Principle 7: Sound Methodology

The overall methodological framework used for European Statistics follows European and other international standards, guidelines, and good practices, while constantly striving for innovation.

INSEE relies on the methodological frameworks defined by Eurostat for European statistics. The social statistics produced by the Institute, such as the Labour Force survey on French employment, thus comply with the Integrated European Social Statistics (IESS) Framework Regulation and with associated secondary regulation. Similarly, business statistics conform to the European Business Statistics (EBS).

INSEE also participates in the development of international and EC standards, as well as in task forces led by Eurostat. The Institute’s involvement is significant on topics such as the centre of excellence for seasonal adjustment, big data or the use of administrative data sources.

Innovation is at the heart of many projects led by INSEE. As regards household surveys, the Mixed-Mode Programme, launched in 2016, aims to advance data collection via the Internet. In particular, this programme was implemented for the Labour Force survey. Other experiments have been launched, such as for the survey on the state civil service or the survey on the living environment and security. With the lockdown period, a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic, INSEE has also innovated to meet new needs by working together with private and public data holders.

In order to strengthen its capacity for innovation and the use of new data sources, INSEE has gradually reorganised its services. Created in 2012, the Department of Statistical Methods develops, promotes and approves good cross-cutting practices for INSEE or for the French Official Statistical Service. It performs a broad range of actions: sampling, spatial analysis, survey design, etc. Alongside this department, a resource and leadership centre relating to data science for statistical production, the SSP Lab, was established in 2018. It carries out a variety of exploratory work, using techniques such as machine learning or webscraping, for example. The SSP Lab has been used, in particular, to use new data sources and produce statistics to inform public debate during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Procedures are in place to ensure that standard concepts, definitions, classifications and other types of standards are consistently applied throughout the statistical authority.

Since 2018, INSEE has had a single repository, RMéS, designed to centralise the statistical metadata disseminated, i.e. all the information necessary to interpret the results produced. RMéS contains the main concepts, definitions and classifications in force within INSEE. In addition, it includes all the information required to describe statistical operations. The centralisation of metadata and the adoption of a description consistent with international standards enables this information to be shared across the French Official Statistical Service and to be widely reused, particularly by machines.

The concepts, standards and definitions are used in a homogeneous manner within INSEE, with a desire to follow European recommendations. For example, the concept of a profiled company is being gradually implemented in the production of structural business statistics, in accordance with Eurostat recommendations. The harmonisation of concepts is also appropriate for household surveys, through the existence of a common core of questions. More broadly, the proper use of standards, classifications and definitions in surveys is verified by the Official Statistics Quality Label Committee.

The registers and frames used for European Statistics are regularly evaluated and adjusted if necessary in order to ensure high quality.

As regards business statistics, INSEE manages the SIRENE business register and the SIRUS statistical business register. These two registers are continuously updated and are subject to regular or specific quality improvement operations. Quality assessment forms part of the day-to-day management operations of these databases.

The quality of household surveys has greatly increased thanks to the implementation of the NAUTILE programme, which is based on the implementation of innovative sampling and sample drawing methods. Since 2019, the survey samples are now updated annually using the latest tax source available. This updating allows surveys collected in year A to be drawn from a sample of households (or individuals) whose address and contact details (phone and email) have been provided by the households in June of year A–1 or year A-2 for start of year surveys.

Detailed concordance exists between national classifications systems and the corresponding European systems.

In so far as statistical production is largely driven by European demand, maximum convergence between French classifications (also intended to meet national needs) and European classifications is sought.

The French economic classifications are part of an international system of activity and product classifications for a range of uses. Correspondence tables specify the links established by construction between these different classifications.

The French classification of activities (NAF Rev.2) is a classification of productive economic activities, developed mainly to facilitate the organisation of economic and social information. In order to facilitate international comparisons, it has the same structure as the Ouvrir dans un nouvel ongletNACE Rev.2 European Classification of Activities, which is in turn derived from the Ouvrir dans un nouvel ongletISIC Rev.4 (International Standard Industrial Classification of all Economic Activities) international classification. NAF Rev.2 contains two “standard” aggregated levels (sections and divisions) that are shared by the ISIC Rev.4 International Classification of Activities and the NACE Rev.2 European Classification of Activities. To meet the needs of economic analysis and dissemination for summary data, the NA 2008 Aggregated Classification has been created. It includes seven aggregation levels associated with the NAF Rev.2 that allow for international comparisons.

The CPF Rev.2.1 Classification of French Products aims to classify goods and services derived from economic activities according to common characteristics. For each NAF code, a link with the CPF makes it possible to view the product codes and titles associated with each activity. The CPF is part of the European Classification of Products by Activity (CPA).

The European Classification of Individual Consumption according to Purpose (ECOICOP) makes it possible to break down individual consumption by units of need. Its first four grouping levels are now standardised at international level. It is used for the dissemination of Consumer Price Indices (CPI), the Household budget survey and the National Accounts.

At international level, INSEE uses the Ouvrir dans un nouvel ongletInternational Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) and the Ouvrir dans un nouvel ongletEuropean socio-economic groups (ESeG) classification.

Two different classifications are used for occupations and socio-economic groups at French national level:

These two classifications are justified from a theoretical and empirical point of view, though they do not fully incorporate the notion of occupation used in the ISCO international classification.

