UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE
CONFERENCE OF EUROPEAN STATISTICIANS
High-level group for strategic developments in business architecture in statistics (HLG-BAS)
Workshop on Strategic Developments in Business Architecture in
Statistics
Preparatory Questionnaire
Please complete this questionnaire for the named group, and return it to Steven Vale
(steven.vale@unece.org) by 14 October. The results will be used to prepare the group
discussions during the Workshop.
1) Name of Group:
CORE ESSNet
2) What are the current priorities of this group?
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Testing data and service integration issues with concrete implementations
Delivery a proof-of-concept software prototype of CORE
Usage of CORE in a representative statistical production process
3) How do you expect those priorities to change in the next 3 years?
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Detailed technical requirements for a professional implementation of CORE
Professional implementation of CORE
Usage of CORE in real statistical production processes
4) To what extent do you think the current priorities of this group are consistent with the HLG-BAS
Strategic Vision (http://www1.unece.org/stat/platform/display/hlgbas/Strategic+Vision) regarding:
a) Statistical processes?
Statistical processes are indeed fully in the scope of CORE. We do think that statistical processes
cannot in general be fully automated, due to the interactive nature of some computer-supported phases
(e.g., interactive data editing and imputation) or to the inherently manual nature of some specific field
work (e.g., PAPI questionnaire administration). Nonetheless, several phases can be automated. CORE
principal objective is the design and implementation of an environment supporting the definition of
statistical processes and their automated execution. CORE process definition is provided in terms of
abstract statistical services that can be mapped to specific IT tools.
b) Statistical products?
CORE does focus on statistical products by looking at the data flow underlying a statistical process
that produces them as an output. Specifically, CORE promotes both (i) a common information model
and (ii) a unique technological transport format. The CORE information model has been released by
the CORE ESSnet as a dedicated deliverable (2.2 Generic statistical information model). It is
important to note that CORE information model is not intended to represent business objects (like
enterprises, households, etc.) but it is instead focused on characterizing the level of aggregation and, in
a broader sense, the “statistical meaning” of data exchanged between services of statistical processes.
From a technological perspective, CORE data are represented by means of standard XML
technologies.
5) How do you think the planned future activities of this group can contribute to the implementation of
the HLG-BAS Strategic Vision regarding:
a) Statistical processes?
CORE team has already produced a detailed design of the CORE environment and is currently
developing a prototype implementation. Such implementation will prove several issues concerning
standardization and industrialization of statistical processes.
b) Statistical products?
If processes will become CORE processes, it is expected a significant impact on the quality of
statistical products.
6) Please identify up to three new areas of work which your group could take on to contribute to the
implementation of the HLG-BAS Strategic Vision.
The availability of professional implementations of CORE environment could boost the
industrialization of statistical processes.
7) Which phase(s) of the Generic Statistical Business Process Model (www.unece.org/stats/gsbpm)
is/are most closely related to the activities of this group? Please select all that apply
Specify needs
Analyse
Design
x
Disseminate
Build
x
Archive
Collect
x
Evaluate
Process
x
Over-arching activities
x
8) Which other international expert groups does this group have links to? (e.g. formal links to parent
and subsidiary groups, and informal links to other expert groups working on related topics)
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SDMX ESSnet
SAB
MSIS
SN OCMIMF(GSIM)
9) Contact details: (for the person completing this questionnaire)
Name: Monica Scannapieco
Organisation: Istat
E-mail address: scannapi@istat.it