The Central Statistics Office was established in 1949 as Ireland's national statistical office. Its status was formalised in legislation with the enactment of the Statistics Act, 1993. The mandate of the CSO, as set out in that Act, is
"The collection, compilation, extraction and dissemination for statistical purposes of information relating to economic, social and general activities and conditions in the State".
(Section 3, Statistics Act 1993)
The Statistics Act, 1993 provides the legislative basis for the collection, compilation, extraction and dissemination of official statistics. The Act protects the confidentiality of the information provided to the CSO, which may only be used for statistical purposes; and confidential data may not be disseminated or otherwise communicated to third parties, including Government Departments or bodies.
Key extracts from the Statistics Act, 1993, relating to the Institutional Structure, Functions of the Office, the Director General and Independence on Statistical Matters are set out in Appendix 1.
The Office exists primarily to provide high quality impartial and relevant statistical information to meet the needs of policy makers at national, regional and local level, decision makers in the business community, EU institutions, international organisations, media, researchers, and the public generally.
The Office also has the authority to co-ordinate official statistics compiled by public authorities to ensure, in particular, adherence to statistical standards and the use of appropriate classifications; assess the statistical potential of the records maintained by public authorities and, in conjunction with them, to ensure that this potential is realised in so far as resources permit.
A revision of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2009 which established a legal framework for the development, production and dissemination of European statistics occurred in 2015. Regulation (EU) 2015/759, amending Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European Statistics, made the Director General responsible for the co-ordination and oversight of the quality of all European Official Statistics compiled by public authorities in Ireland. This introduced a fundamental change to the role of the CSO and the Director General.
The National Statistics Board was initially set up on a non-statutory basis in 1986. It was established on a statutory basis when the Statistics Act, 1993 came into operation in November 1994. Its function, set out in the Act, is to guide the strategic direction of the CSO and, in particular to: establish priorities for the compilation and development of official statistics; assess the resources of staff, equipment and finance which should be made available for the compilation of official statistics; and arbitrate, subject to the final decision of the Taoiseach, on any conflicts that may arise with other public authorities relating to the extraction of statistics from records or to the co-ordination of statistical activities.
The independent position of the CSO, as defined in the Statistics Act, 1993, reflects international best practice for the compilation of official statistics. The CSO subscribes fully to the UN Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics and the European Statistics Code of Practice.
The CSO abides by the core values of
The CSO's values are also consistent with those expressed in the Civil Service Renewal Plan which includes a deep-rooted public service ethos of independence, integrity, impartiality, equality, fairness and respect and a culture of accountability, efficiency and value for money.
The CSO’s values are also informed by the Code of Standards and Behaviours for Civil Servants produced by the Standards in Public Office Commission, the Ethics in Public Office Acts 1995 and 2001 and the Guidelines on Compliance with the Provisions of the Ethics In Public Office Acts as produced by the Standards in Public Office Commission.
Under section 21 of the Statistics Act, every member of staff of the CSO are designated as Officers of Statistics and are legally bound to uphold the confidentiality of the data accessed in the performance of their duties. All Officers of Statistics sign a declaration of secrecy.
CSO staff are also subject to the provisions of the Official Secrets Act 1963 and in particular to the provision that:
“4.—(1) A person shall not communicate any official information to any other person unless he is duly authorised to do so or does so in the course of and in accordance with his duties as the holder of a public office or when it is his duty in the interest of the State to communicate it.”
Although underpinned by law it is essential that respondents to statistical inquiries (and the persons or undertakings for which statistical information is obtained from administrative sources) are fully assured that the CSO protects the confidentiality of the particulars relating to them and that they are used only for statistical purposes. The CSO has a long-standing reputation for protecting the information it collects. Concerns about data protection are, however, increasing and it is vitally important that the CSO maintains the trust of all sectors of the community in this regard. The Code of Practice on Statistical Confidentiality reinforces existing legal assurances and outlines the practical steps CSO takes to protect confidential data.
The CSO also complies with the Data Protection legislation.
The CSO has a number of processes and structures available to staff to inform them of their various CSO and civil service wide policy obligations. All staff are provided with induction training where the Director General emphasizes the importance of governance in the Office.
• Formal training sessions are held and complemented by ongoing presentations and information sessions to inform staff of their governance obligations, for example the CSO’s Data Office held a series of compulsory information sessions for all staff covering statistical confidentiality and obligations under data protection and sessions are also held to advise staff on their responsibilities.
• The Senior Management Group (SMG) (Senior Statisticians /Principal Officers) and the General Management Forum (GMF) (Senior Statisticians/Principal Officers/Statisticians/Assistant Principals) are two management groups within the office which provide opportunities for engagement and communication on governance issues. In addition senior management hold regular staff engagement and town hall sessions open to all staff on issues including organization change and governance.
