Committee on Statistics and Statistical Policy (CSSP) Mr. Anil Arora
1.
What is the mission and mandate of your Committee?
The mission of the Committee on Statistics and Statistical Policy (CSSP) is to support policy-making based on high-quality, internationally acceptable comparable data and evidence-based analysis and to provide this statistical information to all interested users, including civil society and the public at large. 2. You have been designated Committee Chair. What is your background and what has convinced you to take up this post? How do you consider your background and experience contribute to such a role and function? I joined Statistics Canada in 1988 where I held a number of different positions in the agency. I worked in the regional offices as well as at Headquarters, leading a number of major transformations and high profile projects: from redefining the output database, internet dynamic publishing, and redesigning and modernizing the Census program to include innovative content and online reporting, to modernizing the legislative framework making the agency more independent and developing and implementing a modernized vision. In 2010, I left Statistics Canada and worked in two key policy departments as Assistant Deputy Minister (Natural Resources Canada and Health Canada), before returning to Statistics Canada and becoming Chief Statistician of Canada in 2016. Over the course of my career and particularly during my time at Natural Resources Canada and Health Canada, I saw how important robust statistical information was to support effective policy making. Additionally, good data and statistical information are not just needed for domestic use but also required to support the international statistical system. International standards and methods are essential for international comparability – particularly in a global economy where the movement of goods and services, as well as the financial flows, do not stop at national borders. Over the course of my career I have participated in and led a number of international initiatives such as being a member of the OECD team responsible for reviewing the Mexican statistical system. I also led the Conference of European Statisticians (CES), served as a Bureau member of the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC), chair the UNECE’s High-Level Group for the Modernisation of Official Statistics (HLGMOS) and led the United Nations’ Friends of the Chair group on Economic Statistics. I had opportunities to become familiar with the work of the OECD where I saw how important and beneficial international collaboration and knowledge-sharing amongst our OECD colleagues is. When I began my role as Chief Statistician, I wanted to continue the close relationship Statistics Canada has always had with the OECD – and the CSSP in particular – and now as Chair of the CSSP I have the honour to help steer the important work our committee undertakes. 3.
What is your main priority as Chair?
My main priority as Chair is to ensure that, in collaboration with the OECD’s Statistics and Data Directorate
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