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SDMX @ ABS: Why and How we use
SDMX
Graeme OakleyAustralian Bureau of
Statistics
"Towards Implementation of SDMX - Jan 9-11, 2007"
Content of Presentation
Introduction - objectives, overview of ABS
Principles relevant to ABS data and metadata dissemination
Case studies - one national, one international
Vision, Lessons, Issues
"Towards Implementation of SDMX - Jan 9-11, 2007"
"Towards Implementation of SDMX - Jan 9-11, 2007"
Objectives of Presentation
Why SDMX fits with ABS philosophy concerning principles and standards
Tell our stories about a national and international experience using SDMX
Discuss the future vision, concerns and lessons
Australian Bureau of StatisticsAustralia's national statistical agency, statistical leadership role in National Statistical Service
ABS Mission".. assist and encourage informed decision-making, research and discussion .."
A broad range of statistics on Australian societyEconomic, Demographic, Social, Health, Tourism, Culture and Leisure, Environment, ...
Central and 8 Regional offices, about 2750 staff (FTE) plus 800 interviewers
"Towards Implementation of SDMX - Jan 9-11, 2007"
ABS Principles
Relevance: good planning with a good understanding of current and future needs of users; timely and relatable statistics
Integrity: analysis and interpretation is objective; always publish our statistics; explain and inform; methodologies and approaches open to scrutiny
Access for all: strive for accurate and widespread media coverage; access through range of products and services
"Towards Implementation of SDMX - Jan 9-11, 2007"
ABS Principles (ctd)
Professionalism: exercise highest professional standards; staff highly trained; development of statistical standards; open about the quality of our statistics
Trust of providers: encouraged to provide accurate information; data is strictly protected; explain why information is collected; every ABS officer required to give an undertaking of secrecy
Source: ABS Corporate Plan
"Towards Implementation of SDMX - Jan 9-11, 2007"
ABS - Clients
Australia's national statistical agency serving:Australian GovernmentState/Territory GovernmentsLocal GovernmentsInternational statistical organisationsBusiness communityEducation, religious, welfare, etc organisationsMediaIndividual members of society
"Towards Implementation of SDMX - Jan 9-11, 2007"
Principles and Standards ApproachData Management - data is visible, accessible, understandable, reliable, relatable, presentable
Metadata - definitions (understanding), discovery, quality ('fitness for purpose')
ABS Enterprise Architecture - follow mainstream standards, collaborate & partner where effective, promote development of low complexity & maintainable solutions, remove dependence on vendor formats, extensible and scalable systems, use emerging technology as appropriate
"Towards Implementation of SDMX - Jan 9-11, 2007"
Standards (ctd)
"Towards Implementation of SDMX - Jan 9-11, 2007"
Dissemination - all publishable data in ABS Information Warehouse metadata associated with products web site is prime dissemination channel clients can 'pull' data for free data stored once but published in many common formats
Statistical - use international standards eg ICD, SITC; and frameworks eg SNA
Case StudiesInternational - NAWWE with OECD
(Note: ABS responds to many information requests from international organisations, in variety of formats - we are seeking an efficient solution that aligns with our principles and standards)
National - Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA)
[A large, sophisticated and important user of ABS data. There are a number of other users of this type eg Treasury.]"Towards Implementation of SDMX - Jan 9-11, 2007"
International - OECD NAWWEInvolvement in pilot project since
2002/03Tasks include:
Set up metadata and load National Accounts data to ABS Information Warehouse to suit agreed NAWWE Data Structure DefinitionExtract from ABSIW and transform to agreed SDMX message structure (XML format)Place on ABS website (recently decommissioned web page for original case study and yet to put up one for current study)
"Towards Implementation of SDMX - Jan 9-11, 2007"
OECD
FAME Time Series DB
ABS Information Warehouse
ABS Statistical Products
EXCEL File
Hand entered
Current Process
"Towards Implementation of SDMX - Jan 9-11, 2007"
