Session 12 – Standardisation and Modernisation
Vienna, June 2nd – 5th 2014
A Business Architecture Model to Foster
Standardisation in Official Statistics
Nadia Mignolli
Giulio Barcaroli, Piero Demetrio Falorsi, Alessandra Fasano
Italian National Institute of Statistics (Istat)
Department for Integration, Quality, Research and Production
Networks Development (DIQR)
Vienna, June 2nd – 5th 2014
Outline
 Background
 Main reference definitions
 BA Business Lines: contents and activities
 BA model
 BA Principles
 Concluding remarks
and key elements
Nadia Mignolli. Vienna, June 3rd 2014
Background (I)
 Istat modernisation programme Stat2015: with the main
purpose of Standardisation and Industrialisation of the
statistical production process
 First
simplified
proposal:
elaborated by the
Sponsorship on Standardisation on the basis of Statistics
Netherlands (CBS) model
 Current BA Model: a joint task of
 ESSNet on Standardisation (to refine the Sponsorship
proposal)
 Statistical Network - the Business Architecture Project
(Institutes of Australia, Canada, Italy, New Zealand, Norway)
BA model sharable and adoptable by NSIs: this
represents the foundations to foster and intensify the
creation of a ESS BA model, considering higher level
interactions among NSIs and Eurostat
Nadia Mignolli. Vienna, June 3rd 2014
Background (II)
 BA current model is:
 Consistent with current actions carried out at
international and European level (SN BA Project;
CSPA; EU vision - from 1.0 to 2.0)
 Cost-efficient (re-use of data, methods, processes,
tools)
 Aligned both with organisational frameworks
adopted by mature industries (Service Oriented
Architecture – SOA) and with statistical standards
(GSBPM; GSIM)
Nadia Mignolli. Vienna, June 3rd 2014
Main General Developments
 Alignment of all the activities defined within BA business
lines with phases and sub-processes of GSBPM 5.0
 Consistent Decision and Design principles
 Definition of common and shared infrastructures based
on Repositories of:
Human Resource Competencies (RHC)
Data and Metadata (RDM)
Standard Methods and Guidelines (RMG)
Tools and Applications (RTA)
Nadia Mignolli. Vienna, June 3rd 2014
Core Definitions:
The General Reference Framework
 Enterprise Architecture (EA)
 The process of translating business vision and strategy into
effective enterprise change by creating, communicating and
improving the key requirements, principles and models that
describe the enterprise’s future state and enable its evolution
(Gartner 2012)
 It is about understanding all the different elements that make
up the enterprise and how those elements interrelate (SN BA
Project Team; CSPA; ESSNet on Standardisation)
 It is divided in four layers:
1.Business Architecture (BA)
2.Information Architecture (IA)
3.Application Architecture (AA)
4.Technology Architecture (TA)
Nadia Mignolli. Vienna, June 3rd 2014
Core Definitions: Business Architecture
 Business Architecture (BA)
 It is the conceptual and strategic part of the EA
 It drives the overall EA (its four layers – AA; IA; TA) within
an NSI
 It covers all the activities undertaken to produce
statistical outputs, including conceptualisation, design,
build and maintain information and application assets
 It is a reference model to optimise work processes within an
Institution/Organisation and make them more efficient. It
covers both statistical activities and strategic
organisational tasks and capabilities
 It is a common language to undertake congruent
innovation paths
(Statistical Network BA Project Team; CSPA; ESSNet on
Standardisation, 2013)
Nadia Mignolli. Vienna, June 3rd 2014
Core Definitions: the other EA Layers
 Information Architecture (IA) classifies the information and
knowledge assets gathered, produced and used within the BA. It also
describes the information standards and frameworks that underpin
statistical information (e.g. GSIM, DDI, SDMX). IA facilitates
discoverability and accessibility of available data and metadata, leading
to greater re-use and sharing
 Applications Architecture (AA) classifies and hosts the
individual applications describing their deployment, interactions and
relationships with the business processes of the organisation (e.g.
estimation, editing and seasonal adjustment, etc.). AA facilitates
discoverability and accessibility of available systems and tools, leading
to greater re-use and sharing
 Technology Architecture (TA) describes the IT infrastructures
required to support the deployment of applications and IT services,
including hardware, middleware, networks, platforms, etc..
