformourdutiesobjectively,freefrompoliticalinfluenceandbyusingtransparentandreproduciblemethods.Makingaruleofefficiencyfactors,too,wehavetooptimisetheproductioncostsofourstatisticalproductsandpublicservices.Therefore,weallocateourlimitedresourcesaccordingtoconsciouslydeterminedpriorities,andworkwithincreasinglyautomatizedandstandardiseddatacollectionandprocessingmethods.Weenableourstafftoperformvariabletasks,thuscreatingtheflexibilityoftheorganisationofwork,andspendthereleasedresources on further renewal and innovation. In addition, an essential component of the efficiency of anorganisationinthepublicadministrationisthesimplificationofproceduresandthedecreaseofadministrativeburdens.Alltheseaspectsofefficiencyaredirectlyorindirectlyincludedinmanyofourstrategicobjectives.Wedrewupthetargetstate(vision)oftheofficefor2020thinkingovertheabovekeyissues:

Onthebasisofthisvisionwedeterminedthemajordirectionsofdevelopmentforwhichitdrewupgoalsandplansforthestrategicperiod.TheseareincludedinasystematicwayandindetailinChapterIIofStrategy2020.

Implementation of content of the strategic document

“HCSOStrategy2020”representsthehighestlevelinthehierarchyoftheplanningdocumentsoftheinstitution.Itsfundamentalroleisthatthedirectionsandgeneralgoalssetinthatensureaframeworkandabasis,outlineafutureandmediateclearvaluestowardsthecommunityintheofficeandtheworld.Wedefinedourmainobjectiveswith

Our vision for 2020Our vision is an institution that • respects the values accumulated over our 150 years history while adapting to the rapid changes

of the 21st century and utilising the opportunities offered by methodological, technical and tecnological development;

• is relentlessly committed to quality,• maintains its trustworthiness within and outside Hungary,• uses its resources effectively and with a view to sustainability,• values its committed staff,• is a partner to respondents and users,• spreads statistical literacy.

SettingofdirectionsMaingoals

Moredetailedevaluation,assessmentofconditions

Elaborationoftools,prioritiesandtimeschedule

Detailedplansforshort-termmeasuresProvisionofbudgetfordevelopments

Regulationofdailyoperation

Documents

Strategy 2020

Annual work programmes

Procedures, internal regulations

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Environment of strategic planning

areflectiontothestartingpositionofmattersin2014.Thisstatusissummarizedateachstrategicobjectiveunderthechapter“Actualities”.

Forthenewstrategicperioduntil2020HCSOmanagementdeterminedthecomprehensivehorizontalareas,especially important fromthepointof viewof theoperationof theoffice, forwhichdetaileddocumentsofstrategicvaluewereprepared,too(Seeappendix).ThesedocumentsareconcernedwithmorespecificstepsandtasksofhorizontaldirectionsofdevelopmentandareplacedatleveltwointhehierarchyofHCSO’sstrategicdocuments. Theyoutline in detail an evaluationof each area, the fundamental objectives, the values to bemaintainedandtheareastobestrengthened,andalsotheconditions,toolsandtimescheduleofimplementation.TomaintainourcredibilityandfastidiousnessforqualityitistheresponsibilityofallHCSOstafftofulfilwhatislaiddownintheadoptedandpublisheddocumentsofstrategicvalue.

Atthethird–operative–levelthedevelopmentgoalsofHCSOStrategy2020andofstrategicdocumentsatleveltwoareintegralpartsoftheannualworkprogrammesofHCSO,withthehumanandfinancialresourcesneededforimplementationassignedtothem,too.Regulationsandinternalrulesondailyoperationservebothstrategicandshort-termobjectives.Thatishowthesystemofharmonisedplanningandoperationsupportingdocuments of the institution becomes complete. The implementation of the formulatedmeasures and themaintenanceoftheresultsofthemeasurescanbeundertakenonlyifadequatefinancialresourcesareavailable,thereforethemanagementprioritisestasksalsoadjustedtofinancialpossibilities.Fundsforoperationaltypetasksareguaranteedbythecurrentannualbudgetoftheoffice,inaddition,HCSOiscommittedtoseekfurtherresourcesforitshighlighteddevelopmentprojects,andtoutiliseitsEUandothertenderactivitiesinordertoimplement developments started in linewith strategic objectives. The office takes part in international andnationalcooperationthathelpstheimplementationofstrategicobjectives.

Toimplementdevelopmentsnotalignedwiththetraditionalorganisationalhierarchyweestablishaprojectorganisation,andappointaprojectmanagerfortheircontrol.Sostrategicobjectivesarealsoconvertedintothedirectindividualgoalsofpeopleworkingontheirimplementationintheirwork.ThePresidentialMeetingsandtheManagerialBoardofHCSOkeepprogressunderreviewbyperiodicallyaskingresponsiblepersonstoreport.Wemake a comprehensivemid-term assessment of the achievements during the first half of the strategicperiod,andadjustorfine-tunedirectionsfortheimplementationofgoalsifnecessary.

Intheaboveorderweaimtoachievethefollowingmaingoals:

HCSO’s strategic objectives until 2020

1 Satisfying user needs at high level, development of services

2 Ensuring balance between data protection and data access

3 Improving the quality of data, analyses and services

4 Improving the efficiency of operation

5 Strengthening and recognition of our employees’ competence and commitment

6 Development of relations with data providers

7 Strengthening institutional relations

I. MEASURES IN THE STRATEGIC pERIOd

1. Satisfying user needs at high level, development of services2. Ensuring balance between data protection and data access3. Improving the quality of data, analyses and services4. Improving the efficiency of operation5. Strengthening and recognition of our employees’ competence and commitment 6. Development of relations with data providers 7. Strengthening institutional relations

II.

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Statistical activities aim at providing as many data and as much information of as good quality as possible to as many users as possible, through the channel and in the format which are the most suitable for them, ensuring the confidentiality of individual data. Our objective is to contribute to fulfilling user needs, and to improve statistical literacy through wide-spread use.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE:SATISfyInG uSER nEEdS AT hIGh lEVEl, dEVElOpmEnT Of SERVICES

1.

Current practice

Usersenter intoconnectionwiththeofficeprimarilythroughthedisseminationactivityoftheHCSO,andonthisbasistheycanformapictureonthequalityofdataandotherproductsandontheextenttowhichthosearesuitableforreachingtheirownpurposes.

InaccordancewithourDisseminationpolicypublishedin2014weaimtogetknowtheneedsofourrealandpotentialusers,tomeasurethesatisfactionwithourdataandservicesandtoformourdisseminationpracticecontinuouslyinlinewiththese.Inproductionofstatisticswetakeintoaccountthatusers’interestistohaveaccesstodataofasgoodqualityaspossible,assoonaspossible,withappropriateexplanatorydescriptions.Weaimtomakedataavailableinasshorttimeaspossiblefollowingdatacollection,inaformmeetinguserneeds.

In data publications we cooperate with international organisations so that the data wepublishedshouldbeavailableininternationaldatabasestoo,andthe(accessible)dataalreadysenttointernationalorganisationsarepublishedalsobyHCSO.Inordertomaintaindataqualityweaimatkeepingbalancebetweenthepurposesoftimelinessandaccuracy,oftencontradictingeachother.Ifpossible,wereleasepreliminarydata–drawingattentiontothepreliminarycharacter–,too,beforefinaldataareavailable.

