METhodology and research

In complex modern societies accurate statistics offer a rigorous vision of relevant phenomena and facilitate the creation of appropriate solutions. However, it is widely recognized that at the turn of the century the production of sound statistics is facing huge challenges: shrinking resources, unsustainable administrative burdens, need for better quality and comparability, increasing demand for harmonization of methods, etc. Only the development and use of rigorous methods and techniques can offer scientists effective solutions to overcome these problems.

Within different domains, Sogeti provides consulting services on methods and techniques for statistics, with special reference to the EU context. Besides having its in-house team of experts, Sogeti is part of an international network of recognized scientists and experts of the public and private sector.

Our expertise

Since the early 2000’s, Sogeti successfully implements projects covering different methodological issues and statistical domains for clients of both the public and private sector. Accordingly, our in-house team of experts is able to provide a vast range of consulting services on methods and techniques for research, including:

• Analysis and assessment of different methodological frameworks;
• Methodological development and support on different statistical domains;
• Training on statistical procedures and models;
• Ad Hoc methodological descriptive material (guidelines, handbooks, etc.)

Since 2013, Sogeti leads a Consortium providing Eurostat and other DGs of the European Commission with methodological support on various statistical domains. This project of a wide scope aims to assists the European Commission on its effort to optimise, integrate and evaluate different statistical production processes carried out across the European Statistical System. Within this context, our team of experts is currently engaged in activities like: quality assessments, awareness rising, trainings, etc.

From 2006 to 2011, Sogeti was in charge of a methodological help-desk for Eurostat. The activities carried out within this framework included:

• A review of national methodologies to sample and estimate the composition of End-of-Life Vehicles;
• A review of existing methods for the imputation of Business Data;
• The design of a questionnaire to obtain information on anonymisation methods;
• A theoretical investigation on the revision process of several EU economic indicators;
• The sampling design for the European Security Survey (2013);
• The revision of different economic time series;
• The production of guidelines for optimal sample size design;
• The production of guidelines for the anonymisation of Business Data and household/individual micro-data;
• The production of survey sampling reference guidelines;
• The provision of E-learning courses on seasonal adjustment.

Also, between 2012 and 2013 Sogeti carried out the anonymisation of micro data on carriage of goods by road. Implemented for Eurostat, this project aimed at establishing a robust methodology to anonymize and make data available for scientific purposes; it included methodological assistance and required discussion with national data providers.

In the recent past, Sogeti carried out a study on the needs for future research in Official Statistics. Implemented for the Statistical Office of the European Union, this project consisted of an in-depth analysis of the needs for research in Official Statistics, with reference to the challenges set out in the European Commission’s vision on the production of EU statistics as well as new methodologies and ICT technological advances.