Case studies

Case study: Economic statistics

We have conducted a series of assessments since 2020 which have highlighted issues with economic statistics. They include our reviews of the Labour Force Survey and the Transformed Labour Force Survey; GDP revisions; and trade.

These assessments have highlighted a range of issues, including user engagement, communication and survey quality. In this sense, we have been a credible and rigorous regulator.

We also launched a review of the quality of economic statistics in July 2024, which highlighted a range of systemic concerns. This review was published in April 2025, and formed a key input into the Devereux Review of ONS performance and culture, and the subsequent ONS recovery plans. This demonstrates how we can act as a system catalyst.

However, we recognise that we could have communicated our concerns more clearly to users of statistics – and brought our systemic perspective out earlier.

This case study therefore both illustrates how we already align to some extent with the new strategic themes, but also how we must do more to fully demonstrate them in our work.

Case study of impact: Intelligent transparency

During the pandemic, we looked at a series of cases surrounding the transparency of government statistics and data – including on testing, on care homes and on vaccinations.

As a result of these interventions, we launched a campaign to encourage government departments to adopt the principles of intelligent transparency – that is, that statistics and data should be used publicly in a way that enables people to both access and understand the underlying evidence. We prompted these principles to the statistical system, the Government Communications Service and policymakers in government. They were also endorsed by the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs select committee in their report on government evidence.

These standards have been adopted in many government departments, as our forthcoming review of intelligent transparency shows. But there are still cases where government departments issue press notices and other types of statement where the underlying data are not clear.

This case study illustrates what it means to act as a champion for public use of statistics – stepping in during the pandemic to ensure the public had access to relevant evidence. And it also shows how we can draw on these interventions to make a system-wide impact – and thereby act as a system catalyst.