Statisticsareproducedanddisseminatedonanobjectivebasis,determinedbytheprinciplesofofficialstatisticsandprofessionalaspects.Alluserscanaccessstatisticalinformationsimultaneously,prereleaseaccessisexceptional,itsrulesarepublicandtheirviolation–byeitherusersoutsideofHCSOorHCSOstaffmembers–haslegalconsequences.

Wereleasestatisticaldataondatespublishedinadvanceinourdisseminationcalendar,incidentaldeviationfromthecalendarisannouncedwiththereasonofdeviationassoonaspossibleandthenewdateofpublicationisdisclosed.Weaimtomakeourdatasuitableforcomparisonsovertime.Weclearly indicatewherecomparability is restricted.Wedisclosemetadataandconceptualandotherexplanationsfacilitatingtheinterpretationofstatistics.

Besidesdescribingandinterpretingdatawealsoaiminouranalysestopresentinter-connections,changesovertime,theinternationalcontextandthedifferenceswithinthecountry.Inadditiontoaggregatedatawemakeavailablemicro-data,too,inanincreasingnumberofsubjectmatterareas.Forthetimebeinggeo-codeddataareavailableforafewstatisticaldomainsonly.

Out of our dissemination channels the significance of electronic dissemination is everincreasing,accordingly,wetransformedourwebsite in2012afterknowinguseropinions inmanysteps,andhavecontinuedtherevisioneversince.Inourpublicationportfolioweaimtoincreasetheproportionofpublicationsandsub-pageseditedfortheweb.

Weaimtomakeclearandpopularisetheuseofourpublicationsusingdifferenttools.Inadditiontotextualinterpretationswedisplayourdatabydifferentvisualisationtoolsaswell,andthegroupofthesetoolsandthestatisticaldomainscoveredareevergrowing.Thesetools,too,playaroleindisplayingspatialdifferencieswithinthecountryandininternationaldimensions,amongothersviaourinteractivemaps.

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Satisfying user needs at high level, development of services

A largepartofourproduct range isbilingual (HungarianandEnglish).Specialpublicationsareissuedfromtimetotimeinotherlanguagesaswell.TheEnglish-languagecontentofourwebsitecoversthecontentoftheHungarianversiontoanincreasingextent.InprofessionalissuesweareatthedisposalofusersinEnglishlanguage,too.

Most important directions of development associated with the main objective in the strategic period

1.1. Measurement of user needs and satisfaction

Theknowledgeoftheeverexpandinggroupofourusersandtheirneedsisthebasisofouractivity.We have systematised direct and indirect information on the needs and satisfaction of users.Withthecombinedapplicationofdirectopinionpollmethodsweaimtoeasetheburdenonthetargetedgroupofrespondentsasmuchaspossible,andforthisweestablishquestionnairesalsocontainingcommonmodules.Besidesquantitativemethodsweapplyqualitativeones–e.g.focusgroups,interviews–aswell.Throughthecontinuousassessmentofwebstatisticsthepreparationof our dissemination activity becomesbetter founded, it canbetter approximate to theneedsofusers.Themeasurementofusersatisfactionisperformedasatargetedactivityinthecaseofdevelopments,feedbacktalksaremadethemaintoolofcontinuousmeasurement.Inadditiontoregularexchangesofinformationandexperienceswiththemostsignificantusergroupswepursuearelativelyintensivedialoguewiththewiderpublic,too,ontheoccasionofdifferentsocialandculturalevents.

1.2. Utilisation of user opinions in developing data production

User needs and dissemination aspects are integrated into the systemof data collection, dataprocessinganddatastoringthroughtherevisionsoftheannualNationalStatisticalDataCollectionProgramme,andthecompilationofthedisseminationprogramme.Wecreatetheinventoryofofficialstatisticaldata,whichservesformakingtherelationbetweenuserneedsandpossibilitiesmorevisible.

Weestablish a closer relation among statistical domains and thedifferent products than atpresent, taking more and more use of the possibilities offered by the internet. Instead ofpresentingindicatorsof isolatedstatisticaldomainsweaimtoformamorecomplexpictureinouranalyses.Besidestheconventional(sub-)areasofstatisticswealsoexamineanddisplaymorecomprehensivetopicseitherthroughindicatorsystemsorthroughcomplexanalyses.

Developmentofgeostatisticsandsmallareaestimationsservesthesatisfactionoftheincreasinguserneedsforregionaldata.

We also join to international projects aiming at developing statistical measurement ofglobalisationprocessesinordertopresentamoreaccuratepictureabouttheglobalizingeconomyandsociety.

1.3. Modern organisation and tools of dissemination

Weoptimiseourdisseminationportfoliobasedonchanginguserneeds,takingintoaccounttheaspectsofdemandandsupplyaswellasquality,withaspecialregardtorelevance,timelinessandclarity.Wealwaysmakeourdevelopmentswithbeingopenfortechnologicalnoveltiesandnewcommunicationtools,andwecontinuouslydevelopourwebsiteandourvisualisationtools.Weensureforourmajortargetgroupsanextendedgroupofservicesavailablethroughregistrationviadedicatedsub-pagesonthewebsite,anincreasingspectrumofmicro-datafilesandviageo-codeddatathatweapproximatetotailor-madeservicesatthelevelsofboththedifferentusergroupsandindividuals.

We apply standardised customer relations procedures and tools, improving this way as welltransparencyforusersandmakingourinternalprocessesmoreefficient.

Withourprofessionaldevelopmentprogrammeswe improvethequalityofourservices.Wearecommittedtocontinuethedevelopmentofourservicesofdataaccessprovidedforscientificpurposes.

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Satisfying user needs at high level, development of services

1.4. Dissemination and proactive communication

Oneofthesealsofcredibleoperationisefficientcommunication,whichcancreateacontinuousrelationwithvarioususergroupsandwelltreatsadhocproblems,too.Inourcommunicationweenforceobjectiveandprofessionalaspects,attheaidofwhichtheimageofHCSOasareliable,impartialandservice-providingorganisationandthebrandofofficialstatisticscanbemaintainedorimproved.Weensuretheharmonyofprofessionaldisseminationandcommunication,prepareanalysesinaproactivemanneronareasofkeyimportanceinparticularperiods.Westrengthenour presence in the socialmedia, using the new forms of communication offered there.Wemaintainacontinuousdialoguewithmajoropinionleadersanddecision-makers.

1.5. Clarity and statistical literacy

Ourproductsachievetheirobjectiveifthetargetedpubliccanadopttheircontent,canproperlyinterpret it and apply or reuse it as they intend to. Our users have different literacy on andknowledgeof statistics ingeneral andHCSOproductsandmethodswithin those. Therefore itis vital for themessage to go through to release our data and formulate textual informationalignedwiththeknowledgeoftargetgroups.Onthewhole,itisalsoapurposethatthestatisticalknowledge of our – real and potential – users should be extended, that they should achievebetterstatisticsalliteracy.Tothisendweholdcoursesforexternalusers,cooperatewithhighereducation institutionsandplaceeducationalmaterialson thewebsiteof theoffice.Wemakethemethodologicalinformationonourwebsitemorevisibleforouruserssearchingfordeeperprofessionalknowledge.

