AN OVERVIEW OF STATISTICS CANADA Mike Sivyer KINGSTON, APRIL 2004

WHERE DO THE DLI DATA THE DLI DATA COME FROM? Mike Sivyer KINGSTON, APRIL 2004

Statistics Canada is the federal government’s central statistical agency Its mandate is to collect, compile and disseminate statistics on the country’s population, resources, economy, society and culture In addition to the Census every 5 years there are about 350 active surveys on virtually all aspects of Canadian life

At the head of the agency is the Chief Statistician of Canada This is equivalent to a deputy minister level in other federal departments

Statistics Canada is divided up into a number of different areas called FIELDS - There are 7 major fields Not all Fields are survey or data related, for example some deal with communications or management, etc Each Field is headed by an Assistant Chief Statistician

The 7 major Fields are: Social, Institutions and Labour Statistics Business and Trade Statistics National Accounts and Analytical Studies Analysis and Development Communications and Operations Informatics and Methodology Management Services

Each FIELD is made up of a number of BRANCHES headed by a Director General Branches are made up of a number of DIVISIONS Divisions can be further divided into sub- divisions, sections, units etc. There are over 5,000 employees at Stats Canada

The DLI Program is a Section within the Library and Information Center This is situated in Field 7 – Communications and Operations Also includes areas such as: Dissemination, Advisory Services, Communications, Marketing, Survey Operations, and others

There are over 60 separate divisions within Stats Canada Of these about 30 are involved with data collection, analysis and/or the creation of data products The divisions that concentrate mainly on analysis (about 10) produce many of the, articles and papers disseminated by Stats Canada

Stats Canada can also be said to be divided by the type of data that are collected There is the business, trade and economic statistics side (includes business and trade statistics, national accounts and analytical studies, analysis and development, etc) And the household - social data side

There are very few files in DLI from the business/trade/economic statistics side because these divisions tend not to produce public use files - all data go into CANSIM For the most part, business surveys are censuses therefore there are confidentiality concerns related to producing non-aggregate data & files There are about 9 divisions from 4 different fields that do supply some data to DLI

Industrial Monitor Trade data SAAD Social Economic Simulation Database and Model (SPSD/M) KLEMS Etc The type of products received include: Census of Agriculture Canadian Business Patterns Geography Files, PCCF Financial Performance Indicators Inter-corporate ownership

Most of the files in the DLI collection come from the household/social statistics side of Stats Canada : This is Field 8 : Social, Institutions and Labour Statistics There are 8 divisions from this area that supply data files to the DLI

These divisions Culture, Tourism and Center for Education Statistics Health Income Labour Census Centre for Justice Statistics Special Surveys Housing Families and Social Statistics

SCF HIFE (FAMEX) LFS Volunteers NLSCY CTS CADS/NADS Census Some of the survey files received include: GSS Post Censal Surveys Smoking HPS CCHS / NPHS Graduates AETS SLID LMAS FOOD EX

The organization and operation of Statistics Canada can be compared to Canada Canada is a confederation of 10 provinces and three territories Jurisdiction over different responsibilities and activities are divided between the two levels of government

Statistics Canada can be viewed as being a confederation of 60 divisions with jurisdiction over different responsibilities and activities divided between the corporate and divisional levels In a manner of speaking each division acts independently yet at the same time works towards the greater corporate good.

Each survey division is responsible for the collection, processing, quality control and dissemination of their own surveys At the corporate level there are certain policies and guidelines that all divisions are required and expected to follow with respect to their data

For example: All divisions MUST register their surveys and products in the corporate database No data can be released to the public until it has first been announced in the Daily All releases must bilingual Publications must follow the STC and FIP rules All public use microdata files MUST be approved by the Microdata Release Committee

In the creation of a Public Use Microdata File a Project Team performs a number of steps to ensure data quality and respondent confidentiality This can take a few months to complete All of the metadata is also produced – and this along with other supporting documentation are submitted to the MRC for review

The Committee meets about once a month The Project Manager must appear before the Committee to answer any questions they may have If the PUMF is not accepted then the Project Team must take the suggestions of the MRC and re-create the file and all the metadata & re-submit This process can be repeated a number of times before approval for release is finally obtained

The corporate level also controls such things as: Data quality and release guidelines Internet pages on STC site Service to clients guidelines Allocation of divisional budgets Staffing and recruitment Language requirements of positions Software & related licences

Custom tabulations CANSIM A print or electronic publication Etc Notwithstanding STC standards, guidelines and policies, each division is allowed to determine the manner and format by which they make their data and metadata available to the public This can be: Beyond 20/20 An ASCII PUMF SAS or SPSS portable file

There are guidelines on the type and kind of information that must be provided with a Stats Canada data product For example we must provide information on data quality etc. However each division is allowed to prepare their metadata as they see fit

The style and content of a Microdata User’s Guide and/or a codebook accompanying a public use microdata file is up to the producing division Sometime it is even up to a project team within a division This is why obtaining consistent and complete metadata for every survey file in the DLI collection is sometimes very difficult

Divisions that conduct surveys and collect data tend to guard and be very protective of these data For example: some survey divisions will not allow another division access to a data file until they have been informed of the purpose and use They may also want to review any analysis before publication

Some survey divisions may even charge other divisions for their data The concept of cost-recover is pervasive throughout Stats Canada For example: if we want translation done or a large number CDs replicated or to store files on the mainframe computer, we have to pay the division responsible

Another example is : Each project/division must pay a monthly charge to the informatics division based on the number of PCs they own This charge is to cover such items as corporate licences for software products This is how the cost for CA*Net3 was removed from DLI and made a monthly charge to all divisions

When obtaining data products for the DLI we must deal with each producing division separately – usually we must also deal separately for each product produced within one division Most divisions are very co-operative with the DLI and many in fact go out of their way to ensure that we receive the data

Requests from the DLI Section usually have very little impact on a survey division’s decision on how - if – and when - they produce their data and metadata products If anything, we are seen as one client – and one that does not pay! Although we do provide financial compensation to divisions this is transparent to many client service areas and project managers

Some divisions are very willing and eager to work together to help improve their products In fact we are in the process of trying to organize a number of divisions to work with us on a project related to adopting the DDI as a standard for metadata delivery

As well, members from the STC Library (incl DLI) were part of the committee drafting the new Policy on dissemination/communications The DLI will now be mentioned by name in the new policy Will state that publicly available electronic files, in all formats, along with related documentation and software will be supplied to the DLI program

We understand the difficulties that people from outside of Stats Can have in understanding why things happen the way they do It is important to always remember that Stats Can is composed of many independent parts that may not always mesh as well as they might Working in STC can be a challenge – but it has its rewards as well