Minutes

ESSnet Big Data

to Members Co-ordination Group ESSnet Big Data, Albrecht Wirthmann
(Eurostat)
cc
from Martin van Sebille
Project secretary

subject Draft minutes 1st CG meeting ESSnet BD by WebEX - 2016-03-21

2016- 03-25

Participants: See point 2 below

Excused: -

1. Opening and agenda

Peter welcomes everybody to the first meeting of the Co-ordination Group of
the ESSnet Big Data (CG). There is an extra agenda point “Sandbox” directly
after point 4. The aim of these CG meetings is to work as a team and stay in
control over the project. Issues can be brought in and will be discussed.

Members of the CG meeting are the project co-ordinator, who is also

work package leader of WP 0, supported by the project secretary, all the other
work package leaders and the members of the review board, Lilli Japec and Piet
Daas (who is also the envisaged WP 8 leader in SGA-2). Eurostat is represented
in the CG meetings by Albrecht Wirthmann, Program manager Big Data at
Eurostat.

The minutes will be made by the project secretary, Martin van Sebille. If
possible, the minutes shall be finalized by e-mail.

2. Introduction (all)
Brief introduction by the members:
- Peter Struijs (CBS), project co-ordinator of this ESSnet, WP 0 leader Co-
ordination: big data co-ordinator at CBS and member of the Global
Working Group on Big Data for Official Statistics.
- Martin van Sebille (CBS), project secretary: supports the process
development and methodology department at CBS.
- Anke Consten (CBS), WP 4 leader AIS Data: leads project at CBS on traffic
indices with big data (road sensors).
- Piet Daas (CBS), member of the review board: big data expert, leading the
big data research programme at CBS; envisaged WP 8 leader Methodology
in SGA-2.
 - Boro Nikic (SURS), WP 6 leader Early Estimates: international contact
person of big data at SURS.
- Marc Debusschere (SB), WP 9 leader Dissemination: Marc has worked
several years at Eurostat and was responsible for administrative co-
ordination for which he set up a wiki infrastructure.
- Nigel Swier (ONS), WP 1 leader Webscraping/Job Vacancies: since two
years with his team responsible for big data, also member of the ESS Task
Force Big Data.
- Monica Scannapieco (ISTAT), WP 2 leader Webscraping/Enterpise
Characteristics: responsible with her team for big data, closely co-
operating with the methodology and IT departments. Also member of the
ESS Task Force Big Data.
- Maiki Ilves (EE), WP 3 leader Smart Meters: is leading a small team doing
methodological analyses concerning big data.
- David Salgado (INE), WP 5 leader Mobile Phone Data: is head of the unit
Methodology and is also involved in big data for INE (at national and
international level).
- Anna Nowicka (GUS), WP 7 leader Multi Domains: works for Programming
and Co-ordination of Surveys department which manages all activities in
big data for GUS.
- Lilli Japec (SCB), chairperson review board: is looking forward to bring in
her expertise on reviewing the documents/deliverables.
- Albrecht Wirthmann (Eurostat), Program manager Big Data: appreciates to
be invited to the CG meetings. This ESSnet is not just a contract. It is
necessary to co-operate to get the best out of the project, also in view of
possible changes over time concerning big data. Eurostat (i.e. Albrecht and
his team) will support, co-ordinate and put in their influence whenever this
is needed, realistic and possible for this ESSnet.

What is the state of the contract of SGA-1?

The contract is now at the budgetary unit of Eurostat. No feedback has been
received yet, which may be a good sign. The contract will probably be signed
around Easter. (Editor’s note: on 22st of March the letter of intention to award
the grant was received)

3. Planning of CG meetings
Decision:
The next CG meeting will take place on 6th of April. At that meeting Albrecht
will be replaced by Fernando Reis. Maiki cannot attend, but will look for
replacement. It is agreed that if a member is not available, it is their
responsibility to arrange replacement and to send the name (and e-mail
address) to Peter and Martin.

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 Generally every four weeks there will be a CG meeting. A draft schedule for the
CG meetings will be made. Action: Peter and Martin.
4. Internal communication

What is the state of the wiki?