Besides communicating the product and service range in a narrower sense, communicationpracticeneedstoplayaroleinimprovingstatisticalliteracy,too.ErrorsandmisinterpretationsinconnectionwithstatisticsemerginginthemedianeedtoberespondedtoeveniftheseshedbadlightnotspecificallyonthepictureofHCSObutonthecultivationofstatisticsasaprofession.

Keywords: user satisfaction, feedback, interac-tive tools, proactive communication, spreadofstatisticalknowledge

The basic purpose of official statistics is to provide the widest possible access to data. Besides, our statutory obligation (and our practical interest) is the protection of the individual data of data providers. We constantly strive for the development and application of new technologies and methods which facilitate the secure access to statistical data without damaging the level of data protection.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE:Ensuring BalancE BETWEEn daTa proTEcTion and daTa accEss

2.

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Current practiceInlinewiththeinternationalpracticeandtheDataProtectionPolicyofHCSO,inrecentyears,wemodernisedourdataprotectionanddataaccessprocedures.Thefundamentalguidingprincipleofmodernisationisthatdataprotectionanddataaccessisanintegralpartoftheproductionprocessof statisticaldata.Akey factorofensuring theeffectivedataprotection is the incorporationofdataprotectionpracticesintheeverydaywork.Forthispurpose,theDataProtectionCommitteestarteditsoperationin2010andthesystemofdataprotectionsupervisorswascreatedinHCSO.Inordertominimiseprivacyrisks,thedataaccesschannelsofHCSOhasbeendelimitedand,fittedtothese,thebasisofprocessanddocumentmanagementofdatareleasehasbeencreated.Forthepurposeofthetransparentorganisationofdatarequestinganddatareleasingprocesses,auniforminternalDataReleaseRegisterhasbeenestablished,whichensures the traceabilityof thedatareleasing process and the appropriate dissemination, legal andmethodological documentationin caseofeachdata request. Thiswas connectedwithother ITdevelopmentswhich,withuserfriendlyinterfaces,facilitatethestandardisationofdataaccessprocessesandkeepingcontactwiththosewhoarerequestingdata.Thoserequestingdatamayaccessofficialstatisticaldatabothinaggregatedformandintheformofmicro-data,byensuringspecialdataprotectionsolutionsinthelattercase.In the field of data protection methods, we apply the international best practices and

recommendations.Inthefieldofaggregatedata,micro-dataandresearchresultstobeachievedin a safe environment adopted by HCSO, we participate in elaborating uniform internationalmethodologicalrecommendationsinordertoimproveourdataprotectionpractices.ThesecurityofourITsystemsisstrengthenedbyapplyingavarietyofITsecuritysolutions.Inthefieldofdataprotection,HCSOisanactiveparticipantinseveralinternationalprojects

which support our technological and methodological developments. We are constantlyimprovingourdomesticnetworkforremoteaccessandprepareforconnectingtotheEuropeannetworkforremoteaccess.

Most important directions of development associated with the main objective in the strategic period

2.1. Application of modern methodological data protection solutionsThewelldocumentedsystemandthetransparentstructureofmethodologicalsolutionsfittingtotheprocessesofHCSOandcoveringbothmicro-dataandaggregatedataisessentialfortheproperfunctioningofeffectiveandmodernmethodologicaldataprotection.Inaccordancewiththechanginguserneedsandinlinewiththestrengtheningimportanceofdataaccessinasecureenvironment,ourkeyobjectiveisthecontinuousdevelopmentofthecontrolsystemofresearchresults achieved in suchanenvironment in respectofdataprotectionand theautomationoftheappliedmethodologicalsolutions.Inaccordancewiththeseobjectives,wedevelopguiding methodologicalrecommendationsandcontinuouslyimproveourpractice.

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Ensuring balance between data protection and data access

2.2. Development of an integrated, service-oriented system of data access

Inordertocreateabalancebetweentheinterestsofdataprovidersandtheuserneeds,wemustendeavourthatthelegal,methodological,ITandphysicaldataprotectionsolutionsshouldbeanintegratedpartoftheentireproductionprocessofofficialstatistics.Intheframeworkofthis,weimplementthecontroloftheentireprocessofdatareleasessupportedbyITtoolsandprovideasingle-channeldatarequestsystemforusersfromthesubmissionoftherequesttotheaccesstothedata.Forthis,wedeveloporganisational,methodologicalandITsolutions,which,alongwithuniformpractices,allowtotakeintoaccountthedifferentcharacteristicsofeachusergroupinthecourseofdatareleases,thusensuringtheoperationofdataaccesschannelsfunctioningaccordingtotheprincipleofoptimalriskmanagementanddifferentiatedbydataprovidersandusersandtheirdemands,aswellasthequickandeffectivedataaccessthroughthesechannels.

2.3. Use of modern IT security solutions meeting national and international requirements

ThemaintenanceandcontinuousimprovementofamodernITsecurityenvironmentcorrespondingtotheprevailingexpectationsisessentialfortheprotectionofdatamanagedforofficialstatisticalpurposes.Forthis,weensuretheITandphysicaldataprotectionsystematically,coveringallprocessesand systemsbyusingmodern IT security tools. In addition tousingup-to-date technologies andtools,weensureourITsecuritywithregularsecurityauditsanddevelopmentprogrammesaswell.InadditiontomeetingalwaysthenationalandtheEuropeanexpectationsforofficialstatistics,ourdevelopmentprogrammeischaracterizedbytheactiveparticipationintheITsecuritydevelopmentsoftheEuropeanStatisticalSystemandthefacilitationofapplyingadvancedITsecuritysolutionsinHungary.

2.4. Ensuring wide range of access to data files managed under official statistics

Inaccordancewiththeroleofofficialstatistics,ourgoalandtaskistoprovideaccesstoalldatafilesmanagedforthepurposeofofficialstatisticsforourusers.Tothisend,weoperateandregularlydevelopmoderndataaccesschannelsmeetingtheprevailinguserneedsand,atthesametime,ensuringmethodologicaldataprotection.Throughthedataaccesschannels,weensureaccesstoofficialstatisticaldatafilesintheformofbothaggregatedataandmicro-data.Ouraimisthat,alongwiththefullcompliancewithdataprotectionregulations,datafilesmanagedintheframeworkofofficialstatisticsshouldbeatthedisposalofnationalusers,membersoftheEuropeanStatisticalSystemandother internationalorganisationswith the richestpossible contentand inasmanyformsaspossible.

2.5. Joint development of data protection and data access solutions

The aim of our proactive participation in international and national projects connected totechnologicalandmethodologicaldevelopmentsistotaketheneedsofusersanddataprovidersintoaccountinourdevelopmentsaswellandtoutilisetheprofessionalknowledgeofthescientificcommunity.Therefore,weareconstantlylookingforopportunitiesandwaysofclosercooperationwiththemembersoftheofficialstatisticalserviceandtheEuropeanStatisticalSystem,aswellasorganizationsandforumsengagedinscientificresearch.

Keywords: methodological data protection,service-orienteddatarelease,ITsecurity,widerange data access, cooperation with the keyusers

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Quality is the key to confidence. The primary mission of HCSO is the production of high quality official statistics. Therefore, we are committed to act in a transparent way and taking into account user needs when producing our reliable data and analyses and providing good-quality services.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE:IMPROVInG THE QUAlITy Of DATA, ANALySES ANd SERvICES

3.

