TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE MODERNISATION COMMITTEE ON
ORGANISATIONAL FRAMEWORK AND EVALUATION
I. BACKGROUND
1. As the importance of the work undertaken by the High-Level Group for the
Modernisation of Statistical Production and Services (HLG) grows, and the expectations of statistical organisations for concrete outputs increases, it is increasingly important to put in place an appropriate governance structure for the different HLG initiatives, and the related activities under the Conference of European Statisticians (CES). The HLG has therefore proposed a new governance structure to ensure a more efficient implementation of its strategy, including the creation of a Modernisation Committee on Organisational Framework and Evaluation (hereafter referred to as “the committee”).
II. MANDATE
2. The CES 2013 Plenary Session reviewed and approved the annual progress report of the
HLG, including the current projects and a proposed new governance structure for activities and groups overseen by the HLG. The committee is part of that structure. It reports to the
HLG, and derives its mandate from the HLG.
III. OBJECTIVES
3. The committee will consider and make proposals about how best to bring about the organisational changes necessary to support modernisation in statistical organisations. This will include, but is not limited to, the need to identify and develop new skill-sets, and to put in place the necessary mechanisms to facilitate collaboration between statistical organisations. It will also be responsible for evaluating the impact and effectiveness of modernisation activities. It will have operational responsibility for work to resolve legal, licensing and intellectual property issues, as well as identifying best practices in staff recruitment, management and training, and organisational frameworks.
IV. PLANNED ACTIVITIES AND OUTPUTS
4. The main activities and outputs of the committee will be:

To oversee the organisation of relevant workshops and expert group meetings, and the preparation of guidelines on topics related to human resource management and training, and intellectual property.

To monitor developments in these areas within and beyond official statistics, and inform the HLG of any important issues.

To provide input as needed to HLG projects through the Executive Board.

To prepare a report for the HLG twice per year, on results, key issues, and outreach activities.
V. TIMETABLE
5. The committee will start work in January 2014. The Terms of Reference, and the continued existence of the committee will be reviewed every two years by the HLG, which will make recommendations accordingly to the CES Bureau.

VI. METHODS OF WORK
6. The committee will work mainly by web conferences and wikis. The committee should meet physically at least once per year, usually on the margins of other events. It will ensure effective communication with all stakeholder groups, using all appropriate communication channels.
VII. MEMBERSHIP
7. The list of members will be confirmed by the HLG, taking due account of the representation of different regions, specialisms and stakeholder groups. Members will normally be drawn from national and international statistical organisations, however, to encourage greater interaction with other relevant initiatives beyond official statistics, representatives of such initiatives may also be invited to join the committee.
8. The committee will have a target membership size of around 10-12 people.
9. The committee may invite additional persons to participate in some or all of its activities, depending on priorities and interests, where their contributions would be of benefit to the work of the committee.
10. The members of the committee undertake to devote the necessary time to adequately discharge their duties.
11. The committee will elect one of its members to be chair. The term of the chair will be limited to a maximum of 2 years.
12. The secretariat will be provided by UNECE.