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This presentation discusses the importance of best practices in building a global statistical system. It explores the standards, methods, and practices, as well as the collection, management, and dissemination processes. It also highlights the reasons for transparency, harmonization, and capacity building. The presentation includes examples from the UNSD on the dissemination of best practices in trade index numbers, poverty statistics, and statistical organizations.
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Session 3: Collection, management and dissemination of current best methods, minimum standards, and best practices “The role of best practices in building a global statistical system” Presenter: Stefan Schweinfest, UNSD Conference on Data Quality for International OrganizationsNewport, Wales, United Kingdom, 27–28 April 2006
Outline of presentation 1. The “What”: Standards/Best Methods/Best Practices 2. The “How”: Collection/Management/ Dissemination 3. The “Why”: Transparency/ Harmonization/Capacity Building 4. Three UNSD examples of dissemination of ‘best practices’ 5. Points for discussion.
The “What”: Standards/Best Methods/ Best Practices • Surprising lack of terminological clarity: ‘standard’, ‘code’, ‘system’, ‘recommendation’, ‘principle’, ‘best methods’, ‘best practices’, ‘good practices’, ‘current practices’…. • abstract – concrete (‘standards’ – ‘best practices’) • ‘Standard’ = norm / model • Statistical Standards: Approved by legislative body eg. Statistical Commission – question of ‘enforcement’; • Minimum vs. maximum standards • ‘Best Practices’ = applied procedures; value judgement
The “How”: Collection/Management/ Dissemination • Collection • Scope: metadata - complex process descriptions • Timing: time of data collection – separate • Mode: questionnaire – assessment mission • Management • difficult to organize and store (textual information) • difficult to maintain up-to-date • Dissemination • whether or not? (sensitive country information?) • Mode: paper (static) or Internet (dynamic)
The “Why”: Transparency/ Harmonization/Capacity Building Questions: What is the primary purpose of disseminating “Best Practices”? • Transparency: Extension of metadata • Capacity building: sharing of knowledge • Harmonization: Convergence of practices, towards pre-established norm (‘soft enforcement’).
Three UNSD examples of Dissemination of Best Practices • Trade Index Numbers “National Practices in Compilation and Dissemination of External Trade Index Numbers – A Technical Report” UN, New York 2005, ST/ESA/STAT/SER.F/86 • Poverty Statistics “Handbook on Poverty Statistics: Concepts, Methods and Policy Use”, UN, New York, forthcoming, ST/ESA/STAT/SER.F/99, http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/poverty/default.htm • Statistical Organization “Official Statistics - Good Practices Website” http://unstats.un.org/unsd/goodprac/default.asp
Trade Index Numbers (1) • Prompted by a requested by Statistical Commission • Collection mode: questionnaire with follow-up (1999-2002) • Response: 76 countries and one customs union; • Relatively simple and straightforward questions on 8 categories; • Comprehensive response from respondents; • One-time paper publication (2005): standard description approx. 1 page per country
Trade Index Numbers (2) Category Response Rate • Index number series produced 100 • Source of information 100 • Index calculation methods 100 • Limitations of indices, problems and other methodological observations 75 • Release dates 84 • Revision policy 75 • Dissemination 99 • Compiling agency and contact information 100
Poverty Statistics (1) • Part of work on Handbook poverty statistics (inventory of methods) • Collection mode: paper/electronic questionnaire with follow-up during regional workshops (2005) • Responses used for analysis: 65 countries; • Relatively complex questionnaire with approx. 50 detailed questions; also contained request for actual data; • Uneven responses from respondents; • One-time paper publication (2006): tabular summary presentation of main findings (16 pages)
Poverty Statistics (2) Category Response Rate • National poverty rate (data) 95 • Poverty rate absolute or relative 97 • Income vs. expenditure 97 • Level of calories threshold 68 • Use of equivalent scales 98 • Poverty specific CPI used to costing the basket of goods 65 • Regional patterns in food habits taken into account 68 • Number of food items in the basket 69 • Length of recall period(s) 95 • Diaries method used to collect consumption data? 35 [….]
Statistical Organization (1) • Part of follow-up activities to Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics (Information sharing) • Collection mode: Initial call for provision of information (2000); • Selected information on 86 countries; • No questionnaire; posting of original material; assignation of keywords based on 10 principles and related categories; • Availability of information related to categories very uneven; • Internet based data base (ad hoc updates by UNSD).
Statistical Organization (2) Principle Category “Response Rate” Advisory bodies 49 User consultation 81 Organizational planning and operation 78 Presentation of statistics 95 Dissemination and marketing 55 Release policies 95 Dealing with the media 92 [….]
Summary observations • Three ‘collections’ of best practices prompted by different circumstances (data/no data; stage of methodological development); • Availability of information for about 30-40% of member countries; • Direct communication crucial to improve response rate and response quality; • Labour intensive exercises; challenge of sustainability • Limited knowledge of use of information.
Points for Discussion • What other examples of collection of ‘best practices’ are there? • What are the experiences with the cost-benefit analysis for the exercise? • Under which circumstances are collection efforts of ‘best practices’ most useful? • Do you agree that the collection of ‘best practices’ is an effective tool to promote ‘convergence’ among countries?