Current practice

HCSOhasadecade-longtraditioninthefieldofqualitymeasurementandassessmentofstatisticaldataanddataproductionprocesses.Theofficepublished itsQualityPolicywhichsetsout themainprinciplesofqualityexpectations,qualitymeasurementandassessment.

TheQualityFrameworkoftheofficecoversstatisticalproductsandprocessesanddeterminestheelementsofmeasurement,documentationandassessment.

According to our current practice, the main quality standards are included in the QualityGuidelines, which was significantly revised in 2014. The annually updated methodologicaldocumentationofstatisticaldomainssummarizesthemostimportantinformationonthequalityofdataineachstatisticaldomainforusers.ThesedocumentationsareaccessibleonthewebsiteofHCSOtoallthoseinterested.

To assess quality, analyse quality parameters and constantly improve the quality of data,statisticians need much more detailed information. Quality management is efficient if theIT systems supporting the organisation of data collections include the essential informationnecessaryforqualityassessment.Amongthem,indicatorsonreceptionandresponseratesarealreadyincludedintheITsystems.

For statisticians, the most comprehensive quality information is included in the producer-oriented quality reports which are compiled annually for each statistical domain. Beside thedetailedindicesthesequalityreportscontainallinformationrelevantinrespectofdataquality.The documented practice of HCSO will be complete from 2015, as from that time writtenassessmentsandthenaproposalforimprovementactionsmustbepreparedoneachstatisticaldomainonthebasisofthequalityreports.

Inadditiontoself-assessment,independentqualitycontrolconcerningthedataandthedataproductionprocessesoftheofficeiscarriedoutforthetimebeingonly insomecases.Auditsareperformedprimarilybyinternationalorganisationsinrespectofakeyindicatorordataset,andinamorecomprehensiblewaybyEuropeanCommission(Eurostat)supervisingtimetotimewhethertherequirementsofEuropeanStatisticsCodeofPracticearemet.

Most important directions of development associated with the main objective in the strategic period

3.1. Enforcing quality requirements in everyday work

Settingqualityrequirementsthemselvesdoesnotcontributetotheimprovementofthequalityofdata.Puttingtheexpectationsintopracticeandthen,therelatedcontrolsystemalonecanprovideaguaranteefortheirrealization.Asafirststep,weelaboratethedetailedtrainingplannecessaryforputtingthelatelyrenewedQualityGuidelinesintopracticeand,aspartoftheinternalaudit

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Improving the quality of data, analyses and services

system,thecontrolmechanismsoftherealizationinthestrategicperiod.InadditiontotheQualityGuidelines,ourgoal istodevelopamoredetailed,comprehensivemethodologicalrequirementsystemforeachphaseofthestatisticalprocess.

3.2. Extension of quality measurement and creating its IT support

Therevisionofindicatorsusedforqualitymeasurementbecamenecessary,sinceontheonehand,internationalpractice ischanging(newquality indicators,questionofthequalityofsecondarydata sources) and IT applications provide more and more opportunities for measuring andassessingqualityontheotherhand.Efficiencyofproceduresmeasuringdataandprocessqualitycanbehighly improvedbytheirautomatization.Ourgoal istobuildqualitymeasurementandcontrolpointsintothesystemssupportingdataproductionprocessesandtodevelopasystemforstatisticianswhichiscapableofanintegratedqualitymonitoring.

3.3. Introduction of a comprehensive, independent internal audit system of statistical data production processes

Theessenceofqualityassessmentistodeterminethedocumentedrequirementsandtheextentofmeetingthem,toexploreanydeficienciesandrisksandtoelaboraterecommendationsandactionplanstoeliminatedeficiencies.Theinternalqualityauditsystemdeterminesthescopeoftheaudit(statisticaldomains,dataproductionprocesses,methodologies,etc.)ontheonehand,and,ontheotherhand,regulatesindetailtheprocessesandresponsibilitiesoftheaudit.Measurestakenonthebasisofthedocumentedresultsoftheauditswillimprovethetransparencyandthequalityofdata.

3.4. Documentation of data production processes of all official statistics and quality assessment of data produced

HCSO,asthegoverningbodyoftheofficialstatisticalservice,isresponsiblenotonlyformonitoringthequalityofstatisticsproducedbytheoffice,butalsofortheofficialstatisticsproducedbyotherorganizations.Inthestrategicperiod,auniformsystemofrequirementswillbedevelopedandintroduced for thedocumentationofproductionprocessesof statisticsproduced in the frameof theNational Statistical Data Collection Programme.Moreover, after the implementation, asummaryqualityassessmentwillbecarriedoutonthebasisoftheinformationprovidedbytheimplementingorganizations.

Keywords: quality in everyday life, technicalmodernisationofqualitymeasurement,regularinternal audits, extending quality approachoutsideHCSO

17

The efficient operation should cover the implementation of statistical data production processes based on modern, unified methodologies, the widest possible application of new IT tools, the organisation of the technically cost-effective and environmentally responsible operation of the office in technical aspect, the optimal management of the available human resources and forming modern organizational framework fitting to modernizing processes. With this comprehensive efficiency approach, the office will be able to respond properly to the rapidly changing expectations.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE:

IMpROvING THE EFFICIENCy OF OpERATION

4.

Current practice

Thestandardisation,uniformityand ITsupportofprocesses in theofficearekey issuesof theefficiency of the operation in terms of methodology and regulation. Despite the successfuldevelopmentsservingstandardizationinthepreviousyears,inpracticestatisticaldataproductionprocessesarenotyetunifiedinallfieldsintheoffice,whichinvolvesopportunitiesforincreasingefficiency. In the field of IT systems, the standardization of methods and procedures was anecessary precondition, so, relating to process phases supported by the systems, there arealreadyopportunitiestoimproveefficiency.

Theofficehasdecade-longtraditionsinthedevelopmentandapplicationofintegrated,meta-driven IT support applications. As a part of our IT architecture, statistical registers havebeendevelopedandareoperated,andthe ITsupportapplicationscovermostof thephasesof thedataproductionprocess.Theofficehas the ITapplicationsnecessary for theorganisationandreceptionofdatacollections,aswellasthesystemssupportingthedatacollection,theediting,processingandvalidation.

ThedevelopmentofITsupporttoolsinthelastperiodsignificantlytransformedoureverydayworkingmethods. As a result of the transition to the new,modern electronic data collectionsystem(KSH-ELEKTRA)introducedinautumn2012,theadministrativeburdensofdataproviderswerereduced,thedatacaptureprocesswasshortenedandthecosteffectivenessoftheoperationofHCSOimproved.

TheaimoftheestablishmentoftheUniformDataProcessingSystemisthatstatisticianscanperformdataprocessingtasksdirectly,withouttherecoursetocomputerprogramming.Afurtheradvantageofthesystemisthatitisabletooperatetheprocessingphaseofthedataproductionprocessasaunifiedsystemwhichcanbegenerallyused.Due to thesystem,which isalreadyoperatingbut iscurrentlyunderfurtherdevelopment, it isexpectedthateachdataprocessingtaskcanbeperformedwithinthissystembytheendof2016.

TheimplementationofhouseholdsurveyswithmobiledeviceswasoneofthekeydevelopmentsofHCSOinthepastperiod.From2015,eachhouseholdsurveyisconductedwithlaptoporPDAtools.Asaresultofthedevelopment,programsrunningonmobiletoolsreplacedpaper-basedquestionnaires (thus increasing thecost-effectivenessof taskperformance)and,with thehelpoftherelatedITprograms(verification,automaticcalculations),wecouldimprovethequalityofdatareceivedaswell.

