A capability is the ability to perform or achieve certain actions or outcomes. Capability represents the intersection of capacity and ability.

1. United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Statistical Division
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Statistical Division
Introduction to
Capabilities
Steven Vale
UNECE
steven.vale@unece.org

2. Definition (Wikipedia)
 A capability is the ability to perform or
achieve certain actions or outcomes
 Capability represents the intersection of
capacity and ability

3. UNECE Statistical Division Slide 3
Capabilities: Organisational level
Capabilities require a combination of people,
processes, methods, systems and standards

4. UNECE Statistical Division Slide 4
Activities, processes and capabilities
 An activity is something we do
 A process is how we do it
 Capabilities are what
allow us to do it

5. UNECE Statistical Division Slide 5
Capability Framework
 Business Capabilities Model developed by
ESS Enterprise Architecture Task Force
 “summarizes the key capabilities required for
producing official statistics. It provides a framework
to view which capabilities are already sufficiently
present … versus those on which development
effort is needed”

6. UNECE Statistical Division Slide 6
ESS Capability Model: Levels 0 & 1

7. UNECE Statistical Division Slide 7
Maturity by Capability

8. UNECE Statistical Division Slide 8
Capabilities: Individual level
Challenge: To match individual
capabilities with organisational need
 Do our staff have the capabilities we
need?
• Now
• In the future
 If not, develop or hire?
 Do we use existing capabilities of our
staff effectively?

9. UNECE Statistical Division Slide 9
Capabilities: Team level?
 Not always possible
to find an individual
with all required
capabilities
 Consider defining /
developing
capabilities at team
level

10. UNECE Statistical Division Slide 10
Big Data:
Team-level
capabilities

11. UNECE Statistical Division Slide 11
Summary
 Identifying and developing the right
• individual
• team
• organisational
capabilities is key to statistical modernisation