Vacancy: Advisory Panel on National Accounts Chair

The Advisory Panel on National Accounts (APoNA) provides independent advice to the National Statistician on the production, publication, uses and applications of National Accounts and their technical aspects.

The APoNA has been set up to provide advice and guidance for National Accounts, and its directly associated topics, which are produced and published by the ONS. This includes the regular suite of National Accounts publications (monthly, quarterly and annual) as well as the transformation of existing outputs and the development of new statistics.

In scope are:

• Data sources and methods used to compile the National Accounts,
• Production issues related to the compilation of GDP and components, which include: GDP (monthly, quarterly and annual), Trade, Balance of Payments, Sector and Financial Accounts, and Productivity.

Note that Public Sector Finances and classification guidance and decisions will be considered separately and outside of the APoNA due to specific user focus and needs.

Relationship of APoNA to other advisory panels

The APoNA forms part of a suite of separate advisory panels on Economic Statistics and works in parallel to separate advisory panels on Labour Market and Prices. Issues relevant to those topics are covered by the appropriate advisory panel.

Functions

The Advisory Panel provides independent advice to the Deputy National Statistician, Economic Statistics on the production, uses and applications of National Accounts, and its associated topics, to ensure that these statistics meet the needs of users and ‘serve the public good’.

Specifically, the Panel will:

• monitor and provide timely advice on the National Accounts and related transformations and improvements based on the agenda items covered;
• raise other relevant issues or topics on the production, use and application of National Accounts, including on behalf of the user community;
• provide technical expertise on relevant aspects of the National Accounts statistics work programme guided by the agenda items;
• provide a yearly report to the Deputy National Statistician, Economic Statistics as appropriate, describing its activities and plans

Roles and responsibilities

The APoNA advises the Deputy National Statistician, Economic Statistics.

The Chair of the APoNA, in conjunction with the Deputy National Statistician for Economic Statistics, will present a yearly summary report on the activities of the Advisory Panel, for the National Statistician, who in turn can decide whether specific matters or issues need to be raised or discussed by the UK Statistics Authority Board.

Essential criteria

• has a strong background as either a producer or user of official statistics, particularly in the economic domain;
• strategic skills, including the ability to analyse complex issues and to think clearly, strategically and laterally, extracting the essence of an argument from papers or presented evidence; and
• have a good working knowledge of the use of official statistics and their uses, and the UK statistical system.

The successful applicant will contribute sufficiently to Committee discussions such that it may effectively discharge its duties as set out in the Terms of Reference.

Terms and Conditions of Employment

Time commitment

The Panel will be expected to meet between 2 to 4 times each year or on an as needed basis as requested by ONS and agreed with the Chair. Adequate meeting preparation time will be provided.

Location

APoNA meetings will have flexibility to follow a hybrid approach, although the committee may, on occasion, meet all in person with a venue provided at a relevant ONS site for those attending.

Renumeration

The Chair will be paid remuneration of £5,000 a year. This position is non-pensionable. All reasonable travel and subsistence costs will be reimbursed.

Period of appointment

The appointment will be for an initial period of three years.