Welcome to the Official Statistics Section!

This Section focuses on the methodology behind official statistics production, storage, dissemination, deployment and use. It invites participation from members with a professional interest in theory, design, collection, management, storage and presentation of population, enterprise and process data in public policy sphere.

It has had a close association in the past with Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) through its survey methodology units and now represents the broadening sector of statisticians engaged at different levels of government. It has links with the international community through IAOS and IASS – the arms of ISI dealing with official and survey statistics respectively, and with more specialised bodies with scope in these broad fields.

The Section organises workshops on topics of current interest – panel surveys and missing data, data linkage, confidentiality and imputation, state space methods - attracting participants from across Australia and New Zealand. It would like to extend such events to cover emerging issues in the region and looks forward to cooperating with other Sections and Branches in the society in future projects.

The Section aims to represent the professional interests of all major employers of government statisticians, and consultants working principally in the public sphere. It remains independent of employers, and respects the normal protocols concerning sharing and ownership of public assets, or access under privilege in the course of employment. On behalf of the society, the Section is exploring cooperative arrangements with allied professional organisations.

Your ideas on the life of the Section

We rely on the diverse application, practice, accomplishment, background and interest of section members to animate the Section, as a player in the advancement of the profession in the policy and wider world. Your interest, whatever your current exposure, is warmly welcomed in forming the programme for the Section. Through these events, exchanges and other initiatives members communicate between themselves, and can represent to the wider world the value of their work as well as influence its impact for them as individuals and for the discipline as a whole.

Suggestions on events, direction or activity, or news of developments, local or otherwise, that may be of interest to other members are strongly encouraged.

Please contact your local convenor, pass through the SSA office for placement on the Section page, or email the Section mailing list address.

Section participation

To be kept informed of developments please contact your local convenor; in the absence of a local convenor, please consider putting yourself forward in this role. Convenors confer as required on the Section programme, supported by resources of the Society; and report through the SSA’s Section Coordinator to the Society Executive.

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Join us!

To join the Official Statistics section and mailing list please log into your membership profile and tick the relevant box.