The Royal Statistical Society’s Statistics User Forum (SUF) aims to be the strategic voice of users of official statistics. The Forum acts as an umbrella organisation for user groups, each of which covers a particular area across the spectrum of official statistics. Through the Forum we enable open and constructive dialogue between users and producers of official statistics and encourage communication across the user community.
To support the user groups SUF offers the following services to those that are affiliated to the Royal Statistical Society:
- Administration of membership lists;
- free meeting room facilities at RSS headquarters (presently up to half a day);
- support with managing and administering events; and
- promoting the user communities needs to senior officials responsible for the production of official statistics.
As well as having members from user groups, the Forum also includes members from a range of other relevant bodies, either as co-opted members or as participating observers.
The Forum continually strives to increase its membership through strengthening existing user groups, fostering the creation of new user groups where there is a need, and through developing links with other interested organisations. To build up membership SUF will also be developing a website to facilitate user engagement across the user community, and between users and producers.
Our aim to be the strategic voice of users is underpinned by being the first point of contact for obtaining the views of the user community. This has been demonstrated through parliament seeking SUF input during the passage of the Statistics and Registration Services Act 2007, and more recently through evidence provided to parliament concerning the 2011 Census. SUF is increasing its engagement with producers of statistics through representation on a range of advisory boards responsible for key strategic developments in the field of official statistics.
SUF also promotes the wider work of the RSS through encouraging users to join the RSS and through working with the RSS to promote the importance of statistics and to increase statistical literacy.