Another outstanding development project of 2014 was the development of a uniformsystemforreceivingandmanagingdatafilesofadministrativesources(KARÁT).Wedevelopedthe registration systemof datafiles arriving at and receivedbyHCSO, aswell as theuniformadministrationanddocumentationofeventsrelatedtotheprocessingoffiles.Ourothermain

18

Improving the efficiency of operation

developmentprojectinthisdomainwastheelaborationofadataeditingITtoolforadministrativedatasources(ADAMES).Withthehelpofthissystem,theadministrativedatacanbemadecapableforstatisticaluse,furtherdataprocessing.

Inadditionto ITdevelopmentssupportingstatisticalcoreactivitiesand improvingefficiency,inrecentyears,HCSOpaidspecialattentiontothecost-effectiveoperationofsupportprocessesinthetechnical-operationalfieldandtoinfrastructuraldevelopmentsaswell.Asapartofthis,wecarriedoutthetechnicalsupervisionofthebuildings inBudapestand inregional locationsforthepurposeofenergyefficiency.Insteadoftheoutdatedlightingmorecost-effectivelightingsolutionswereintroduced.Duetotheongoingmodernisationofheating,inadditiontoenergysaving,harmfulemissionwillbesignificantlyreducedaswell.

Most important directions of development associated with the main objective in the strategic period

4.1. Procedures based on uniform methodological recommendations in each phase of the statistical production process

Standardizedprocedurescanimprovetheefficiencyofoperationintheofficeinseveralaspects.Ontheonehand,theyenablethedevelopmentofITsupporttoolscoveringallstatisticaldomainsand,ontheotherhand,theysupporttheeffectiveorganisationoftrainingsforthecolleaguesand the more flexible utilisation of human resources and working hours. However, standardproceduresmaybebasedonlyonwell-foundedmethodologicalrecommendations.Theunifiedmethodologiesaredevelopedtakingintoaccountinternationalbestpractices,recommendationsaswellasmethodsusedcurrently.Ouraimistodevelopuniformmethodologicalsolutionsforeach stage of the data production process not yet covered by uniformmethodologies in thestrategicperiodandtoelaboratetherelatedinternalregulationsystems.

4.2. Statistical production process based on reliable methodological requirements and supported by integrated IT solutions

Ourgoalinthestrategicperiodistoexpandtherangeofdatacollectionsinvolvedintheelectronicdata collection system (at present, 90% of our data collections belong to this category andouraim is thecompleteeliminationofpaperquestionnaires)andtoextendtheUniformDataProcessingSystemtoalldataprocessingsteps.Inhouseholdsurveys,wecontinuetomodernisedatacollectionsconductedbymobiledevicesandcontinuouslyintroduceonlinedatacollectionsolutionsaswell.ThereceptionofsecondarydatasourcesthroughtheKARÁTsystemismadeinatransparent,documentedway.Duringthisperiod,therangeofdatareceivedanduploadeddirectly to thedatabase iscontinuouslyextended,whichgreatlyspeedsup thestatisticaldataproductionprocess.

4.3. Improving the documentation of statistical production processes

Nowadays,officialstatisticalservicesallovertheworldfacesimilarchallengesasHCSO.Therearechallengeswhichcanbeaddressedthemostefficientlyiftheinternationalstatisticalcommunityelaboratesglobalsolutionsinsteadoflocalones.CommonmethodologiesandITplatformsmayformthebasis for this. ForHCSO, it isessential toassessanddocument its currentprocessesalongwiththeinternationalstandardsinordertobeabletoefficientlyintegratetheresultsofinternationaldevelopments.Theeffectsofthefutureintegrationcanbeexaminedonthebasisoftheevaluationofthecurrentsituation.Accordingly,ouraiminthestrategicperiodistoreviewour current systems and documentations and tomodify them according to the internationalstandards,wherethisdidnottakeplaceyet.

19

Improving the efficiency of operation

4.4. Extending the use of secondary data sources for the more effective production of official statistics

Theuseofsecondarydatasourcesallowstospeedupthedatacollectionprocessandtoreducetheburdensofdataproviders,thus,ultimately,theefficiencyofdataproductioncanbeincreased.Inadditiontoextendingtheuseofadministrativedatasources,whicharewidelyusedatpresentaswell,thefoundingofthestabilityofaccessisnecessary.Anactivedialogueisnecessarywiththedataownerinstitutionstoensurethatdatasourcesusedcurrentlyprovideareliable,goodqualityandstablebasisfortheproductionofstatistics.Intheframeofthedialogue,thedetaileddocumentationandquality assessmentofdata sourcesarepreparedaswell. Themappingofpotentialdatasources,whicharenotyetusedforstatisticalpurposesatpresent,isnecessaryaswell.

Weexaminethestatisticalapplicabilityoftheotherimportantgroupofsecondarydatasources,theBigData in the frameof international cooperativeactions.Asafirst step,weconcentrateon the statistical application of the Big Data data sources produced in the framework ofpublicadministrationandthefreelyaccessibledatasources,aswellasonthedevelopmentofmethodologiesnecessaryforthis.

4.5. Infrastructural developments in the interest of energy efficiency and sustainability

Ourgoalisthedevelopmentof‘greenoffices’and,atthesametime,thereductionofoperationalcosts.Aspartofincreasingtheenergyefficiency,thedirectionofdevelopmentistoimprovethethermo-technicalconditionsandthereduceheatlossesinthebuildingsintheassetmanagementofHCSO,userenewableenergysources,modernizetheheating,coolingandhotwatersystems,aswellasmodernizethelightingsystem.

Closelyconnectedtothis,wepayspecialattentiontothefurniture,thepaperandstationaryuseintheofficeaswellastheenvironment-andhumanfriendlycleaning.

Keywords:standardizedprocesses,integratedITtoolsystem,processdocumentation,secondarydata sources, efficiency of infrastructure,sustainability

20

Statistical information is a special product in the sense that it is difficult to directly control its credibility. Thus users rely on the reputation of HCSO and the competence of its staff. necessarily a skilled and dedicated office staff ensures the basis of the achievement of efficient professional work and usable data, analyses and services of good quality.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE:STRENGTHENING ANd RECOGNITION OF OUR EMpLOyEES’ COMpETENCE ANd COMMITMENT

5.

Current practice

As part of the Hungarian public administration system, the office is recruiting, retaining,developing,trainingitshumancapital, i.e. itsstaffandisbuildingcareeropportunitiesonthebasisoflegislation,programmesandguidelines,regardingHCSOspecificfeaturesaswell.

Inordertoobtainaqualifiedanddedicatedstaff,besideourtraditionalrecruitmentmethods(internal and external application procedures, the operation of an electronic recruitmentdatabase), we operate a traineeship system and signed cooperation agreements with manyinstitutions of higher education which provide mutually beneficial opportunities concerningboththeperformanceoftrainingtasksandthescientificworkofexpertsandatthesametimefacilitatetheselectionandtherecruitment.

The office has a significant number of committed and prepared expert staffmembers andtherearestrong informal relationsand internalcohesion.Someworkersarespecialists,who,duringtheirwork,haveanarrowerfocusonspecialareasandlessunderstandingoftheoverallsystem.Manyhadacareer inthesamedomain,thoughtherearesomeexamplesof internalmobility.Theopportunity isgivenforprofessionalandmanagerialcareerdevelopmentwithinthelimitssetbylegislation.

