Evento Istat Aula Magna Roma Workshop of the Advisory Committee on Statistical Methods 19 novembre 2018

1. WORKSHOP OF THE ADVISORY
COMMITTEE ON STATISTICAL
METHODS
Rome, November 19th 2018

2. Motivation and target of AC work
• The ISTAT modernisation project -
It needed and needs huge investments on methods, aiming at the revision
of the productive processes of the Institute.
Main points of the project
- fixing new statistical methods
- new conceptualization of processes
- designing the information architecture of the new Integrated Register
System (IRS)
• The Advisory Committee on Statistical Methods
supported the methodological innovation projects which develop under
the ISTAT modernisation project
helped in assuring that these projects
- possess suitable quality and congruity characteristics,
- agree with the status of current international level on the faced topics
- It was and is an important investment

3. In the context of the modernization programme, and taking into account the
new role of Istat as a research institute, a discussion on what research
products could be produced by Istat has been taken.
The result of this discussion is in line with what Fellegi (2010) wrote in a paper
on the role of statistical methodological research in National Statistical
Institutes, claiming that research should be independent and relevant.
Istat began to organize tools for governing the antinomy between
independence and relevance:
 Innovation Lab
 Advisory board
 Triennial plan for the thematic research
Furthermore, the aspect of relevance was mainly addressed by a careful
selection of the area of interest on which research should be primarily
addressed
Methodological research at Istat

4. In Istat, methodological research, in general, should be able to give answers to the following
factors
a. External factors
 Availability and quality of data
 Reduced budget for official statistics
 Globalization and new trends (i.e. new themes for which traditional statistical
approaches fail to give high quality information)
 The European Statistical System (e.g. through the Vision 2020)
b. Internal factors (planning in the Programma Statistico Triennale, selection of the relevant
topics connected to methodological research)
 PG1. Construction of an integrated system of registries
 PG2. Extension to additional themes of the available information
 PG3. Development of methodological and thematic research (in this case, efforts
towards the statistical use of big data, and in general for the integrated use of different
data sources)
 PG4. Improving solidity and safety (definition of a unique process for statistical
production)
Factors that make methodological research relevant

5. 1. It is not possible to be excellent in all the research areas.
2. Necessities and priorities given by the National Statistical System and the research
programmes (e.g. Vision 2020, l’HLG-MOS) in which Istat is involved in.
3. Increase the amount of statistical information produced.
4. Gain efficiency and better use the available resources
Criteria for project selection
This is the selection of the priority research
areas
1. Integrated system of registers,
2. Census obtained by data integration,
3. Big data,
4. Unique process
Macro sectors Research
areas
Longitudinal and cross cutting coherence among population
estimates
1,2
Quality and coverage of the data sources 1
Data integration methods 1
Ontology-driven data management 1
Strategies for metadata harmonization 1
Estimators on population dimension 2
Small area estimation 1,2
Indirect sampling and sampling methods for rare and elusive
populations
2
Optimal sampling for data sources integration in a
population register
1,2
Sample surveys with mixed mode data collection 2
Machine learning methods applied in the context of Big Data 3
Sample designs for surveys with multi-source data, including
Web/Big Data
3
Statistics based on multi source data, including Big Data 3
Unique process 4

6. Role of the Advisory Committee
(Approved on 9/02/2017)
• Ensures the refereeing of the projects methodology, either in their early
phase, and, during their development, their monitoring when important
decisions have to be undertaken;
• Acts as a tutor for specific projects
• Suggests potential methodological advanced training actions for the
ISTAT functionnaires working on such projects.
Similar Committees in other INS:
Advisory Committee on Statistical Methods (Statistics Canada)
Advisory Council on Methodology and Quality (CBS)

7. Members of the Advisory Committee
− Daniela Cocchi, University of Bologna, Head
− Ray Chambers, University of Wollongong (sampling and model
based estimation)
− Marlon Dumas, University of Tartu, (business and process
management)
− Pierre Lavallèe, Statistics Canada (indirect sampling)
− Maurizio Lenzerini, Sapienza University of Roma (ontologies for
data integration)
− Brunero Liseo, Sapienza University of Roma (methods for
integration, data linkage and Bayesian approach)
− Giovanna Ranalli, University of Perugia (small area estimation)
− Li Chun Zhang, University of Southampton (integration of registers)
Scholars with different expertise may be involved to integrate the
Committee

