5 quickfire questions with Philippa Robinson

Philippa Robinson, Deputy Head of the Analysis Function Strategy Synthesis and Coordination team at the Office for National Statistics (ONS), answers our 5 quickfire questions about her career so far.

What is the best thing about your job?

Handily for this year’s AiG month theme, it’s being in a role where I can really see the impact of what we are doing. Whilst I have only been in the Analysis Function Central Team for a year, I have been proud to see all the great work that we have delivered in this time and the support it’s provided to analysts working across government in doing excellent analysis. I look forward to being able to continue to do this over the coming years and seeing what more we can deliver.

What motivates you?

Being able to work with all the brilliant analysts working across government. It’s been a privilege to work with analysts from all the different professions and different departments and better understanding the challenges facing them and how we can support them. There’s always something new to hear about, so I never get bored.

What does “making an impact” mean to you?

There are so many ways we can have impact, whether that be doing more efficient or quicker analysis, or further down the line in ensuring that the work we are doing is impacting on the wider public, so hopefully we all feel like we are having an impact.

What was your first job and what did it teach you?

My first proper job was working in the Cabinet Office on Civil Service Diversity statistics. It was a great introduction to what we do in the Analysis Function (not that that term existed back then) and it’s obviously had a lasting impact as I’m still working in the Analysis Function after all this time.

If you could go back in time and give your 16-year-old self just one piece of advice, what would it be?

Have more faith in yourself! Or invest in Apple.