Localised European statistics are transmitted to Eurostat in accordance with the NUTS classification, at levels 1, 2, 3 or LAU (Local Administrative Units) as requested. NUTS level 1 corresponds to the new French regions, plus the French overseas territories. NUTS level 2 corresponds to the old French regions, plus the French overseas territories. NUTS level 3 corresponds to the French departments, including overseas territories. Finally, LAU level corresponds to the French municipalities.

INSEE contributes actively to the territorial divisions of European statistics and their implications for the construction of data. Investment has been made to review existing zoning (particularly employment zones and urban areas) and to adapt them to requests for territorial data, while linking it with European divisions.

Thus, the zoning of employment zones was revised in 2020 on the basis of a methodology adopted by Eurostat that resulted in employment zones with sizes (in terms of number of active persons) that are less dispersed than in the previous version.

INSEE has also updated the zoning of urban areas to align it with international definitions. Thus, the largest hubs of the 2020 zoning and their areas of attraction are consistent with the perimeters of the Ouvrir dans un nouvel ongletCities and their functional urban areas used by Eurostat and the OECD. To mark the change in method, the new zoning will be renamed : “urban areas” will be renamed “functional areas”.

In addition, in 2020, INSEE updated the “grille de densité des communes” (density grid for municipalities) to improve consistency with the European methodology. This classification builds on Eurostat’s work, by introducing an additional category to take account of sparsely populated areas, which are more common in France than in other European countries. Thus, a distinction is made between sparsely populated municipalities and very sparsely populated municipalities.

Graduates in the relevant academic disciplines are recruited.

To fulfil its various missions, INSEE recruits a range of profiles (statisticians, economists, computer scientists and researchers).

INSEE mainly recruits its senior statisticians from among the graduates of two French schools that form part of the Group of National Schools of Economics and Statistics (Ouvrir dans un nouvel ongletGENES): the National School of Statistics and Economic Administration (Ouvrir dans un nouvel ongletENSAE) and the National School of Statistics and Data Modelling (Ouvrir dans un nouvel ongletENSAI). These two schools are accessed via a competitive application process, open to students with at least two years of higher education, with candidates mostly coming from preparatory classes for the “Grandes Écoles”. The ENSAE trains administrators with a multi-disciplinary scientific background in economics, social sciences and applied mathematics. The ENSAI trains statistical “attachés” in statistical modelling, with associated skills in economics and computer technology.

”Contrôleurs” and “adjoints administratifs” are also recruited through competitive exams, while survey interviewers are recruited as needed following interviews: all these staff are trained at INSEE’s training centre in Libourne (Ouvrir dans un nouvel ongletCEFIL), following courses that are aligned with the needs of Official Statistics.

Statistical authorities implement a policy of continuous vocational training for their staff.

INSEE is fully committed to the implementation of French Ouvrir dans un nouvel ongletDecree No 2007-1470 of 15 October 2007 on lifelong vocational training for civil servants, as amended by French Ouvrir dans un nouvel ongletDecree No 2017-928 of 6 May 2017. The training plan includes a national component, which is accessible to all INSEE staff, and regional components tailored more specifically to each establishment. INSEE’s training policy is defined by a specific committee that also ensures its implementation.

Continuous training is integrated into the system of annual professional interviews: each year, staff and their direct superiors consider what training would be useful or necessary for the coming year. This training is directly linked to the position held and seeks to reinforce basic knowledge or prepare the employee for a change in position.

The training available is expanded not only in terms of content, such as in the field of cross-cutting management, but also in terms of its processes, with the development of remote training, for example. Training is provided by in-house specialists but INSEE also uses operators such as the Ouvrir dans un nouvel ongletIGPDE (Institute of Public Management and Economic Development), the Ouvrir dans un nouvel ongletEnsae-Ensai Formation Continue (Continuous training centre of the GENES – Group of National Schools of Economics and Statistics), the Ouvrir dans un nouvel ongletIRAs (Regional Administration Institutes) or Ouvrir dans un nouvel ongletEurostat. Training can also be supported by recognised teaching and research structures. For example, a partnership between the University of Rennes and the National School of Statistics and Data Modelling (Ouvrir dans un nouvel ongletENSAI) enables INSEE statistical “attachés” to obtain, subject to conditions, a Master’s Degree in “Applied Mathematics and Statistics” specialising in “Public Evaluation and Decision Making” through an accredited continuous training scheme. In 2015, this Master’s Degree course was awarded the European Master in Official Statistics (EMOS) label. Similarly, young research officers at administrator level are encouraged to complete a thesis on their work, based on the studies and research they are called upon to carry out as part of their role.

Each year, almost three quarters of the staff working at INSEE undergo training.

Statistical authorities maintain and develop cooperation with the scientific community to improve methodology, the effectiveness of the methods implemented and to promote better tools when feasible.

INSEE organises conferences to facilitate the development of work and scientific discussions and to enable the advancement of methods. These include the Statistical Methodology days (JMS), which take place approximately every two years and bring together statisticians from the French Official Statistical Service, academia and statistical institutes outside France. Other events are regularly organised by the Institute, such as Seasonal Adjustment Days, big data seminars or statistical methodology seminars open to the entire French Official Statistical System. The presentations of these seminars can be accessed publicly on insee.fr.

INSEE also participates in various conferences such as those organised by the French Statistical Society (Ouvrir dans un nouvel ongletSFDS), the International Statistical Institute (Ouvrir dans un nouvel ongletISI), the International Association for Official Statistics (Ouvrir dans un nouvel ongletIAOS), Ouvrir dans un nouvel ongletEurostat or the Ouvrir dans un nouvel ongletUNECE.