Affiliations: [a] Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy | [b] OECD Statistics and Data Directorate, Paris, France
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Hernán D. Muñoz, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell’Oceano Atlantico 12, Rome, Italy. Tel.: +39 388 631 6405; E-mail: [email protected].
Note: [1] This paper is dedicated to the memory of Jorge Todesca, Director General of INDEC between 2015 and 2019. Jorge was a source of inspiration, a long-standing public servant, who held multiple high-level positions which he always exercised impeccably, with commitment and ethics. Through his perseverance and endurance, he generated enthusiasm and commitment among INDEC’s team, who will surely strive to maintain his legacy.
Abstract: From 2007 to 2015, the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INDEC) of Argentina underwent damaging political interventions, which undermined the institution and the quality of its products and services, leading to a widespread distrust of the official statistics of the country. In January 2016, a presidential Decree declared a state of administrative emergency in the National Statistical System (NSS), allowing the recently appointed Director General of INDEC, to reorganise the agency and the NSS. To this end, INDEC authorities implemented several strategic, legal and operational actions in order to recover and develop the statistical capacity. The modernisation of the statistical legislation represented an important objective of this process and a draft law was prepared drawing especially on the Generic Law on Official Statistics (UNECE), the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics (UN), and the OECD Recommendation on Good Statistical Practice. This paper presents the main actions taken to recover the Argentinian statistical system, and derives the lessons learned.
Keywords: Official statistics, modernizing statistical legislation, capacity development, institutional reform, good statistical practices, trust
