Changing the perspective: users’involvement in prioritising needs in the Italian National Statistical Programme

Monica Attias, ISTAT

Q2014 Vienna, June 4 2014

Until 2011, users interact with NSS producers (SISTAN) in Quality Circles:

these are producers working groups focused on quality of official statistics.

They include a number of selected users

Weaknesses:

•only 20 users involved

•organised by broad areas which do not offer space for indepth discussion

•No formal representation of users

From Quality Circles to a User Commission

A Satisfaction Survey on effectiveness of Quality circles (2011) :

362 respondents, response rate 58%, scale 1 to 7

The users describe as inadequate their contribution to defining statistics to

be included in the statistical programme (average vote 3,4)

Istat changes ist strategy

It includes 38 representatives of : public administration; research institutes and academia; open data; media; civil society and consumers

Objectives and tasks

CUIS: a Users commission

CUIS begins to operate in 2012. It is an Istat consultative body which relates to NSS

1. Making users needs for and gaps in Official statistics known2. Help defining and prioritising Official statistics to be included in PSN3. Help identifying other potential users4. Advocating for Official statistics5. Proposing initiatives to improve quality (timeliness, relevance, accessibility

and clarity)

User-Producer relation: a comprehensive approach

a) User engagement forums;

b) Online consultations surveys on user needs;

c) Tools for assessing relevance of official statistics;

d) Satisfaction surveys on statistical publications;

e) Working groups (open data, media, microdata);

f) A dedicated section of Sistan website (communities):

g) Training courses (data journalism)

This paper focuses on points relating to Relevance (a, b, c)

Indicates priorities to discuss

Yet to be met

users/producers forums to discuss needs

Already met but need to be more accessible

CUIS QUALITY CIRCLES

To be included and published in PSN

Not applicable (methodology)

Impossible to be met in three-year time span INFORMATION GAP

Publication on PSN

Adds or amend proposal and sets a calendar of forums on agreed priorities

CUIS and technical secretariat identify other users and potential users to include in debate

Dealt with by ISTAT dissemination DG

The Forums consultation process

User Engagement Forums up to May 2014

Each session is organised jointly with the Quality Circles (6 out of 11 areas)•The Study of corruption through citizen surveys; •The PA statistical portal. How to increase knowledge on public administration; •Development of statistics on inflation in the context of the European project on multi-purpose survey on consumer price; •Users needs and statistical production on cultural heritage: valuing the results of museum survey; •The information system on "Immigrants and new citizens"; •Poverty and deprivation indexes.

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Discussion between users and producers prevents that Users needs may not be

relevant as they …• 1)

•Refer to statistics already available, though not sufficiently accessible

•Are not applicable under the the methodological point of view

•Require resources which are not affordable

•Are not representatives of public national interest

….. And they can be endorsed according to a priority order recommended by users themselves

Contribution of key users to the statistical programme (PSN)

A bi-dimensional approach:

1.To measure perceived usefulness that stakeholdeers have of their proposals for PSN 2014 (120 respondents over 167 users and producers)

2.To assess the reception of users proposals for PSN 2014 through an analysis of the origin (regulations, protocols, agreements) of planned statistics 873 statistical record in PSN database).

Results1. Perceived usefulness (scale 1 to 7):

The Forum was useful for enriching PSN statistical offer?

Average users vote 5,99

Average producers vote 5,96

2. The reception of Users proposal in PSN

n. of statistics Regulations input Other users input for integration of existing statistics

Psn 2013 873 713 130

Psn 2014 880 594 286

From 2011 to 2014 (3,4) the user average vote shows a very positive trend.

The web search engine Open Psn is implemented to enhance the fruition of the information stored in the PSN database and enable users to identify existing gaps to fill in the next programme adjournement.

Tools for assessing Relevance: the new Open Psn

The navigation system works through The Google search appliance technology.

PSN INFORMATION RECORDS

1. Title, depositor

2. Theme, subject, observation unit, spatial unit, main variables,

privacy statement

3. Coverage, universe, respondent, time dimensions, data sources

4. Methodology, sampling procedures, number of units, method of data

collection

5. Dissemination and Timeliness information; confidentiality measures Fields 1-3 of statistics records will be published with the endorsement

act of PSN (t-1)Fields 4-5 will be published with the PSN state of implementation (t+1).

For ISTAT the process metadata are imported from the Sidi/SIQual system). In the future the records will inclide also validated metadata of SISTAN producers

1. The role of users is amplified by their inclusion in the frame of CUIS.

2. The involvement of CUIS at the beginning of the planning process enables producers to take their needs into account in a three year time span.

3. A structured interaction with users on focused themes has proved viable and positive and avoids frustration of both sides.

4. Producers have acknowledged that their planning capability has increased

Future developments• Through the Open Psn, users will better assess gaps

and relevance of Official statistics• Open Psn will help widen the network of users and make

consultation more effective• CUIS members will act as mediators of needs expressed

by the wider user community

Conclusions

Thank you for the attention

M. Attias, ISTAT

attias@istat.it