It is required in HCSO to continue the human resource management according to thesystematizedapproachbytheHRstrategy,adoptedin2014.Inthefuture,inmanyways,HCSOwillfaceunprecedenteddevelopmentpressureswhichwillalsorequirenewknowledgeandskillsfromthestaffandthusthedevelopmentandrenewaloftrainings.Tosupportthis,weoperateawell-functioningsystemofinternaltraining.From2006,theHCSOSchoolannouncesitstrainingprogrammeswithintheframeworkofanannualcyclicoperationtakingintoaccountthecurrentprofessionalissuesandprioritiesoftheoffice,thetrainingneedsofstaffandthesuggestionsofprofessionalmanagers.Theenrolment ismadeonthebasisofemployeeapplicationsandonthebasisofmanagerialdesignation.TrainingmaterialsofthecoursesarecontinuouslyavailableonHCSO’s intranet. At the end of the courses, in the formof evaluation questionnaires,weask feedback from theparticipants inorder todevelop theprogrammes. In2014,within theframework of the internal training system, on nearly 90 courses, cumulatively nearly 3,000participantswereregistered.

Theofficesupportsthefurthereducationandpersonaldevelopmentofstaffmembersaswellas their participation in international professional training courses. It alsoprovides extensivewelfare and social care, aims to createa family-friendlyworkingenvironment, andorganisessportsandculturalprogrammes.Weconsciouslyemploystaffwithdisability.

We constantly monitor the international environment, learn about and examine thetransferabilityoftheforward-lookingHRsolutionsofothernationalstatisticalinstitutesintotheoperationoftheoffice.

21

Strengthening and recognition of our employeess’ competence and commitment

The most important directions of development associated with the main objective in the strategic period

5.1. Conscious recruitment and effective selection Key elements of the systemized human research management are the reception of studentsperforming professional traineeship in the office, conscious recruitment and a more efficientselectionprocessinaccordancewiththe‘rightmanintherightplaceattherighttime’principle.Inordertoobtainthevaluedworkforcewithskillsandknowledgemeetingthealreadychangingrequirementsimposedbythedatarevolution,whichrequirementswillfurtherchangeinthefuture,our job ads shouldmake the office and the statistician profession as a careermore attractive,continuously giving room for innovation especially for the Y and Z generations who have newexpectationstowardsemployers.Ourgoalistoreachtheoptimalcandidatesduringtheselectionprocessthroughthecomplexapplicationofpre-screening,recruitmentinterviews,ratingsandtests.

5.2. Retention of the valuable workforce and the accumulated knowledgeIn addition to obtaining the appropriate workforce we also need to pay attention to retain it.Sincewecannotprovidecompetitiveremunerationforthestaff,othersolutionsmustbesoughttocompetewithotheremployers. Intermsofensuringtheexpertandmanagementsuccession,particularattentionshouldbepaidtothosepositions,wheretheriskofknowledgelossmayarise.Inordertopromoteadeeperawarenessofprofessionalprocesses,thecreationofcommitment,thesupportfordedicationandcareermanagement,thedevelopmentofworkingrelationshipsthroughinternalmobility,thestrengtheningofthesystemapproach,anincreaseintheresponsibilityfeltforwork,itisnecessarytointroduceacareerguidanceprogramme,amentoringsystemandarotationsystem.

Taking into account thefinancial options, in order to increasemotivation, the rangeof non-financial incentivesshouldbeexpanded,whosebeneficialeffects improveboththequalityandmoraleofworkandincreasecommitment,.Finally, it isnecessarytocontinuouslymeasureandevaluatethestaffturnover,toanalyseexitmotivationsandeliminatethosecauses,whichcanbeinfluenced.

5.3. More optimal allocation of human resources, a new job systemOne of the conditions for efficient human resourcemanagement is that resources should beallocatedamongthedepartmentsinlinewiththetransformingandmodernisingtaskperformance.Thisrequirestheassessmentofthealteredresourceneedsandthesettlementofthejobsystem.

5.4. Increasing the efficiency of training, continuous improvement of skillsTheinternaltrainingsystemispartofthelong-termcareermanagement.Itisrecommendedtoconnectproperappreciationandcareeropportunitiestomultipleandhigher-levelqualifications.Individualtrainingplansarepreparedonthebasisofjobtasks,resultsofperformanceevaluationandcompetenciestobedevelopedandtakingtheseintoaccountappropriatetrainingisprovidedforthestaff.

In a knowledge-based culture, in addition to effective internal training, we should alsofacilitate the development of the employees’ knowledge and skills by supporting educationandopportunitiesofacquiringinternationalexperience.Incollaborationwithhighereducationinstitutions, it is our aim to start a statistics masters course and a PhD programme, wherestatisticiansofnewcompetenciesofthefuturewillbetrained.

Keywords: attractive career, enhancing dedi-cation, mentoring system, rotation system,effectiveinternaltraining

22

The quality of statistical information largely depends on the data providers. In order that official statistics accurately reflect the reality, it is especially important to strive to have good relations with the sources of data, i.e. the data providers.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE:

dEvELOpMENT OF RELATIONS wITH dATA pROvIdERS

6.

Current practice

The data providers of statistical data collections fall into two main groups, the groups ofinstitutionalandhouseholddataproviders.Enterprises,non-profitorganizationsaswellasstateandlocalgovernmentorganisations,institutionsbelongtotheformerone,whilehouseholdsandindividualstothelatterone.Institutionaldataprovidersaretypicallyobligedbylawtoprovideinformation,while data providers voluntarily participate in themajority of household surveys(censusandthemicro-censusinwhichthedatasupplyismandatorybylawaretypicalexceptionsto this rule). We involve data providers or their representatives into the compilation of theNationalStatisticalDataCollectionProgrammethroughthemembersoftheNationalStatisticalCouncilanddirectconsultations,soduring itsfinalisationwecanconsider theaspectsofdataproviders, too.

At the endof each year, data providers of institutional data collections receive informationontheirstatisticalreportingobligationsaccompaniedbyaneventscalendar.AtthemajorityofinstitutionaldatacollectionscarriedoutbyHCSO,institutionsprovidedataonlyelectronically–throughtheKSH-ELEKTRAsystem.

Amonghouseholddatacollections,HCSOstartedtodevelopamulti-channelsystemwhich,byofferingmultipleresponsemodes(internet,andwithinthatdifferentdeviceslikecomputer,tablet,smartphoneaswellasinterviewsconductedbyenumerators,whereenumeratorsrecorddatabyusingalaptop),allowsthedataproviderstochoosethebestoptionforthemwhenfillinginthequestionnaire. Inhouseholdsurveys,enumeratorsarepreparedtoprovidedatasupplierswithappropriate informationalso covering such sourceswhere theycanobtainadditionaldetailedinformationanddata.

Insomelarger-scaleorspecialhouseholdsurveysthecommunicationwithdataprovidersgetsmoreemphasisthanusual:thenecessaryinformationisprovidedtothepopulationthroughpressconferences,pressreleases,advertisements,adesignatedspokesman, informativefilms,flyersand awide range of social cooperation.We also organise data provider forums and personalconsultations for organisations having a dominant economic performance in the nationaleconomyorintheirsector.