After exploring which kind of wiki should be used, it seems that MediaWiki
would be suitable, according to Marc. Getting technical support within
Statistics Belgium is difficult, so that may have to be outsourced. Maybe
another NSI can provide support. Marc explains that MediaWiki is suitable as a
working platform for at least:
- uploading (draft) documents and files;
- discussions;
- schedules for handling goals;
- access control; you can have diverse access rights for different internal
groups;
- possibility for external communication of deliverables/milestones (i.e.
reports) of the ESSnet to a broader community.
The time frame is to get MediaWiki up and running within 2 or 3 weeks, and
develop it further in time.

Eurostat is still using MediaWiki as built by Marc and his team. Albrecht offers
help from Eurostat in arranging hosting and technical support where possible
and to get the MediaWiki on line next week or as soon as possible.

Decision:
All members would agree if MediaWiki were chosen as the internal and
external communication tool.

Use of WebEx
For this project there is one license for WebEx meetings which can also be used
for internal work package meetings. Requests for WebEx meetings must be
sent by the work package leader to Martin and Peter (cc) by e-mail.
Notice that some time may be needed for testing and logging in for the
participants.

Sandbox
The Sandbox (in Ireland) will be available for the ESSnet. The costs are included
in the budget. It is up to the work package leaders to decide whether they
want to use the Sandbox or not. Monica (WP 2 leader) says that she certainly
wants to make use of the Sandbox.

Albrecht suggests that an introduction of the Sandbox might be given, since

there are a number of persons who have experiences with the Sandbox, also at

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 CBS. Maybe the contact person of the Sandbox (Antonino Virgillito) is available
for the next CG meeting to give a demonstration. Action: Peter.

5. Planning of the Tallinn meeting

As the ESS Task Force Big Data will meet in Helsinki on 16th and 17th of June, it
is practical to have the CG Tallinn meeting before. The connection time
between Tallinn and Helsinki is about three hours. The Tallinn meeting will
start on 13th of June after midday and end on 15th of June around lunchtime.
Notice that direct flights to Tallinn may be difficult to get. Maiki will send
information about accommodations. Action: Maiki.

There is travel budget for one person per SGA-1 country. Of course, travel costs
for persons attending the CG meeting in Tallinn as well as the Task Force
meeting in Helsinki can be claimed only once, but the proximity of Tallinn and
Helsinki makes it possible for countries attending the Task Force to have a
second participant in Tallinn for relatively low costs. It is expected that at least
all work package leaders will be present, as well as the Eurostat Program
manager. Please inform Maiki who will be coming to Tallinn. Action: all.

Peter will prepare the agenda of the Tallinn meeting and necessary
preparations will be made by the work package leaders.

6. The review board

The role of the review board is to give their expert comments on the
deliverables before they are finalized and, more generally, to advise on the
project if needed.

Lilli Japec chairs the board. Piet Daas, the envisaged leader of WP 8 of
SGA-2, is the second member of the review board. Apart from bringing in
methodological expertise, he will make sure that the deliverables of SGA-1 are
suitable as input for WP 8 of SGA-2. The review board is looking for a third
member. The CG member are invited to suggest names, if possible before
Easter, by e-mail to Lilli, Piet and Peter. Action: all.

Notice that each work package must plan the review of its draft documents
by the review board (draft(s) – review – finalized) in accordance with the time
frame agreed on in SGA-1.

Although no budget is foreseen for the review board, its members are invited
to participate in all CG meetings (WebEx, Tallinn and Sofia).

7. WP 1 to 7: current situation and immediate plans

WP 1 : Webscraping / Job Vacancies

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An informal meeting was held before the Task Force meeting in Luxembourg.
Main goal was to agree on subtasks to let the process start. In the next
formal meeting, in Wiesbaden on the 7th and 8th of April, the focus is on the
tasks for the next months. Sweden (SCB) struggles with legal issues for data
access. In the UK there are some big job portals. They will be examined for
usefulness. Nigel is going to a workshop on job vacancies in Amsterdam.

Albrecht wonders if the legal issue concerns specific national laws of Sweden
or the legal services within SCB. There is a report with an overview of legal
aspects of webscraping and some other legal issues on the European level.
The report will be shared with all work package leaders. Action: Albrecht.