(Statistical Network BA
Standardisation, 2013)
Nadia Mignolli. Vienna, June 3rd 2014
Project
Team;
CSPA;
ESSNet
on
BA Business Lines
 They are homogeneous areas with respect to the aim of
the activities carried out and the nature of the
information processed and/or services that insist on
this information
 They are defined in order to guarantee independence from
the Institute current organisational structure, so as to ensure
stability with regard to any future reorganisation
 They facilitate NSIs to refer to a unique organisational
model at the enterprise level, overcoming their internal
tendency to replication/duplication
 They enhance harmonisation and standardisation against
stovepipe models characterised by strong heterogeneity (of
procedural, methodological and technological approaches),
lack of standards and redundancy of data and applications
Nadia Mignolli. Vienna, June 3rd 2014
BA Four Business Lines and their Group of Activities (Level I and Level II)
It deals with all steps necessary to manage, design and implement
2. CORPORATE SUPPORT
statistical
production cycles or projects, including surveys,
Manage business and performances;
1. or
STRATEGY
collections
based on
datahuman
from administrative
other sources,
Manage finances;
Manage
Position; Govern; Influence and
resources;
account compilations
and data modelling. It deliverscollaborate
the outputs approved
Manage
IT; Manage
information
and
under
Strategy,
utilising
the capabilities
and resources built and managed
knowledge; Manage users and suppliers
under Capability and Corporate Support.
It covers
cross-cutting,
functions
an the
consiststhe
supports
of
the
high-level
successful
strategic
development
activities
and management
that enablerequired
NSIs
of the
to by
deliver
3.non-statistical
PRODUCTION
organisation
to
deliver needed
its work by
programme
efficiently
and and
effectively.
products and
capabilities
(covering
services
methods,
processes,
governments
standards
and communities
nationally
DEVELOP
IMPLEMENT
and internationally.
frameworks,
IT systems
These and
activities
people
influence,
skills) that
shape
underpin
and drive
an future
Specify needs; Design; Build
Collect; Process; Analyse; Disseminate
directions and
organisation
ability
investments
to conduct through
its business.
the development
It also strongly
and promotes
consideration
the
MANAGE
of high-level
re-use
and sharing
strategies
of to
infrastructure
advance
statistical
(statistical
capabilities
and technical),
and optimise
Plan;coherence
Monitor; Adjustof statistical outputs
the statistical
facilitating
harmonisation
portfolio
and
4. CAPABILITY
Plan capability improvements; Develop capability improvements;
Manage capabilities; Support capability implementation
Nadia Mignolli. Vienna, June 3rd 2014
BA Business Line specific Activities (Level III) and
alignments with the GSBPM 5.0 (I)
GSBPM Over-Arching Processes
Strategic Planning
Project Management
Statistical Programme Management
Legal Framework Management
Financial Management
Human Resource Management
Quality Management
Nadia Mignolli. Vienna, June 3rd 2014
BA Business Line specific Activities (Level III) and
alignments with the GSBPM 5.0 (II)
GSBPM Over-Arching Processes
Financial Management
GSBPM Phases
Organisational Framework Management
GSBPM Sub-Processes
Human Resource Management
Provider Management
Legal Framework Management
Nadia Mignolli. Vienna, June 3rd 2014
BA Business Line specific Activities (Level III) and
alignments with the GSBPM 5.0 (III)
GSBPM Phases
GSBPM Sub-Processes
GSBPM Phases
GSBPM Over-Arching Processes
Quality Management
Metadata Management
Nadia Mignolli. Vienna, June 3rd 2014
GSBPM Sub-Processes
BA Business Line specific Activities (Level III) and
alignments with the GSBPM 5.0 (IV)
GSBPM Phases
GSBPM Sub-Processes
GSBPM Over-Arching Processes
Human Resource Management
Data Management
Metadata Management
Quality Management
Statistical Framework Management
Nadia Mignolli. Vienna, June 3rd 2014
Stylised Business Architecture Model
Nadia Mignolli. Vienna, June 3rd 2014
STRATEGY
DEVELOP
CORPORATE
SUPPORT
CORPORATE SUPPORT: Manage finances; Manage human
resources; Manage users and suppliers; etc.