• CSO has developed a Corporate Governance Assurance Model (CGAS). CGAS has been created to assist Heads of Division in managing their corporate responsibilities and to provide an indication to the Management Board of the effectiveness of devolved responsibility in the Office.
• The roles of senior managers are clearly defined and regularly updated in the Assignment of Responsibilities report which is required under the Public Services Management Act.
• Staff have access to an intranet with information on: CSO's corporate policies including policies on Confidentiality and Data Security, Secure Retention and Disposal, Reporting and Management of Data Security, ICT Governance and Security, data management, record keeping, grievance and disciplinary procedures, health and safety procedures. Further information on CSO policies can be accessed by contacting governance@cso.ie.
The Central Statistics Office is committed to fostering an environment which facilitates the raising of concerns by staff in relation to the work of the Office. The CSO has put in place procedures for managing protected disclosure in the CSO as required by the Protected Disclosures Act, 2014.
The CSO is committed to providing a high quality service and if customers are not happy with any aspect of the service provided, they should contact the Office using the CSO’s customer complaints procedure.
The CSO has approximately 650 permanent staff located in its Cork and Dublin Offices at Rathmines and Swords. In addition about 100 field-staff are deployed throughout the country to conduct the continuous household surveys and passenger inquiries at airports and seaports.
• Director General: Under Section 12 of the 1993 Statistics Act, the Director General of the CSO is appointed by the President of Ireland following nomination by the Taoiseach. The Director General is selected via an open competition conducted by the Top Level Appointments Committee (TLAC) and the post is at Secretary General Level. The Director General is a civil servant of the State and is a corporation sole.
• Management Board: The Management Board is the primary decision making committee within the Central Statistics Office and provides the leadership and management required at a corporate level in the CSO. The Management Board comprises the Director General of the CSO (Chair), 5 Assistant Directors General and one Director. The Management Board meets weekly. The terms of reference are available at Appendix 2.
• Directorate Structure: The Office comprises six Directorates as follows:
Social and Demography Directorate – responsible for the conduct and development of the CSO’s major household surveys and for the compilation of statistics on the labour market, including earnings and labour costs; vital events; social inclusion; crime and victimisation; income, expenditure and wealth, education and other social issues. This directorate is responsible for the compilation of demographic statistics and the five-yearly Census of Population.
Economic & Environment Directorate – responsible for the development/compilation of: national accounts; financial accounts; Government accounts; balance of payments, international investment position, foreign direct investment and international trade in services statistics; environment, energy and external trade statistics.
Business Statistics Directorate – responsible for the compilation of business statistics, including statistics on industry, building and construction, services, tourism, transport, agriculture and prices.
Corporate Affairs Directorate – responsible for strategic and operational support functions including Human Resources and Finance, Dissemination and Communication, and Planning, Delivery and Performance.
Technology Directorate - responsible for providing the corporate leadership, vision, and direction in relation to the usage of information technology to support the CSO to deliver on its corporate objectives and for the operational function of the IT divisions.
Statistical System Coordination Directorate - responsible for developing and coordinating the CSO's Statistical System Coordination work programme so as to deliver the key coordination and statistical objectives set down in the Statistics Act 1993, NSB Strategy 2015-2020, amended Regulation 223/2009, the European Statistics Code of Practice Peer Review Report for Ireland, CSO's Statement of Strategy and the CSO's longer term transformation strategy CSO 2020: promoting and building an awareness and acceptance of the CSO's role across the public service, developing structures to formalise the coordination role. This directorate is also responsible for the development of statistical methodology.
• Division Structure Each Directorate is managed by an Assistant Director General and comprises one or more Divisions managed by a Senior Statistician or a Principal Officer. There are 28 Divisions. The organisation structure is available on the CSO website. Details of the roles and responsibilities of each Head of Division are outlined in the next chapter.
The CSO’s strategic planning is informed by both national and international developments which include,
• Strategic Planning Process-European: The European Statistical System (ESS) has a significant impact on the work of the CSO – the vast majority of the statistics produced by the CSO are required under EU statistical legislation. The European Statistical Programme, which is widely accepted as setting a world standard, has been the main driver of statistical developments in the Member States in recent decades. The CSO actively engages at international level so that the Irish viewpoint and circumstances are taken into account to the maximum extent.
• Strategic Planning Process-National: On a national stage, the NSB’s Strategy for Statistics 2015-2020, which is published every five years, is a driver for the work of the CSO and impacts on strategic planning.
