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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.
8
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