What does the Future Statistician mean in practice?
At the Government Statistical Service (GSS) Conference in Bristol, we asked colleagues: how does the Future Statistician Vision relate to your role?
The responses showed that every part of the vision resonated with someone’s current role. ‘Serving public needs and interests’ was seen as most relevant at the moment, while ‘leading in technological innovation’ was seen as less relevant to many current roles but was identified as the are likely to be most important in the future.
What could get in the way?
When we asked about the biggest barriers to developing future skills, time and capacity emerged as recurring themes, particularly alongside competing business as usual (BAU) priorities. Colleagues also highlighted the rapid pace of artificial intelligence (AI) development, access to people with the right skills, the need for development to be prioritised and supported, and the challenge of turning technical knowledge into practical application.
These responses highlight an important consideration for delivering the Future Statistician Vision. Identifying the skills the profession will need is only part of the picture. Colleagues will also need time and support to put new skills into practice.
From a vision to everyday practice
Launched in January 2026, the Future Statistician is a joint vision from the GSS and the Royal Statistical Society (RSS). It describes the future statistician as a trusted, technology-enabled leader of evidence: someone who combines strong statistical foundations with skills in areas such as artificial intelligence, communication and data stewardship.
For us, the most important part of the vision is its practical effect. It should help people to understand the capabilities they need, to find relevant opportunities to develop them, and to see how their work already contributes to the profession’s future.
Working together across the GSS
The Future Statistician Task and Finish Group was established in June 2026, bringing together members from across the GSS to help translate the vision into action.
We are working together to explore what the Future Statistician means for different roles, identifying examples of good practice, connecting related work across government and mapping learning opportunities against the capabilities in the vision. We are also gathering evidence about current skills, confidence and development priorities so that recommendations for future learning are based on colleagues’ real experiences. We plan to feature some of these case studies in the first Future Statistician progress report in January 2027.
Building a clearer learning offer
Within the Future Statistician Task and Finish group, the Learning and Development strand is mapping courses, resources and networks available across government. Bringing this information together will help us understand the current offer, identify possible gaps, and see how we can better support the capabilities required by the Future Statistician.
The map will tell us what is available. We also need to understand what colleagues find useful, where they need more support and which capabilities should be prioritised as roles evolve. That is why, alongside the Competency Framework Review Task and Finish Group, we have developed the GSS Skills Survey.
Have your say: complete the GSS Skills Survey by Friday 6 November 2026.
What happens next?
The survey findings, learning map, case studies and conversations with departments across the Civil Service will feed into our first progress report in January 2027. Together, this evidence will help us recommend where new development activities may be needed and align to emerging priorities.
The conference findings gave us an important starting point. Colleagues recognised the vision across a wide range of current and future needs, but also identified practical barriers to development. The Future Statistician will therefore depend not only on defining the right capabilities, but on creating the time, support and opportunities needed to build and use them. By sharing your experience through the survey, you can help shape what comes next.
Elliott Larkinson, Department for Work and Pensions, and Victoria Tidy, Office for National Statistics