• Statement of Strategy Process: The CSO publishes a Statement of Strategy every three years, under the terms of the Public Service Management Act. The CSO also publishes an Annual Progress Report on the Statement of Strategy. The CSO’s Statement of Strategy 2016-2019, focuses on the provision of a continuous improvement in service to customers and positioning the CSO to meet future requirements of official statistics. The Statement of Strategy 2016-2019 and the earlier longer term CSO 2020 strategy were approved by the Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach.
• Long Term Strategy CSO 2020: CSO developed a long term strategy for the CSO in 2013. “CSO 2020” was developed following discussions with a broad range of stakeholders and places service to customers at the centre of the strategy. The CSO 2020 programme aims to transform how the CSO works, in order to better respond to key customer needs with relevant, timely, independent and objective information, enabling them to make informed decisions.
o The CSO 2020 programme addresses the following objectives;
o The CSO is the trusted advisor on data issues
o Acceptance that the CSO produces accessible and impartial statistics
o The CSO is highly influential within the international statistical system
o Researchers have sufficient access to data for statistical purposes
o The CSO has skilled staff, excellent IT systems, documented work procedures and quality management standards.
• Transformation Process: A Transformation and Performance Division was created in 2015 to assist the Senior Management Committee (SMC) in planning, delivery, measurement and review of CSO outputs and goals. The division focus on aligning work to the CSO Statements of Strategy, CSO 2020, other CSO governance processes and strategies and Civil Service Reform Initiatives. The Division reviewed these strategies and the external drivers for change. The division has developed and refined a new business process model based on the International Statistical model of the Generic Statistical Business Process Model (GSBPM). In consultation with all staff a transformation framework has been created which encompasses the new model of statistical delivery together with the organisational capability measures required to bring about transformation.
An intensive programme of staff engagement in relation to the implementation of the transformation process took place in 2015. The Management Board has identified the corporate priorities which must be completed in order to implement the new model. The CSO is focused on delivering a transformation programme with enhanced models/processes of statistical delivery and improved organisational capability.
Each year Heads of Division are required to set out the key priorities (operational and strategic), with associated SMART actions, for their Divisions based on the Statement of Strategy, CSO 2020, the Local Business Plans and the work programme.
The Divisional Action Plans (DAPs) process starts with the development of Local Business Plans (LBPs) which involves staff at all levels in each section within the Division. The DAP provides a summary of the Local Business Plans (LBPs) and is agreed initially between the Head of Division and the relevant Assistant Secretary/Director in December of each year.
In January each HOD must present, in a face-to-face meeting, their DAP for the year ahead to the Management Board for final agreement. This meeting, in addition to looking to the year ahead, also serves as an annual review of the previous years’ DAP. A mid-year DAP review (face-to face with the Management Board) in June of each year is also conducted to monitor progress.
The LBPs and DAPs inform the goal setting required as part of the Performance Management and Development System (PMDS) process. Staff set out their goals in January and agree them with their line managers. They also identify any learning and development needs. Progress is reviewed with the line manager in June and in an end of year performance review in December.
The current internal communication channels include the following;
• Management Board: The minutes of the meeting are published each week and are available to all staff. Decisions and actions are communicated to the relevant parties by individual members of the Management Board.
• Management Fora: The Senior Management Group (SMG) consists of Heads of Division (Senior Statistician/Principal Officer). The SMG is an important forum where senior managers can contribute to the overall corporate decisions affecting the Office. It meets four times a year and it provides the opportunity for the Management Board and SMG to exchange views about issues affecting the organisation. GMF; The General Management Forum (GMF) comprises members of the Statistician and Assistant Principal grade in the Central Statistics Office and the SMG. The primary role of the GMF is as a management forum whereby middle managers can engage with and contribute to corporate, management and professional topics.
• Staff Engagement and Innovation Programme:
The programme is overseen by the Engagement & Innovation Board which is a structure to allow a partnership of management, staff and unions to provide strategic leadership and direction to the Staff Engagement & Innovation Programme.
• The Departmental Council: The Departmental Council provides a channel for management, staff and union representatives to discuss issues affecting the CSO.
• Staff Information and Engagement Events: The CSO holds regular staff information and engagement events where the Director General/ senior management team communicate with staff, staff engagement workshops and lunch time staff information sessions.
• CSO Communication Tools: The CSO publishes a newsletter every two months to advise staff about developments within the organisation and in the wider statistical system. In addition staff are advised of developments via an electronic bulletin board which is updated daily, via regular local section meetings and using posters. The CSO’s intranet includes information on corporate policies and on civil service wide policy obligations.
