Istat Business Architecture (Conference of European Statistics Stakeholders 2014)

A Business Architecture Model to Foster Standardisation in Official Statistics

Giulio Barcaroli, Nadia Mignolli, Piero Demetrio Falorsi, Alessandra Fasano

Italian National Institute of Statistics - Istat

Department for Integration, Quality, Research and Production Networks Development (DIQR)

CONFERENCE OF EUROPEAN STATISTICS STAKEHOLDERSMethodologists, Producers and Users of European Statistics

Sapienza University of Rome, 24 - 25 November 2014

INVITED SESSION 1 – Modernisation of Statistical Production Processes:Vision, Experiences and Challenges

Rome, 24 November 2014

Outline

Background

Business Architecture: reference framework and definition

BA Business Lines and activities

BA conceptual scheme

BA principles

Concluding remarks

G.Barcaroli, P.D. Falorsi, A. Fasano, N. Mignolli. Rome, November 24th 2014

Background Istat modernisation programme Stat2015: with the main

purpose of Standardisation of the statistical production process

Business Architecture first simplified proposal: elaborated by the Sponsorship on Standardisation on the basis of Statistics Netherlands (CBS) model

Current BA Model: A joint task of the Statistical Network (the Business Architecture

Project Team - Institutes of Australia, Canada, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, UK) and the ESSNet on Standardisation

Consistent with current actions carried out at international and European level (CSPA; ESS Vision 2020; ESS Architecture TF)

Cost-efficient (reuse of data, methods, processes, tools) Aligned both with organisational frameworks adopted by mature

industries (Service-Oriented Architecture – SOA) and with statistical standards (GSBPM 5.0; etc.)


Business Architecture (BA): Reference Framework and Definition It is considered the tool for achieving modernisation in

Istat and a common language to undertake congruent innovation paths ( “to be” model)

It is the conceptual and strategic part of Enterprise Architecture (EA) and drives the overall EA (its four layers – BA; AA; IA; TA) within an NSI

It covers all the activities undertaken to produce statistical outputs, including conceptualisation, design, build and maintain information and application assets

It is a reference model to optimise processes within an Institution/Organisation and make them more efficient. It covers both statistical activities and strategic organisational tasks and capabilities

It is based on a BA Activity Model, on a set of principles and on common and shared infrastructures

(Statistical Network BA Project Team; CSPA; ESSNet on Standardisation, 2013)


BA Business Lines

They are homogeneous areas with respect to the aim of the activities carried out and the nature of the information processed and/or services that insist on this information

They are defined in order to guarantee independence from the Institute current organisational structure, so as to ensure stability with regard to any future reorganisation

They facilitate NSIs to refer to a unique organisational model at the enterprise level, overcoming their internal tendency to replication/duplication

They enhance harmonisation and standardisation against stovepipe models characterised by strong heterogeneity (of procedural, methodological and technological approaches), lack of standards and redundancy of data and applications


4. CAPABILITYPlan capability improvements; Develop capability improvements;

Manage capabilities; Support capability implementation

DEVELOPSpecify needs; Design; Build

MANAGEPlan; Monitor; Adjust

IMPLEMENTCollect; Process; Analyse; Disseminate

3. PRODUCTIONIt consists of high-level strategic activities that enable NSIs to deliver the products and services needed by governments and communities nationally and internationally. These activities influence, shape and drive future directions and investments through the development and consideration of high-level strategies to advance statistical capabilities and optimise the statistical portfolio

It covers the cross-cutting, non-statistical functions required by an organisation to deliver its work programme efficiently and effectively. It supports the successful development and management of the capabilities (covering methods, processes, standards and frameworks, IT systems and people skills) that underpin an organisation ability to conduct its business. It also strongly promotes the reuse and sharing of infrastructure (statistical and technical), facilitating harmonisation and coherence of statistical outputs

BA Four Business Lines and their Group of Activities (Level I and II)

2. CORPORATE SUPPORTManage business and performance;

Manage finances; Manage human resources;

Manage IT; Manage information and knowledge; Manage consumers and

suppliers

1. STRATEGYPosition; Govern; Influence and

collaborate

It deals with all steps necessary to manage, design and implement statistical production cycles or projects, including surveys, collections based on data from administrative or other sources, account compilations and data modelling. It delivers the outputs approved under Strategy, utilising the capabilities and resources built and managed under Capability and Corporate Support.


BA Activity Model (Level I, II and III)


Istat BA Model – The Conceptual Scheme


BA Principle Assessment The whole BA model is led by fundamental

principles that become practical guidelines for the implementation of each business line activity and for ensuring the success of the model itself

Different Decision (7) and Design Principles (9) have been suitably defined, also taking into account the international and European context

Principles regard the overall governance, the process rules and the specific infrastructures


Key Messages from BA Principles (I) The whole statistical process is output and metadata-driven

The statistical process chain starts from the output desired (from required products) and goes backwards, defining the various aspects of the process

Firstly metadata are designed and then data production can start

Metadata have to be generally accessible and, as far as possible, standardised with regard to the types of units, the definition of concepts, classifications, quality characteristics, process

Quality Assessment

Quality has to be evaluated and documented at the different stages of the process

It is defined and planned during Develop or Re-develop

It is monitored and assessed in each phase of GSBPM and in correspondence of intermediate and final data releases


Key Messages from BA Principles (II)

Reuse and Adoption of Standards: Repositories

Focuses on both what is produced within the Institute and what is issued outside, with particular attention to the standards defined at international and European level

Reuse of existing and available data is generally to be preferred over the decision to conduct a new survey

The “to be” statistical production consists of a series of standardised single processes and of modular services that can be shared and reused in different contexts and statistical areas

Developments from scratch should be limited


Industrialisation of the Statistical Process

Statistical production has a repetitive nature with a rather rigid organisation style that can be largely automated

An industrialised process can be realised by agents other than those who have designed it

Ensuring the independence between Develop and Implement

Develop is performed only when needed, while a current statistical process is carried out on a regular basis

Implementation of a new project involving several innovations requires a new Develop phase

Key Messages from Principles (III)


Concluding Remarks

The adoption of a common language (BA model) becomes essential to undertake congruent innovation paths

A BA model sharable and adoptable by NSIs represents the foundations to foster and intensify the creation of a BA model also at European/international Statistical System level

This is consistent with what is taking place at European and international level

Sponsorship and ESSNet on standardisation ESS Architecture Task Force Statistical Network High-Level Group for the Modernisation of Statistical

Production and Services


Thank you for your attention

Contacts:

[email protected]

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www.istat.it

Grazie per l’attenzione


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http://www.istat.it/

Istat Business Architecture (Conference of European Statistics Stakeholders 2014)

Presentations & Public Speaking

business architecture

ba activity model

statistical activities

reference model

mainpurpose of standardisation

standardisation consistent

layers ba aa ia ta

nadia mignolli