On 5 May, the Kyiv School of Economics hosted a discussion on the draft strategy of the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, attended by representatives of the State Statistics Service, the government and the expert community, including specialists from the KSE Institute and KSE University, as well as researchers working with data. The participants’ task was to propose initiatives and solutions that would help to achieve the State Statistics Service’s strategic goals. In his opening remarks, the Head of the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, Arsen Makarchuk, outlined the main direction of development whilst presenting the draft strategy:

‘“Today, our task is to ensure the development of the State Statistics Service as a modern institution that is integrated into the European statistical community and operates according to common standards of quality, comparability, and trust. Over the past year, we have resumed statistical reporting and data publication, are developing information exchange with other government agencies, and are gradually strengthening institutional capacity. The next stage is a qualitative transformation, which cannot be achieved without open interaction with the professional community. That is why we consider such meetings to be a working tool — to jointly develop solutions that will allow the State Statistics Service to meet the expectations of data users and strengthen its role in the decision-making process” said Arsen Makarchuk.

The expert community and specialists from government institutions who work with data on a daily basis are most keenly interested in creating a modern system that will provide, real-time, the high-quality and accessible data required for research. On the other hand, by working with various sources in Ukraine and abroad, experts are best able to see the potential risks, opportunities and priorities for transforming the State Statistics Service into a genuine data hub and for its subsequent integration into the European and global landscape.

“The partnership with the State Statistics Service is very important to KSE. We firmly believe in data – that it must be collected and analysed to make the right decisions, and that data can improve the lives of all of us. So today’s event is a small step towards a long-term partnership. I hope that our researchers and the State Statistics Service team will work closely together to realise our shared vision of promoting economic development and improving the lives of society through data,” said Tymofiy Brik, Rector of KSE University.

Based on the results of discussions with the expert community, the State Statistics Service will refine the priorities for implementing the strategy, approaches to developing statistical products, and formats for interacting with data users. This will allow the agency to better align its work with the actual needs of the government, the business community, and the analytical community.

In practical terms, this means improving the quality and usefulness of statistical data, developing services for users, and strengthening the institutional capacity of the State Statistics Service as the coordinator of the national data system.

For the state, this creates a foundation for more systematic monitoring of key socio-economic processes and decision-making based on comparable and reliable data. For international partners, it means more transparent and predictable interaction based on comparable indicators.