The CSO engages with a large variety of external stakeholders including the general public, policy makers, researchers, survey respondents, outlined below;
• Customers- Statistical Products: CSO delivers an annual statistical programme and are continuously developing a range of new statistical products to meet customer needs and increased legislative demands. This material is all published on www.cso.ie and on CSO’s Statbank . The CSO launched a redesigned more accessible website in 2015.
• Customers- Improved communication tools: CSO has developed an improved customer experience through exploiting advanced technologies. Some developments that facilitate greater access and user interaction are; the development of a new user friendly website; the use of electronic releases with interactive High Charts; the introduction of infographics and visualisation to improve communication and understanding of the data. In addition the CSO has expanded its suite of dissemination products, is developing expertise in infographics and has adopted a new data dissemination tool - the API (Application Programme Interface), which enhances user access to Statbank. In addition CSO has, in co-operation with the All Ireland Research Observatory (AIRO) at NUI Maynooth, made summary census data available in thematic maps for Electoral Districts and all Small Areas. This new development continues the CSO’s publishing approach of presenting more interpretation and analysis of the data accompanied by illustrative presentations, thematic maps and easy to read commentary.
• International Community: The goal of the CSO of being highly influential within the international statistical system is set out in the vision document, CSO 2020. This goal has been advanced within the EU through a successful EU Presidency and by taking a leading role in the European Statistical System Committee.
Within the United Nations structures the Director General of the CSO was invited to the Chair the UNECE High Level Group on the Modernisation of Official Statistics (HLG MOS) which drives many of the advancements in technology and methodology taking place in the official statistical domain. The CSO is also collaborating with the United Nations Statistical Division (UNSD) on matters relating to globalisation and the CSO has been invited to Chair and lead this work. Strategic opportunities to collaborate, where appropriate, are being identified and encouraged.
As a member of the European Statistical System the CSO participates in a wide range of EU Working Party Groups, Task Forces and Committee Meetings relating to the development of harmonised statistical methodology, the drafting of statistical legislation, and the assessment of statistical standards and quality. The CSO networks with other National Statistical Institutes (NSIs), exchanging views, experiences and solutions on methodological and technical issues.
The CSO complies with European Regulations for transmission of statistical outputs to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. CSO also compiles statistics as required by legislation for the European Central Bank.
• Survey Respondents-Burden Reduction: The Response Burden Barometer (RBB) is a measure of the total administrative burden placed on Irish enterprises and agricultural holdings by Central Statistics Office surveys when calculated on an actual compliance basis. The RBB for 2014 reduced by 26.4% since it was first measured in 2005 and when measured against the peak year of 2008, the RBB reduced by 38.8%. The CSO has also developed an Administrative Data Centre which also contributes to minimising respondent burden.
• Researchers: The CSO facilitates access to statistical research as allowed for under section 15(1) of the Statistics Act, 1993.
• Policy Makers/Government Departments- ISSCoP: The CSO launched the Irish Statistical System Code of Practice (ISS CoP) in November 2013. The aim of the code is to provide a set of simple guidelines that are designed to synchronise standards across all compilers of official statistics in Ireland and not just those published by CSO. To support implementation of the code, a new website was launched in November 2013. The majority of producers of Official Statistics have formally signed up to the ISS CoP and its implementation assists public bodies in applying statistical quality and impartiality.
• Policy Makers/Government Departments: The CSO has developed the Professional Diploma in Official Statistics for Policy Evaluation in conjunction with the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) with the aim of improving the understanding and use of statistical data for policy evaluation and improved basis of decision making. It is targeted at decision-makers throughout the public service.
• Policy Makers/Government Departments/ General Public: The CSO regularly host Administrative Data seminars and Business Seminars to allow people to learn about the opportunities and challenges with respect to the modernisation of the Irish Statistical System, to meet CSO statisticians and learn about the work being carried out by the CSO.
• Quality Customer Service: As an output-focused organisation, the CSO is committed to providing high-quality statistical services to all customers across the whole range of activities. The CSO is to be the first port of call for statistics about Ireland - about the economy, social conditions, population etc. The CSO is continuously improving and expanding statistical outputs. Further information on accessing CSO statistics is available at www.cso.ie. The Office continues to implement a scheme for provision of a bilingual service in accordance with the Official Languages Act, 2003. If you contact the CSO in Irish, the CSO will arrange that you will be answered in Irish. All CSO survey forms are available in Irish. All major corporate documents are available in Irish. A customer complaints procedure is in place.
• Press Conferences: The media is an important communications channel to the public for the CSO. The CSO hosts approximately 12 press conferences with the media each year. The topics covered include National Accounts, Population Estimates, the Survey on Income and Living Conditions, the Quarterly National Household Survey and the Census of Population. The conferences are held to facilitate the effective exchange of information between the CSO and the media and to increase awareness and use of the data available.
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