How we plan and prioritise our work

The Office for National Statistics has narrowed our range of statistical outputs to prioritise quality over quantity and direct resources towards our essential improvement work. This enables us to deliver our mission of producing trustworthy, independent, high-quality statistics that underpin the UK's most critical economic and societal decisions and inform the public. Our prioritisation measures are set out further in the published letter from Darren Tierney, ONS Permanent Secretary, to Penny Young, Interim Chair UK Statistics Authority (February 2026).

Using a tiering model to focus on what matters most

We have introduced a new tiering model to help us regularly review, prioritise and sequence work. The model is based on the level of impact that a statistical output is expected to have on users and the decisions they inform. This ensures that resources are focused on improving the statistics that carry the greatest weight for the UK.

The tiering model:

• is shaped by user feedback and focuses on expected impact
• helps guide decisions on our publications, quality improvements, and resource allocation
• represents a point in time and will be updated regularly as user needs and the context evolves

We are transparent about how and why we prioritise improvements and we welcome feedback as we iterate our model.

Tiering definitions

Tier 1 comprises:

• economic and population statistics that underpin the most critical economic and societal decisions
• market sensitive and/or highly consequential releases with the highest public interest

Tier 2 comprises:

• economic, social and population statistics covering key topics, with high public interest
•  flagship publications that are important but less consequential than Tier 1 outputs, as well as publications that contribute to or support Tier 1 outputs

Tier 3 comprises:

• economic, social and population statistics covering other topics, likely to be a more granular release of an important topic.

All our statistics are important, and outputs in Tiers 2 and 3 will still receive essential support. However, they will not attract the same level of development or promotional investment as Tier 1. Where a quality issue with a Tier 2 statistic was material enough to affect the quality of a Tier 1 statistic we would weigh that priority alongside other quality issues with Tier 1 statistics.

In general, we will sequence improvements to higher tier statistics first.  The tiering system is only one input into decisions on sequencing, which is an assessment that will also reflect broader factors such as the size and complexity of the required work and how set up a given initiative is for success, including an assessment of whether the required resources are available.

See the current list of our statistical outputs and their tiering in our Regular Statistical Outputs Tiering (XLS, 33.1 KB). Tiering does not apply to our ad hoc releases.

This list reflects a point in time and will be regularly reviewed through a new governance approach, with a focus on using our annual business planning process to commission outputs for the year ahead in line with our strategic priorities.

Sequencing change responsibly

We manage our core changes through a delivery portfolio, which brings together our highest-priority and most complex programmes. Work in the delivery portfolio is fully resourced and actively managed, with clear objectives, realistic plans and strong governance in place.

We have also introduced a structured “waiting room” approach to help protect quality by ensuring that the breadth of our change activity is appropriately sequenced and resourced. This will increase delivery confidence.

This approach:

• ensures only change activities that are ready, resourced and well defined move into delivery
• allows us to focus on high value change priorities, that meet critical user needs within resource constraints, protecting overall delivery confidence and quality
• makes clear which change activities are being progressed now — and what is important but waiting until conditions are right

A change activity moves from the waiting room into delivery only when the following conditions are met:

• there are clear objectives – what we are trying to deliver and why, for example, demonstrable user need
• there is a workable plan, including a realistic sequence of steps that can be delivered
• the right people and skills are available to do the work
• confidence in successful delivery, based on early assurance and preparation

Meeting these conditions provides greater certainty, reduces risk and helps to ensure that we deliver improvements that are sustainable.

Why these approaches matter

Together, these approaches mean that we can be clear about what we are working on, why, and in what order, so that users can have greater confidence in the quality and reliability of our statistics. Our aim is to:

• build trustworthiness by focusing on delivering high-quality statistics that underpin the most critical decisions
• deliver sustainably by aligning work with capacity and readiness
• improve transparency by clearly setting out what we will deliver now and what will follow
• modernise responsibly by ensuring changes are well planned, high quality and built to last

For any questions related to the content on this page, please contact external.affairs@ons.gov.uk.