Exploring quality dimensions in trustworthy Machine Learning in the context of official statistics: model explainability and uncertainty quantification

Despite the fact that National Statistical Offices (NSOs) continue to embrace and adopt Machine Learning (ML) methods and tools in a variety of areas of their operations, including data collection, integration, and processing, it is still not clear how these complex and prediction-oriented approaches can be incorporated into the quality standards and frameworks within NSOs or if the frameworks themselves need to be modified. This article focuses on and builds upon two of the quality dimensions proposed in the Quality Framework for Statistical Algorithms (QF4SA): model explainability and accuracy (including uncertainty). The implications of the current methods for explainable ML and uncertainty quantification will be examined in further detail, as well as their possible uses in statistical production, such as continuous model monitoring in intermediate ML classifications and auto-coding phases. This strategy will ensure that human subject-matter experts, who are an essential component of every statistical program, are effectively integrated into the life cycle of ML projects. It will also guarantee to maintain the quality of ML models in production, adhere to the current quality frameworks within NSOs, and ultimately boost confidence and trust in these emerging technologies.