Looking ahead

In preparing our business plan for 2023/24 we engaged with stakeholders a lot, probably more than we have for previous business plans.

We want to support the ongoing transformation of the statistical system. We also want to set higher expectations for the way statistical producers communicate publicly. And we want to build partnerships with other organisations that focus on how statistics and data are used in public debate, supported by wider voluntary application of our Code pillars beyond official statistics.

Our conclusion from the engagement we have undertaken is that stakeholders support our vision for OSR but want to see more from us, in particular as a fully outward-focused organisation.

Our business plan therefore has a much greater outward focus than past business plans. We want to move beyond supporting good statistical production. We want to address a wider range of factors that support public confidence in statistics: defining the public good of statistics; understanding statistical literacy; better communication of statistics; supporting user engagement; and continuing to step into public debate to clarify how statistics should be interpreted.

Further Information

Our vision and our OSR Strategic Business Plan 2020 to 2025 set the context for what we aimed to achieve in 2022/23: https://osr.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/publication/office-for-statistics-regulation-strategic-business-plan/

Our focus for the year was set out in our OSR Annual Business Plan 2022/23 Our OSR Annual Business Plan 2023/24 provides more information about what we want to achieve in the coming year.

The legislation which established the UK Statistics Authority requires strict separation of the functions of production and regulation, where those involved in the production of statistics are not involved in the assessment of statistics against the Code.

Our work is overseen by the Authority’s Regulation Committee. The Committee is chaired by Penny Young, Non-Executive Director, Statistics Authority. Other members are also non-executive members of that Board, together with the Director General for Regulation. No producers of statistics, including ONS executives, are members of the Regulation Committee.

The Regulation Committee reviews and approves our strategy, annual business plan, and budget, and approves all key regulatory decisions on assessment against the Code of Practice for Statistics.

For more information about our organisation: what we do and why; how we work and the tools we use; and our broad ambitions for future development, please refer to our published vision statement: www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/publication/osr-vision/