The 2021 Expert meeting on Statistical Data Collection took place online on 27-30 September 2021.

The world of data collection for official statistics is changing rapidly. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented acceleration of this. The need for reliable and timely data relevant for making decisions, have become even more apparent due to the pandemic. The expert meeting is an opportunity to jointly face these challenges, to share experiences, and to discuss how we can make the legacy become a permanent improvement in our data collection practices. The UNECE Exert Meeting on Statistical Data Collection aims to address these core topics: 

• Adapting data collection in a crisis context
• Communication with respondents and data providers
• Measuring, monitoring and reducing response burden
• Integration of survey data with other data sources
• Managing and modernizing Data Collection

The 2020 Data Collection Workshop was replaced by an online workshop on the Covid-19 response to Data Collection.  The COVID-19 pandemic has a significant impact on data collection operations for Statistical Offices. The crisis directly impacts data collection operations and poses new challenges, but it also creates opportunities. The aim of the virtual meeting is to share experiences and lessons learned, discuss challenges and solutions, as well as to identify areas for future work and prospects for collaboration. The end result may be that the legacy of the crisis will be an improved data collection.

Over Thirty abstracts were submitted. Please check the meetings website to learn about the latest innovations in Statistical Data Collection.

The 2019 Statistical Data Collection Workshop 'New Sources and New Technologies' took place at the Palais des Nations in Geneva on 14-16 October 2019. Click here for the Meeting Pages.

The 2018 Data Collection Workshop 'Resourevul Data Aquisition' was held from 10 to 12 October in Geneva at the United Nations facilities at the Palais des Nations.

The programme of the workshop will consisted of the following substantive topics:

• Innovating survey design;
• Optimize the use of existing sources;
• Modernise data collection infrastructures;
• Capabilities and management; and
• Partnerships in data acquisition and collective projects.

Statistics Canada kindly offered to host the 2017 UNECE Data Collection Workshop. It was held from 10 to 12 October in Ottawa, Canada.

The objective of this workshop was to identify innovative ways and best practices in statistical data collection, and to provide a platform for practitioners to exchange experiences and foster collaboration in this area. In addition to the more traditional presentations, the agenda of the workshop will include target-driven small group discussions to identify best practices and new opportunities. The target audience for the workshop includes senior and middle-level managers responsible for data collection activities and new data sources, across all statistical domains from Statistical Offices and other agendies from national and international statistical systems.

The programme of the workshop will consisted of the following substantive topics:

• Modernisation of data collection management and integration of data collection infrastructures and technologies;
• Use of new technologies, skills and mind-set for data collection;
• Alternative sources and ways of data collection to reduce survey burden;
• Communication with respondents; and
• Data collection by collaboration and coproduction.

Over Thirty abstracts were submitted. Please check the meetings website to learn about the latest innovations in Statistical Data Collection.

Very well received 2016 Statistical Data Collection Workshop

It was held from 3 to 5 October in the Hague and consisted of 30 presentations in 5 sessions. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) was a perfect host. It was organized back-to-back with the Workshop on Statistical Data Dissemination and Communication (5-7 October). Over 135 participants from nearly 50 countries and 60 organisations attended the event. There were four discussion rounds and in the special event on the joint day,15 teams challenged each other in producing tangible output. We thank participants, organizers and steering committee members for their contributions.

May the labour force be with you! Winner of special event at the joint event of the Data Collection, and Dissemination and Communication Workshops.

Martine Zaïda (OECD); Gabrielle Beaudoin (Statistics Canada); Manuela Murgia (Istat, Italy); Ray Freeman (Statistics New Zealand); Karin Hansson (Statistics Sweden). Also staring: Robin Lachman (Statistics Netherlands)

The 2015 Statistical Data Collection Workshop: Riding the Wave of the Data Deluge  was successfully held from 29 April to 1 May in Washington D.C., United States of America. It was held back-to-back with the Workshop on the Communication of Statistics (27-29 April). We thank participants, organizers and steering committee members for their contributions.