ONS-UNECE Machine Learning 2021 Group
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) Data Science Campus is partnering with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) High-Level Group for the Modernisation of Official Statistics (HLG-MOS) to co-ordinate the new ONS-UNECE Machine Learning 2021 Group (ML 2021).
What is the UNECE HLG-MOS Machine Learning Project?
Over the last 18 months, the UNECE HLG-MOS Machine Learning Project has brought together more than 120 members from 23 countries and 30 organisations to focus on the development and implementation of machine learning for the modernisation of official statistics.
The project came to an end in December 2020 with an impressive range of outcomes across three working packages. These included 21 pilot studies, a Quality Framework for Statistical Algorithms (QF4SA) and a report on the Integration of Machine Learning into Production.
The UNECE High-Level Group for the Modernisation of Official Statistics is steered by committed chief statisticians from national statistics institutes around the world. Its Executive Board manages regular strategic activities, including ongoing working groups in specific themes and time-limited projects.
Machine Learning 2021 Group
The Machine Learning 2021 Group (ML 2021) will be led by the ONS Data Science Campus in partnership with the UNECE HLG-MOS from January to December 2021. Building on the work carried out by ML 2019 to 2020, ML 2021 aims to develop research, build skills and share resources on machine learning developments and applications for official statistics across the global statistical community.
ML 2021 Work Packages Scoping
To ensure ML 2021 reflects the research interests and needs of the international community, we are inviting National Statistical Organisations (NSOs) to lead on one or more activities that are both relevant to their organisations and aligned with the objectives of the Group.
Activity leads will be invited to meet virtually in January or February 2021 to group proposed activities into work packages and agree ways of working. The UNECE Machine Learning for Official Statistics Wiki shows the work packages (WPs) investigated by ML 2019 to 2020 and potential themes to be explored by the ML 2021 Group.
International organisations are invited to submit their activity proposals by 15 January 2021. Proposals may align to the research areas but other topic suggestions are also welcome.
Get involved
To help shape the ML 2021 Group and take part in events and activities, contact ML2021@ons.gov.uk, copying UNECE. You don’t need to be an activity lead to take part.
If you are already a member of the HLG-MOS Machine Learning Project, you do not need to register again. If you would prefer to opt-out from further communications from the ML 2021 Group, please let us know.
Join the ML for Official Statistics Group, part of the Global Network of Data Officers and Statisticians. A quick guide on how to join the Global Network is also available.
Announcements, news and public events from the ML 2021 Group, along with research, code, presentations and training resources from the ML 2019 to 2020 project, are publicly available in the UNECE Machine Learning for Official Statistics Wiki.
Contact us
Should you need further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Dr Solange Correa Onel, UK Office for National Statistics, Data Science Campus
InKyung Choi, UNECE High-Level Group for the Modernisation of Official Statistics