After Russia started the full-scale invasion in February 2022, State Statistics Service of Ukraine (SSSU) continued producing official statistics, continuously working to adapt to the changing reality under extremely difficult conditions. SSSU has succeeded in continuing their work, and they have been proactive in implementing the cooperation with Statistics Norway (SSB).
Continuing cooperation thanks to pandemic’s digitalisation boost
SSSU and SSB started a broad institutional cooperation project in late 2017. The two institutions established a close partnership where experts in the two institutions worked together, shoulder by shoulder, on a wide range of topics. Until the Covid-19 pandemic, all cooperation was done in person, either in Kyiv or in Oslo/Kongsvinger. SSSU and SSB found new ways of working together during the pandemic, including digital activities. At the same time, SSSUs digitalisation efforts ensured that the cooperation could continue successfully online.
The project was for all practical purposes frozen for the first few months following the invasion. However, SSSU was still fully focused on continuing to produce official statistics despite the chaotic situation. One of the most urgent needs was new servers for data security reasons. With the assistance of the Norwegian Postal service and the Polish statistical office, SSB could provide SSSU with new servers at the start of the war.
SSSU was ready to restart the project with Statistic Norway already in May 2022. The institutions benefited from established routines for working online and the flexibility of all partners to continue with the cooperation. Over the following year, the project also had to be adapted to the new priorities of SSSU and set out an ambitious program for statistical capacity building. Ukraine achieved EU candidate status in June 2022, which also increased the requirements on the SSSU.
The new virtual meeting problem: Air alarms
A typical online activity is now carried out over two or three weeks, with several sessions on a specific topic. So far in 2023, topics have included dissemination, website, microdata, user testing, seasonal adjustment, import price index, business demography and labour force survey. One of the main challenges of online meeting is interruptions from the air alarms, however the SSSU staff will come back to the sessions once the threat is over. The session can usually continue the same day, and the session is rescheduled for a later time if this is not possible. The Norwegian colleagues are impressed with the dedication and willingness of the SSSU colleagues to work in such conditions, especially after getting a very small insight into the ongoing war.
The most important aspect for the continued partnership between SSB and SSSU, which is in the middle of an armed conflict, is the dedication of the colleagues in SSSU. The dedication SSSU has shown as they continue producing and developing statistics under very difficult circumstances is an inspiration for all of us.
