Survey Metadata Tool Data Management and Information Delivery Project (DMID) 13 February 2008

1. Survey Metadata Tool Data Management and Information Delivery Project (DMID) 13 February 2008 1st African Digital Curation Conference CSIR International Convention Centre Pretoria, South Africa Matile Malimabe

2. Overview • Metadata in Context • Official Statistics and Quality • Enabling Quality with Metadata • Tool Demo • Conclusion

3. Metadata in the Capture Tool Dataset from a Survey Collected Data Describes Metadata Data Metadata in Context Data, Information, or any Object that may be used to Describe or Define Data Collected, Procedures followed and Methodologies used during statistical programs What is Metadata? Example

4. Why Metadata? To ensure Quality of Statistics: By Documenting Production Processes, Techniques and Methodologies used in Production of Statistical Products By Providing Information to Aid Analyses of Stats SA’s Statistical Products Metadata in Context Cont… * Therefore there is a close relationship between Stats SA’s Metadata and Quality Initiatives

5. Section 7 (a) of the Statistics Act (No. 6 of 1999) stipulates: The Statistician-General may designate as Official Statistics any statistics or class of statistics produced from statistical collections by: (i) Statistics South Africa; or (ii) other organs of state, after consultation with the head of the organ of state concerned Official Statistics and Quality

6. Official Statistics and Quality Cont… • Statistics are designated as official upon meeting the following four requirements: • Use beyond the needs of producer • Sustainability • Membership of the National Statistics System (NSS) • Compliance with the Quality Provisions as stipulated in the South African Statistical Quality Assessment Framework (SASQAF) *SASQAF provides a universal framework for assessing the quality of statistics within the NSS

7. Official Statistics and Quality Cont… SASQAF Implications SASQAF is one way of operationalising the Act With SASQAF … • Quality of Statistics will be Measured • Failure to meet SASQAF Quality provisions implies failure to achieve the Official Certification for produced Statistics

8. Official Statistics and Quality Cont… Commitment to Quality • Strategic • Stats SA’s Commitment to quality is encapsulated in its vision to be “the preferred supplier of quality statistics” Operational SASQAF Defines 8 Quality Dimensions

9. Survey Metadata Capture Tool Provides Central Storage for Metadata Provides Consistent Metadata Capture Enabling Quality with Metadata Captured Metadata may be Used: • For Interpretation of Disseminated Statistical Products • As an aid to Trainingand Sustenance of Organisational Knowledge

10. Stats SA is developing (DMID) Standard Metadata Tools To Ensure Quality of its products Quality Framework To Measure/Assess Quality Summary Metadata Tools • Centralise Metadata for the organisation’s Statistical Products • Maintain Consistent Metadata in the organisation

11. Tool Demo We will now show a short Demo of the tool DMID has Developed to Capture Statistical Metadata

12. Conclusion Innovative Technology Tools e.g. Survey Metadata Capture Tool Quality SASQAF Framework Metadata Standardisation

13. Thank You!!!