An administrative fine can be imposed on data providers regularly non-performing theirobligations or having delays in the execution,wewere forced to use this initiative already inseveralcases.Thepurposeofthefineistoincreasedataquality,preventqualitydecreaseandtoimprovetheefficiencyofdataproductionprocessbyitsmotivatingeffectondataprovision.

Thetreatmentofdataprovidercomplaintshappensinasimilarmanneratthehouseholdandtheeconomicstatisticaldatacollections: theymaycontact theofficewith theirquestionsandproblemsmainlyonacentraltelephonenumberaswellasviae-mailorusinggreenorbluetoll-freenumbersduringtheindividualsurveys.Asaresultofarecentlycompleteddevelopment,aContactCentrestartedtooperate,onthissurfaceanyone,sothedataprovidersaswell,areabletocontactHCSO,andtheContactCentredirectsthe‘case’totheappropriatedepartment.

23

Development of relations with data providers

The most important development directions associated with the main objective in the strategic period

6.1. Closer partnership and personalised communication

Anecessaryconditionfortheavailabilityofgoodqualitydatacorrespondingtoexpectationsandoftencoveredbyinternationalobligationsisthedevelopmentofdataproviderrelationsbeyondthewell-organisedprocessofdatacollectionandprocessing.Tothisend,thecommunicationwiththedataprovidersiscontinuouslyimproved.

Personalvisits,siteinspectionsandconsultationsalreadyintroducedamongthekeyinstitutionaldataproviderswillbeextendedtoawiderrangeofdataproviders.Wewillorganisedataproviderforums,opendaysandbriefings,whiletheactivitiesandimportanceofourofficewillbepresentedtorepresentativesofinstitutionsandthepopulationthroughregionalandcounty-levelevents.

Wemake the data provider contactsmore alive through feedback on the use of data andproactiveinformation.

In case of household surveys, among households and individuals, through the extension ofopportunities for amulti-channel data collection, in case of an increasing number of surveyswecontinuouslyprovideanopportunity forourdataproviderstochoosethemost favourableresponsemode for them and improve thewillingness to provide datawith amore intensivecommunication.

6.2. Analysis of response burden

In the spirit of contributing to the achievement of the objectives set out in the short- andmedium-termgovernmentprogrammeforreducingtheadministrativeburdenonbusinesses,wecontinuouslymeasuretheresponseburden.Inaddition,westrivetofurtherdevelopthetoolsformeasuringtheburdens.Basedonourresults,wecanmakeestimatesontheimpactoftheproposednewdatacollectionsormodificationsonresponseburden.Inaddition,inthelightoftheresults,wecanalsochangethepracticeofdesignatingindividualdataprovidersinthefuture.

Incaseofbothhouseholdandinstitutionalsurveys,theresponseburdenwefurtherreducewiththerevisionofthequestionnairesandcompletionguidesaswellaswiththereceiptofadditionaladministrativedata,thoughinthelattercasetheaccesstodatabasesaswellastheirqualityandavailabilityattherighttimeareoftenalimitingfactor.Thecommentsofdataproviderswillbeusedinthefinalisationofthequestionnaires,furthermoreduringthedevelopmentoftheKSH-ELEKTRAsystem.

6.3. Consistent action in relations with data providers

Opportunities for communication with data providers will be further developed. A customersupportcentrewillbesetupfortheappropriatetreatmentofthecomplaintsandproblemsofdataproviders,furthermoreuniformrulesofprocedureandacustomerserviceprotocolwillbeelaboratedtoinvestigatethecomplaints.

Inordertoimprovethewillingnesstoprovidedataweexpandourrelationswiththeumbrellaorganisations:westrivetoworkcloselywitheconomicchambers,representativebodiesandnon-governmentalorganisations.

Keywords: partnership, proportional burdens,effectivecomplainthandling

24

Through strengthening institutional relations, the statistical culture and literacy of the society can be developed and the culture of evidence-based decision-making become more efficient, and the recognition of HCSO also can be increased and spread. Challenges imposed by the data revolution make the deepening of relations with the scientific community particularly important, just as the establishment of new institutional relations with the owners and managers of ‘secondary data sources’ (Big Data and other non-traditional sources of statistical data).

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE:

STRENGTHENING INSTITUTIONAL RELATIONS

7.

Current practice

Inrecentyears,weconcludedcooperationagreementswithmanyuniversitiesaswellasotherresearchsitesandinstitutions,partiallytosupporttheactivitiesoftheresearchcommunityandpartially in order to launch joint researchprojects or for thepurposeof statistical training aswell.AprominentformofpartnershipisthattwoexternaluniversitydepartmentsalsoworksinHCSO,oneofthemistheexternaldepartmentoftheBudapestBusinessSchoolandtheotherone belongs to Szent István University. Organisation of user fora is another form of buildinginstitutionalrelations.Inadditiontothecapitalcitybasedsites,weheldsuccessfuleventsinanumberoflargecities,inwhichwepresentedourdatabasesaswellasdifferentdataaccesstoolsand forms.

Wehavealong-term,balancedgoodrelationshipwiththenationalprofessionalandscientificorganisationsofstatistics,i.e.withtheStatisticalScienceSubcommitteeoftheHungarianAcademyof Sciences (MTA), the Inter-Agency Standing Committee of the Department of DemographyofMTAaswellaswiththeHungarianStatisticalSociety(MST)anditsspecialisedsections.WeregularlyholdjointeventswiththeMST,themajorityofwhosemembersworkinHCSO.

The ministries and central administrative bodies are our extremely important partners. Inrecentyears,weconcludedcooperationagreementswithawholerangeofadministrativebodiespartiallyforoverallcoordinationandpartiallyforsolvingspecifictasks.

In the frameworks laid down in the statistical law, theNational Statistical Council (OST), inthiscapacity,isasignificantplatformforcooperationwiththemembersoftheofficialstatisticalsystem. In theOST, if necessary,we establish aworking groupwith themembers to proposesolutionstotheproblemsencountered.Intheframeofforaandconsultationswecooperatewiththemembersoftheofficialstatisticalserviceinmethodologicalissues.

NGOcooperationprovedtobeeffectivemainly inconnectionwithcensusesandotherspecialorlargersurveytasks.Duringthe2011census,acivilpartnershipprogrammewasoperatedwhichcontributedtothepositivesocialreceptionofthecensusandthustoitssuccessfulimplementation.

The HCSO staff regularly participates in conferences and scientific events, which also playan importantrole inthebuildingandcultivatingof institutionalrelations.Moreover, therearealsoa largenumberofexternalspeakers,suchastherepresentativesofother institutionsandprofessions,intheconferencesorganisedbyHCSO.

Animportantaimofinstitutionalrelationsandeventsisthespreadofstatisticalculturei.e.,therepresentativesofvariousprofessionsandinstitutionsshouldbemoreproficientinthefieldofusingstatistics.

Nowadays, statistics is increasingly transnational in nature, whichmeans that internationalcooperationisanessentialpartoftheexpectedandassumedhigh-qualitystatisticalactivitiesand

25

Strengthening institutional relations

thedevelopmentof statistics.Globalisation (and the shrinking resourcesofnational statisticalinstitutes)isnotonlynecessitatingaclosercooperation,butcomparablestatisticalinformationaswell.HCSOactivelyparticipatesinthedraftingofinternationalagreements,recommendationsand legislation prescribing the production of reliable data and ensuring the comparability inforumsofdifferentlevelsoftheEuropeanUnion,theUNandtheOECD.Amongourinternationalpartners,theEuropeanCommissionintheframeofwhichoperatesthestatisticalofficeoftheEuropeanUnion,i.e.Eurostatplayaprominentrole.