WP 2 : Webscraping / Enterprise Characteristics

There have been informal meetings already and contacts about the tasks of
everyone. On 23rd of March a formal meeting in Rome (face to face) will be
held to exchange and discuss experiences on webscraping and enterprise
characteristics. Also to be discussed are the main features of national
business registers and how to enrich them. Further on the agenda:
proposal(s) for the (IT) architecture and making a detailed to-do list.

WP 3 : Smart Meters
There have been contacts with work package members by e-mail. A face to
face meeting will be held in Tallinn at the end of March. The main aim is to
obtain an overview of the situation in the field about smart meters in
different countries. Agreement will be sought about the reports that have to
be delivered.

The question was raised whether Eurostat can play a role if for instance
Sweden doesn’t get access to smart meter data due to legal issues. Albrecht
says that Eurostat has no experience on that issue but recently there was a
JRC workshop on smart meter electricity grids. He will send the information
he has to Maiki. Action. Albrecht.

WP 4 : AIS Data
Beginning of April there will be a WebEx meeting and in May a face to face
meeting in Heerlen (NL). Tasks and progress will be discussed. AIS data exists
at the European level, to which access is sought.

Albrecht mentions another JRC project related to AIS data, concerning the
tracking of containers which automatically send messages. Maybe it is
possible to collaborate or exchange experiences. Action: Albrecht.

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 WP 5 : Mobile Phone Data
There have been contacts with work package members by e-mail. In May a
face to face meeting will be held in Luxembourg in co-ordination with
Eurostat. Telecom providers will also be invited. For this work package the
on-going work of Eurostat to liaise with telephone providers is very
important. A survey is also envisaged.

Albrecht notices that this is not an effort by Eurostat alone but also by the
NSIs. For example INSEE is having an agreement with Orange and Proximus is
actually delivering data to Statistics Belgium. Albrecht suggests that David
may take the initiative to contact Telefonica in Spain. Fernando Reis
(Eurostat) can help with this. Action: David.

WP 6 : Early Estimates
A meeting shall be arranged together with the members of WP 7. The
intention is to have WebEx meetings every two weeks. Preparations are
made to fill in the two estimated pilots in a more concrete way. Several
workshops were held within the own organisation (SURS).

WP 7 : Multi Domains
At the moment WP 7 is focused on the planning phase (agreeing action plan).
The WP 7 leader has received feedback from participants. Most of them
prefer tourism statistics, fewer of them are interested in the agriculture
domain. All participants are very helpful. Poland will try to consider proposal
from co-partners. WP 7 would like to prepare a brainstorming to review
potential sources. This is the following step of work (under inventory phase).

Peter underlines the urgency of planning the joint meeting.

8. Any remaining issues and closing

At the next meeting reporting arrangements and the distribution of the first
payment after signature of SGA-1 will be on the agenda.

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 Decisions
Nr Who What
th
20160321.01 All Next CG meeting 6 of April
20160321.02 All MediaWiki can be chosen as the communication tool of the ESSnet Big Data

Actions
Nr Who What When Status
th
1 Peter Schedule of the CG meetings 6 April
Martin
2 Peter Invite Antonino Virgillito to demonstrate Sandbox asap
3 Maiki Information about accommodations in or near Tallinn asap
th
4 all Inform Maiki about participation in Tallinn 6 April
th
5 all Suggestions for a third member of the review board to Lilli, Piet, 28 March
Peter
6 Albrecht Report on legal issues concerning webscraping on European level asap
to all WP leaders
7 Albrecht Information on workshop smart meters electricity grids to Maiki asap
8 Albrecht Contact information JRC container tracking project to Anke asap
9 David Contact Telefonica asap

Actions completed in this meeting

Nr Who What When Status

Next meeting Co-ordination Group ESSnet Big Data

Date Time Issues How/Where
2016-04-06 10:30 – Update work packages (each WP leader, including demonstration of WebEx meeting
12:00 hr MediaWiki)
(connecting Update by the review board
from 10:15 Demonstration Sandbox
onwards) Reporting arrangements
st
Distribution of 1 payment of SGA-1