1. Innovation at Statistics Netherlands
Hank Hermans Prepared by Barteld Braaksma, Maarten Emons, Nico Heerschap, Marko Roos and Marleen Verbruggen
The Innovation programme and the Innovation Lab
Two examples in the area of data collection

2. Why an innovation programme?
External pressure (new output channels. cooperation)
Technological challenges (big data, social media)
Internal ideas
(empowerment;
synergies) 1

3. How does the programme work(1/2)?
Road map for innovation tracks
Rough idea
Enriched idea
Find sponsor
Concrete proposal
Proof of Concept
Implementation
Not starting from methodology (theory)
But from idea for application (practice)
The best way of having a good idea is having a lot of ideas 2

4. How does the programme work(2/2)?
Innovation program supports and facilitates tracks
Survival of the fittest (accept failure) # ideas > # PoCs > # implementations
Resources from initiator, sponsor, methodology, IT
Collaboration with external partners
Strong support from top management
Light management and limited paperwork (‘just do it’) 3

5. The Innovation lab Opening May2012 Heerlen Elaborating ideas
Brainstorming
Workshops
Open IT-environment
Communication facilities
The Hague

6. Internet as a Data Source (example 1/2)
Many opportunities
Price statistics
Job vacancies
C2C (EBay)
But important issues
Quality
Methodology
Legal aspects
Job vacancies from internet robots and quarterly statistics compared 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
Elementary
Primary
Secondary
Higher
University
Unknown %
Internet
CBS

7. Smartphones (example 2/2)
Promising applications
Tracking smartphone use
Combination with GPS data
Short pop-up questionnaires
Challenges
Recruitment of participants (privacy!)
Power consumption
Methodological issues

8. What are our experiences so far?
Innovation programme works (30 ideas first half of 2012)
Many non-statistical issues show up (legal aspects, IT requirements)
New sources come with new challenges (methodology, recruitment, robustness)