20 May 2009 Dissemination and communication policies in modern on statistics offices Yalta, September 2009 Pieter Everaers, Eurostat

13 January 2009 Indicators for long-term developments Main characteristics of communication and dissemination policy What When How By whom To whom

13 January 2009 Indicators for long-term developments What Statistical information via web Statistical Information via paper Telephone support Specific information on demand Paper Flagship publications Pocketbooks Statistics in Focus (SIF) Data in Focus (DIF)A flash, one page on one indicator Special publications

13 January 2009 Indicators for long-term developments What ctd. Predefined indicators, agreed within the Statistical System (PEEI’s) Ad hoc news releases A flash, one page on one indicator Only headline indicators Main outcomes in a bit more detail Data/tables and brief analysis Metadata available Links to other more detailed information (website)

13 January 2009 Indicators for long-term developments How Very visible and well prepared, each time an event!! Agreed internal protocol for authorization Tested method (stable IT tools etc) Alert system Business continuity Impact analysis and risk assessment

13 January 2009 Indicators for long-term developments How (ctd) On paper, Direct mail to selected group (journalist, intermediates Internet announcement News flash Press release Meeting in press room Daily/ statistics in focus Help desk / user support available and aware !! More detailed info on request (free of charge, to be paid)

13 January 2009 Indicators for long-term developments When Fixed data, fixed time, fixed location According to release calender Pre release to specific agencies After clearance by hierarchie In combination with more detailed info available

13 January 2009 Indicators for long-term developments By whom Central statistical authority or in special cases decentralized Spokes person (supported by experts) Fixed data, fixed time, fixed location According to release calender pre release to specific agencies After clearance hierarchy In combination with more detailed info available

13 January 2009 Indicators for long-term developments To whom Pre release (only to certain authorities) –Transparent agreement All users at the same time (via internet) –With or without subscription Internet with pre announcement via mail Internet based on regular release calender –Announcement / alerts of delays Journalists via mail (fixed group) Journalists via press conference (by spokes person)

Contacts with the press

Issues News Releases Provides media support Produces release calendar The Eurostat Press Office – main services

News Releases Around 185 News Releases per year (EN, DE, FR) 140 Euro-indicator News Releases 45 ad-hoc News Releases

Dissemination of News Releases All Releases sent at 11:00 by to more than 1000 journalists All Releases available at 11:00 in the Commission Press Room All Releases available at 11:00 on the Eurostat web site downloads per month

Release calendar Includes all the Euroindicators Provisional calendar for current year Dates confirmed Friday before publication week Disseminated by to subscribers Available on the Eurostat web site

Eurostat Media Support Questions about data and methodology Data extractions for journalists Regularly updated tables of Euroindicators Requests are usually dealt with same day Answering around requests per year Tel: For economic and political comments contact Spokesperson’s Service in Brussels

Dissemination

Issues Free dissemination policy and its results Change of tools –Publications –Internet –Metadata –User support Challenges for the future

Free dissemination Recognition that statistics are a public good Free dissemination started 1 October 2004 –All statistical domains –Impartial access for all users –Single exception is microdata access for research

Eurostat - New web site Link to EU presidency

New web site - Statistics

New web site - Publications

New web site – About Eurostat

New web site - Help

How does free dissemination work Principle: Users have to find and interpret data themselves Support to help users to help themselves (in cooperation with NSIs)‏ Involvement of commercial re-distributors Internet is central tool for dissemination Enlarged community of users creates new requirements –Presentation of statistics –Metadata for all statistics Publications change role Presentation of data  introduction and explanation of statistics

Enlarged user basis (per month)‏ Visits of Internet from to 1.6 Million Consultation of tables from to Download of PDF files from to Extractions from databases increased 4 times Types of users have changed with new types: –Enterprises > 50% –Academic users (students, teachers) –Private persons

Role of Re-distributors Re-use and redistribution is fully allowed without charge –Commercial –Non-commercial Very low entry conditions. Now only disclaimer –Indication of origin of data –Exclusion of liabilities About 100 companies currently re-distribute Much stronger recognition of Community statistics in public discussions, i.e. press, but no hard facts are known.

Statistical books Pocket books Statistics in Focus Data in Focus Methodological and working papers Press Releases Publications

The changing role of publications Fewer publications (table oriented publications disappear) Focus on explanations Introduction to statistical subjects Increasing importance of 'compendium' and 'cross cutting' publications Efforts to increase 'data analysis' publications (Statistics in Focus - SIF)‏ Data in Focus - DIF Links to Internet based statistics

Publication 2002 and 2008

Statistics Explained (wiki style)‏

New Internet design (spring 2009)‏

Navigation tree

Visualisation tools I Data Explorer for easy to use data base extractions Tables-graphs-Maps (TGM)‏Tables-graphs-Maps (TGM)‏

Visualisation tools II Business Cycle Clock (BCC) for economic cycle analysisBusiness Cycle Clock Country and regional profiles for comparisonsCountry and regional profiles for comparisons

The changing role of metadata Need to cover all statistics offered by a statistical institute Community and national statistics Common presentation formats –(SDDS) (Special Data Dissemination Standard)‏ –SDMX (Statistical Data and Metadata eXchange)‏ –ESMS (Euro SDMX Metadata) Addresses different types of users –Expert users –Casual users Issue of Languages

User support network – Support centers

European Statistical Data Support Around user requests per year! First level support via Eurostat website (FAQs etc) Second level support via National Statistics Institutes (NSIs) Third level support via “Eurostat User support” – help on standard and complex requests which requires special competence

Eurostat Media Support Publications and tailor made extractions Publications and tailor made extractions Requests are dealt with very rapidly Requests are dealt with very rapidly More than 1700 requests treated in 2007 More than 1700 requests treated in 2007 Tel: Tel:

Challenges for the future Cooperation in the European Statistical System (ESS)‏ Understanding the new ways of finding Information Advances in Internet (blogs, search tools, cooperation tools, etc)‏ Increasing the competence level of users

13 January 2009 Indicators for long-term developments Metadata accessibility All published data are linked to metadata files in ESMS format Euro-indicators/PEEIs tables contain “short descriptions” i.e. synthetic information on main data characteristics PEEIs quality profiles soon available

13 January 2009 Indicators for long-term developments Data, including national ones Metadata: short description

13 January 2009 Indicators for long-term developments Last press release Metadata files, ESMS format

13 January 2009 Indicators for long-term developments Thanks for the attention