Design
production
system and
rules
Determine
needs for
information
Design
outputs
Check data
availability
Process, method
and quality
reference
metadata
STRATEGY: Position; Govern; Influence and collaborate
Reference and
structural
metadata
Portfolio
management
Strategic
planning
metadata
Metadata Scheduled
actions
Metadata Progress
Reports
(Audit)
Metadata Planned
quality
IMPLEMENT
CAPABILITY
Users
Plan (HR, etc.);
Monitor; Adjust
MANAGE
PRODUCTION
Stakeholders
Process
Collect
Repository of
Tools and
Applications
Repository of
standard
Methods and
Guidelines
RTA
RMG
Repository of
Human
Resources
Competencies
RHC
D
M
S
CS
Raw input
data and
metadata
Respondents/
Administrative
sources/Big
Data
Metadata Catalogue:
products
quality
Analyse:
validate and
finalise output
Validated
internal
microdata
and metadata
Analyse: apply
disclosure
control
Internal
aggregated
data and
metadata
Output Micro
and macro
data and
metadata
Disseminate
(also with
Web 2.0/3.0 )
Repository
of Data and
Metadata
RDM
BA Principle Assessment
 The whole BA model is led by fundamental
principles that become practical guidelines for the
implementation of each business line activity and for
ensuring the success of the model itself
 Different Decision (7) and Design Principles (9)
have been suitably defined, also taking into account
the international and European context
 Principles regard the overall governance, the
process rules and the specific infrastructures
Nadia Mignolli. Vienna, June 3rd 2014
Key Messages from BA Principles (I)
 The whole statistical process is output and metadata-driven
 The statistical process chain starts from the output desired (from required
products) and goes backwards, defining the various aspects of the process
 Firstly metadata are designed and then data production can start
 Metadata have to be generally accessible and, as far as possible, standardised
with regard to the types of units, the definition of concepts, classifications, quality
characteristics, process
 Quality Assessment
 Quality has to be evaluated and documented at the different stages of the
process
 It is defined and planned during Develop or Re-develop
 It is monitored and assessed in each phase of GSBPM and in
correspondence of intermediate and final data releases
Nadia Mignolli. Vienna, June 3rd 2014
Key Messages from BA Principles (II)
 Re-use and Adoption of Standards: Repositories
 Focuses on both what is produced within the Institute and what is
issued outside, with particular attention to the standards defined at
international and European level
 Reuse of existing and available data is generally to be preferred over
the decision to conduct a new survey
 The “to be” statistical production consists of a series of standardised
single processes and of modular services that can be shared and
reused in different contexts and statistical areas
 Developments from scratch should be limited
Nadia Mignolli. Vienna, June 3rd 2014
Key Messages from Principles (III)

Industrialisation of the Statistical Process
 Statistical production has a repetitive nature with a rather
rigid organisation style that can be largely automated
 An industrialised process can be realised by agents other
than those who have designed it
 Ensuring the independence between Develop and
Implement
 Develop is performed only when needed, while a current
statistical process is carried out on a regular basis
 Implementation of a new project involving several
innovations requires a new Develop phase
Nadia Mignolli. Vienna, June 3rd 2014
Concluding Remarks
 The adoption of a common language (BA model) becomes
essential to undertake congruent innovation paths
 A BA model sharable and adoptable by NSIs represents the
foundations to foster and intensify the creation of a BA model
also at European/international Statistical System level
 This is consistent with what is taking place at European and
international level
 Sponsorship and ESSNet on standardisation
 Statistical Network
 High-Level Group for the Modernisation of Statistical
Production and Services - CSPA
Nadia Mignolli. Vienna, June 3rd 2014
Key Elements
 Achieve consensus on BA Model and Principles
(with a BA Model generic enough and involving representative
Groups/Projects/Stakeholders working on this topic both at
international and EU level, etc.)
 Refer to BA Principles for guiding implementation
 Set up a Governance model for ensuring compliance with
Principles
 Individuate common and shared Infrastructures enabling
higher cooperation levels and a cooperative System
Nadia Mignolli. Vienna, June 3rd 2014
Thank you for your attention
Danke für Ihre Aufmerksamkeit
Contacts:
mignolli@istat.it
www.istat.it
Nadia Mignolli. Vienna, June 3rd 2014