The digital revolution and the increased value afforded information have elevated expectations regarding the timeliness, relevance, reliability, comparability and scope of statistics. This is particularly true within the context of the European Union, where exacting requisitions are made of all countries, regardless of the efficacy of their statistical systems. At the same time, there is a constant pressure to reduce data collection costs, lighten the burden on data providers and protect confidentiality. Such demands require traditional statistical concepts, measures and technologies to adapt continuously in order to retain their pertinence and effectiveness for users.
A proliferation of new technologies promises to redefine the survey process, raising implications for sampling, data capture, analysis and dissemination, whilst enhancing the possibilities for secondary and comparative data usage. Recognising this, considerable research and development effort has been expended within this domain, often yielding potentially far-reaching results. However, realising the underlying expectations presents a number of challenges
For many years, key stakeholders within the European Statistical System have been concerned about the poor take-up of the results of R&D in statistics, notably technological innovations, together with the limited transfer of technology and associated know-how amongst National Statistical Institutes (NSIs). The European Union has been funding R&D via a series of Framework Programmes. Following the under-utilisation of technological outputs from both the 3rd and 4th Framework Progammes, AMRADS (an Accompanying Measure to Research And Development in Statistics) was initiated in a bid to prevent 5th Framework products suffering a similar fate. In addition to strengthening the conditions for ensuring concrete and tangible technology transfer, AMRADS sought to ascertain why some NSIs are good at adopting new products and ideas, whilst others are less assimilative.
As the 5th Framework draws to a close, this paper explores the reasons for the apparent disconnect between the promise of emergent technologies and actual applications to the survey process. Two technological developments emerging from European R&D projects addressing data capture and dissemination respectively are critically evaluated. Armed with insight secured via AMRADS, the investigation compares the ideas, aspirations and perceived problem areas, as articulated at the start of the initiatives with the actual achievements and difficulties encountered.
Technological advancement presents a clear means of addressing the apparently conflicting demands made of survey producers, but in turn introduces a series of organisational, cultural and indeed further technological concerns. It is vital that these inherent issues are understood and characterised if future innovations are to be fully exploited and ultimately, the information needs of policy-makers, businesses and the citizen are not to be under-serviced.
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