The Value of Economic Statistics: Baseline Report

The principal aim of this research is to provide indicative evidence on the value of ONS economic statistics to society. A second aim is to explore the potential of areas of investigation recommended by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Taskforce relating to how official statistics are valued, including in monetary terms. This report presents the initial findings of a baseline survey and qualitative research. The survey and focus groups were carried out to assess the needs, expectations and satisfaction in service provision of users of official economic statistics, with the survey providing an overall picture and the focus groups more detail and explanation of responses. The survey used some of the survey questions recommended by the UNECE Taskforce to explore how official statistics are valued, though the questions were adapted to be specific to economic statistics and the UK context. The baseline report was initially completed in September 2017 and updated in March 2018, after the completion of further primary research. A follow-up study will be carried out in 2020 which will include further exploration on the development of a measure of monetary value. This project was commissioned and funded by the ONS.