Post by Royal Statistical Society

👂📊 Are we really listening to the people who use statistics, or is our engagement with them merely occasional and transactional? We’ve just published a new report from our February 2026 roundtable with the Office for Statistics Regulation exploring what effective user engagement should look like across the UK statistical system. The conversation brought together regulators, producers, users and engagement specialists, all recognising that meaningful engagement isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s fundamental to both the quality of statistics and public trust in them. So what needs to change? - Move beyond one-off consultations: build ongoing, trust-based relationships with users - Be transparent: show how input shapes decisions (and why some needs can’t yet be met) - Be consistent: create clearer, more predictable ways for users to engage across the system Participants also pointed to some real challenges: engaging people beyond the usual networks, working through polarised topics, and rebuilding trust where confidence has been lost. Our key takeaway is that engagement needs to be more open, visible and embedded. We’re looking forward to continuing this work with OSR and others to strengthen how the statistical system listens, responds and evolves. 📄 Read more about the report here: https://lnkd.in/eYKEAPRs #Statistics #UserEngagement #PublicTrust #Data #Evidence #UKStats