8. How AC has been working
Two meetings per year for discussing the methodological features of the ISTAT
strategic projects.
These projects are identified at the end of the of the programming process
(yearly and triennial)
• Project refereeing: based on an abstract, the evaluation was assigned to one or
two members of the Committee. Then, they received a more detailed draft. Each
project was discussed in one of the meetings; in such occurrence all board
members received the material. The Advisory board discussion of the project is
launched by the referees. The proponent and the members of the project team
were invited to the dedicated part of the meeting. AC began with this activity
• Particular projects tutoring: an expert was appointed, among the Committee
members, to follow some projects. The ISTAT functionaire in charge of the project
may consult her/him for suggestions. This tutoring activity occurred at distance
and during the meetings of the Committee, specific time slots were dedicated to
discussing the advances of these projects.
• Advanced training actions: proposals of advanced training actions for the
methodological area were discussed during the meetings. The Committee may
have contributed to identify suitable instructors.

9. The programme today: morning
08.45 Registration
09.00 Welcome
Maurizio Franzini | Istat acting President
Daniela Cocchi | University of Bologna and chair of the Advisory Committee on statistical methods
SESSION I
BIG DATA
Chair: Giovanni Alfredo Barbieri | Director of Directorate for development of statistical information and culture | Istat
9.15 Sampling schemes using scanner data for the consumer price index
Claudia De Vitiis | Directorate for methodology and statistical process design | Istat
9.30 Text mining and machine learning techniques for text classification
Francesco Scalfati, Fabiana Bianchi | Directorate for methodology and statistical process design | Istat
9.45 Use of Internet data in Official Statistics: a proposal for a methodological framework
Paolo Righi | Directorate for methodology and statistical process design | Istat
10.00 Discussion
Li-Chun Zhang | University of Southampton | Statistics Norway | University of Oslo
Maria Giovanna Ranalli | University of Perugia
10.30 Floor discussion
10.45 Coffee break
SESSION II
ESTIMATION METHODS AND ACCURACY
Chair: Daniela Cocchi | University of Bologna
11.15 The anticipated variance as a measure for the accuracy of complex multisource statistics
Piero Demetrio Falorsi | Director of Directorate for methodology and statistical process design | Istat
11.30 Balancing methods for ensuring time and space consistency of demographic estimates in the Italian
integrated system of statistical registers
Marco Di Zio | Directorate for methodology and statistical process design | Istat
11.45 Integration of administrative sources and survey data through Hidden Markov Models for the production of
labour statistics
Danila Filipponi | Directorate for methodology and statistical process design | Istat
08.45 Registration
09.00 Welcome
Maurizio Franzini | Istat acting President
Daniela Cocchi | University of Bologna and chair of the Advisory Committee on statistical methods
SESSION I
BIG DATA
Chair: Giovanni Alfredo Barbieri | Director of Directorate for development of statistical information and culture | Istat
9.15 Sampling schemes using scanner data for the consumer price index
Claudia De Vitiis | Directorate for methodology and statistical process design | Istat
9.30 Text mining and machine learning techniques for text classification
Francesco Scalfati, Fabiana Bianchi | Directorate for methodology and statistical process design | Istat
9.45 Use of Internet data in Official Statistics: a proposal for a methodological framework
Paolo Righi | Directorate for methodology and statistical process design | Istat
10.00 Discussion
Li-Chun Zhang | University of Southampton | Statistics Norway | University of Oslo
Maria Giovanna Ranalli | University of Perugia
10.30 Floor discussion
10.45 Coffee break
SESSION II
ESTIMATION METHODS AND ACCURACY
Chair: Daniela Cocchi | University of Bologna
11.15 The anticipated variance as a measure for the accuracy of complex multisource statistics
Piero Demetrio Falorsi | Director of Directorate for methodology and statistical process design | Istat
11.30 Balancing methods for ensuring time and space consistency of demographic estimates in the Italian
integrated system of statistical registers
Marco Di Zio | Directorate for methodology and statistical process design | Istat
11.45 Integration of administrative sources and survey data through Hidden Markov Models for the production of
labour statistics
Danila Filipponi | Directorate for methodology and statistical process design | Istat

10. The programme today: afternoon