A Peer Review of the Swiss Statistical System

The management of the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (SFSO) has commissioned two experts from one of the world's best statistical agencies to conduct a «Peer Review» of Swiss statistics. This is intended to achieve the following goals: -to identify, and describe in more detail, the strengths and weaknesses of the Swiss statistical system in general and the SFSO in particular, by making comparisons with recognised standards -to benefit from the experience and know-how of a statistical agency which is internationally recognised as an authority and a reference -to draw up proposals and recommendations to improve the present situation. The expert report was compiled in the spring of 2000 by two statistics specialists: Ivan P. Fellegi, Director-General of Statistics Canada, and Jacob Ryten, Deputy Director-General of Statistics Canada (retired). The expert report includes publication of the results on 16.6.2000. The voluntary Peer Review of Swiss statistics by these Canadian specialists is an international «first». In no way is it a step which has been initiated externally because of suspected malfunctions in the system: on the contrary, it is based on our own wish to have the system's strengths and weaknesses highlighted by an external view.