Inthelastperiod,oneofourmostoutstandingsuccessesinthefieldofinternationalstatisticswasthat in2014theUNGeneralAssemblyadoptedthedocumententitled ‘TheFundamentalPrinciplesofOfficialStatistics’procesedbyHungary.ItcanbeconsideredasasimilarsuccessthatthePresidentofHCSOwaselectedtheChairoftheUnitedNationsStatisticalCommissionintwoconsecutiveoccasionsin2012and2013andActingChairin2014.

Formanyyears,HCSOhasalsocontinuouslyparticipatedininternationalprofessionalassistanceprogrammes,becauseofourgeographicallocationprimarilyintheWesternBalkans.Asamemberof an international consortium,we also have a long-term contribution to EU-funded projectssupportingcountriesinthesouthernregionoftheMediterraneanbasin.

The most important development directions associated with the main objective in the strategic period

7.1. Development of domestic institutional, professional organisational relations

Inthestrategicperiod,wewanttomaketheoperationoftheOSTevenmoreoperationalandthecontactwithmembersmorestraightforwardandthroughthemwewishto furtherstrengthenand deepen our relations with the representatives and organisations of data providers andusers.Wepreserveandeventrytoenrichthecontentofourexistingrelationswithministriesandcentraladministrativebodies.Weseeanopportunitytoexpandtherangeoforganisationsparticipatinginthecollaboration.It is importanttoorganisesuchprogrammesandeventsandset such common tasks,whichmake the connections alive.We strive to support theworkofthe central administrative bodies through undertaking tasks within the competence of HCSOandparticipating in joint projects.Within this establishing an indicator system formonitoringOperativeProgrammesintheperiod2014-2020andproducingtheindicatorscontinuouslycanbeanoveltask.

We support our employees’ active engagement in the Statistical Science Subcommittee ofMTAand in the Inter-AgencyStandingCommitteeof theDepartmentofDemographyofMTA.Being traditionally a central player in the cultivation of Hungarian demography,we believe ithasaconceptualsignificancethatthedisciplinedealingwiththedemographicsituationshouldreceiveduerecognitionandrepresentationintheHungarianscientificlife.TheprofessionalworkperformedintheMSTspecialsectionsoffersanexcellentopportunitytotheexchangeofideasamongexpertsworkinginHCSOandbeyondandtothepresentationandmutualutilisationofexperiencesthusHCSOisstillaimedatmaintainingthespecialrelation.

7.2. Development of higher education and research relations

In the futurewewant tooperateourwide relation systemwithhighereducation institutionsandresearchinstitutesprimarilyenrichingitwithadditionalcontent.Weseemany,stillunusedopportunitiesinthejointtendersandjointresearches.Atthesametime,itistherelationnetworkwhichcanmosteffectivelysupportusinthespreadofstatisticalcultureandstatisticalliteracy.Thepreparationofthesupplementarysurveysofthe2016micro-census,thentheprocessingoftheresultsofferagoodopportunityforthecooperationwithvariousresearchinstitutes,workshopsandnon-governmentalorganizations.

26

Strengthening institutional relations

7.3. Development of international institutional relations

The data revolution raises the cooperation of the international statistical community to ahigherlevelthanbefore.Tomanagethesechallenges,notonlycloserelationsandexchangeofexperiencewithstatisticalofficesinothercountriesaswellaswithinternationalorganisations,buttheimplementationofsuchjointdevelopmentprojectsandthedevelopmentofsuchcommonITplatformstheresultsofwhichcanbedirectly integrated intotheactivitiesof the individualnationalstatisticalofficesareneeded.

TheEuropeanStatisticalSystemisapartnershipcooperationprovidingspaceforcooperationinsubjectmatterissuesandthemodernisationofprocesses.Ouraimistocontributetotheseefforts in a constructivemanner. The activeengagementof our experts aswell as specializedstatistical, methodological and ITmanagers remains a high priority at the different stages oflegislativepreparationanddecision-making.

WewillcontinuetobeactiveintheinternationalstatisticalcooperationintheframeworkoftheUnitedNationsStatisticalCommission,theUnitedNationsEconomicCommissionforEuropeandtheOECD.

7.4. A new type of relationship with researchers and managers of secondary data sources in order to exploit the potential of the data revolution

In order toutilize theopportunitiesprovidedby thedata revolution takingnewer andnewerchallengesinthenearfutureforproducersofofficialstatisticsnewrelationsystemshavetobeestablished.

We have to establish such relations with operators, owners and maintainers of differentsecondarydatasources(BigData,specialdatabasesandregistriesofnationalandinternationaldataowners)whichensuretheutilizationofthesedatasourcesforthepurposeofofficialstatistics.

Efficientutilization(foreitherdirectdataproductionorinformationbasesupportingstatisticalactivities)ofsecondarydatasourcesneedsspecialcompetenciesandtoolswhichmainlyexistatuniversitiesandinresearchinstitutes.Inordertoaccumulateadequateknowledge,methodsandtoolsweinitiatenewtypeofrelationswithsuchkindofinstitutionsandjointosuchinternationalprojects.

7.5. Assistance programmes, relationship with neighbouring countries

Inrecentyears,theofficehasplayeda leadingrole inanumberofsuchinternationalprojectswhichdeliveredresultsfortheEuropeanStatisticalSystemasawholeorhasexaminedindepththe processes transformed due to socio-economic changes, for example the SEEMIG projectexamininginternationalmigration.Bearinginmindsustainabilityandefficiency,anemphasisisgiventotheutilisationofthevaluesofpreviouscollaborations,thereforeusingtheexperiences,theestablishedrelationshipsandtheresultsachievedthe launchingofnewcollaborationsareincludedamongourgoals.

The HCSO is committed to the idea to develop a close and effective cooperationwith thestatisticalofficesof theneighbouring countries.With theofficesof EUcountriesweprimarilyworktogethertoperformrolesandresponsibilitiesarisingfromtheEUmembershipaswellastosolveissuesrelatedtothis.Inparticularourgoaljointlyformulatedwithneighbouringcandidatecountriesisthemapping,understandingandanalysisofregionalspecialtiesandtheestablishmentofdatabasesmoredetailed,richerthanthecurrentlyavailableones.

Keywords: national institutional and orga-nisational relationships, statistics in highereducation,researchrelations,strengtheninginternationalprofessionalrole,assistance

I. AppENdIx

III.

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n

29

Appendix

2. Sectoral documents of strategic value of HCSO

HCSO Dissemination policyhttp://www.ksh.hu/docs/bemutatkozas/hun/tajekoztatasi_politika_2014.pdf

HCSO data protection and confidentiality policyhttp://www.ksh.hu/docs/bemutatkozas/hun/adatvedelmi_politika_2014.pdf

Quality policy http://www.ksh.hu/docs/bemutatkozas/hun/ksh_minosegpolitikaja_2014.pdf

Quality guidelines to the processes of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office http://www.ksh.hu/docs/bemutatkozas/hun/ksh_minosegi_iranyelvek_2014.pdf

HCSO HR strategy 2014-2020(belsődokumentum)

HCSO Information Technology policy (2013)(internaldocument)