OECD
FAME Time Series DB
ABS Information Warehouse
ABS Statistical Products
Time Series XML
Transform to SDMX
Publish to www.abs.gov.au
Future Process
"Towards Implementation of SDMX - Jan 9-11, 2007"
ABS Experience
Changed business process requiredAlthough supporting the initiative, ABS
National Accounts group could not always provide resources to do necessary setup work
Long periods on inactivity whilst OECD worked on new Data Structure Definition
Experimental SDMX V1 files were delivered
Now have SDMX V2 DSD to understand and implement
"Towards Implementation of SDMX - Jan 9-11, 2007"
National - RBA
"Towards Implementation of SDMX - Jan 9-11, 2007"
Central Bank for Australia (RBA) - receives mainly time series data from many sources
Many formats and different frequencies
Previously maintained their time series data in an EXCEL based spreadsheet system
In past year, developed new system to centralise time series data storage and retrieval, based on SQL server
National - RBA (ctd)
ABS provided detailed Labour Force data in SDMX V1 format as a trial (RBA currently takes LFS data in a large number of EXCEL files and some multidimensional cubes)
The RBA's new system has been demonstrated to internal business areas, and accepted
RBA want to extend use of SDMX to other ABS series and improve the timeliness
"Towards Implementation of SDMX - Jan 9-11, 2007"
ABS RBALabour Force data in SDMX
format
SQL Server DB holding time series data
XSLT
SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS)
Email with file attached
What RBA do with SDMX files
"Towards Implementation of SDMX - Jan 9-11, 2007"
RBA economists
What RBA see as benefits?
Efficient data transfer - reduces need for clerical intervention when dealing with spreadsheets, can easily manipulate with programs
Metadata rich - SDMX allows more metadata to be conveyed compared to spreadsheets
Able to handle changes in time series metadata and data more easily - can programmatically check metadata for changes
"Towards Implementation of SDMX - Jan 9-11, 2007"
What does RBA want ABS to change?
"Towards Implementation of SDMX - Jan 9-11, 2007"
Nothing related to the transfer format - SDMX
Want the SDMX files on ABS web site so can download at 11.30am (embargo time) rather than wait for email
Want ABS to extend use of SDMX to other statistical series
Additional information related to identification of discontinued series, code sets
Vision
"Towards Implementation of SDMX - Jan 9-11, 2007"
Vision - framework and standard that ABS can use for all our international reporting; and also to use with large major national users of ABS data.
SDMX is suitable as the primary
dissemination vehicle for machine readable aggregate and time series datasets for both national and international clients. The SDMX format files will become ABS data products held on the web site for free access.
Lessons
SDMX has the potential to provide integrated data exchange across organisational boundaries. Challenge is not the SDMX 'technology', but dealing with 'meaning' and 'mapping' issues
Recognise costs involved in implementation, especially mapping local metadata and data structures to international requirement in each subject domain, and the importance of engaging local subject matter experts
"Towards Implementation of SDMX - Jan 9-11, 2007"
Issues
"Towards Implementation of SDMX - Jan 9-11, 2007"
Use SDMX for wide range of users, from technically competent to small data integrator. A short shallow learning curve with plenty of support, such as easy documentation, examples, tutorials, and tools
Simple time series identifier, in addition to the Data Structure Definition - eg local identifier as part of exchange - the key back to internal data holdings; existing international 'code' for each series used in current exchanges - doesn't vary from country to country.
Conclusion
"Towards Implementation of SDMX - Jan 9-11, 2007"
Move to SDMX V2, recognising need to keep back-end systems independent of version changes.
Importance of establishing business benefit of SDMX - it is not just a technology.
Ideal of a common framework that would guide each statistical domain to determine their exchange requirements and definitions.
Need for good registration processes around all aspects of SDMX, and involvement of NSO's in governance.
QUESTIONS ANDDISCUSSION
"Towards Implementation of SDMX - Jan 9-11, 2007"