1. A tool for more effective data dissemination
Contestina
A tool for more effective data dissemination
New Techniques and Technologies for Statistics (NTTS)
Brussels, March 2017
Mariagrazia Zottoli
Sara Laurita
Francesco Monteleone
Andrea Pugliese

2. OFFICIAL STATISTICS: THE ROLE OF COMMUNICATION
Data dissemination
is the release of information obtained through statistical activity.
OECD
Complete
databases
Ready-made
charts and tables
Data with commentary
Transforming statistics into knowledge and performing (among others) a social function.
Data is difficult to understand for the average user (they lack statistical literacy)

3. DIGITAL STORYTELLING: A NEW APPROACH
How can we make data more meaningful to the general public?
“On their own, statistics are just numbers.” UNECE
Digital storytelling is the key to make the results of official statistics understandable for everyone.
Empowering people contextualizing data
Evidence based
decision making

4. Explores the available data
CONTESTINA: WHAT IS IT?
It’s a software agent which:
Facilitates the comprehension of statistical information, guiding the users through their reasoning process, step-by-step .
Main idea
Builds adaptable stories on the given data by means of a software agent which, exploiting metadata:
Method
Explores the available data
Builds scenario
analysis
Offers interactive
visualizations
Avoids data pitfalls

5. CONTESTINA: DEVELOPMENT CONTEXT
Internationalization
Business and Competitiveness
SINSE –Socioeconomic Decision Support System
Foreign
trade
Trade
balances
Active
Businesses
Businesses
Demography
Competitiveness
Contestina

6. CONTESTINA: HOW DOES IT WORK?
Table 1
Tutoring area
Imports value €
The amount of imports is €.
In 2014 there is a decrease (RUL001) than in the previous year .
Source:
ISTAT: Coeweb (External trade statistics), IST (RUL002)
Graph 1
Visualisation
Generating
storytelling
RUL00101
decrease
RUL002
ISTAT: Coeweb (External trade statistics)
IST-02179
Input
parameters
Access to data
What?
Imports
Rules
execution
When?
2014
RUL001
IF Imports 2014 > Imports 2013
THEN write growth ELSE write decrease
RUL002
PRINT source’s name AND SNP code
Where?
Italy
Rules definition

7. CONTESTINA: A USE CASE
Some students need to find information about the foreign trade in their region (Calabria, Italy) for writing an essay.
They are looking for:
Exports Trends
Trade Partners
Products
To search on the SINSE platform for gathering useful information, the input parameters are:
Calabria
Italy
Exports
2015
What?
When?
Where?

8. CONTESTINA: EXAMPLE OF OUTPUT
Exports value, Region Calabria and provinces, 2015
In 2015 the value of Calabria’s exports amounted to € . Reggio di Calabria is the largest exporter with 39,6% of incidence rate. The subsequent provinces are:
Cosenza (22,1%)
Catanzaro (17,6%)
Vibo Valentia (13,0%)
Crotone (7,7%)
The results at the regional level show a growth for the exports with respect to There are positive percentage changes in all the provinces, in particular:
Vibo Valentia (46,2%)
Crotone (36,7%)
Catanzaro (13,4%)
Reggio di Calabria (10,5%)
Cosenza (5,9%)
Source:
IST : Istat- Coeweb (Foreign trade Statistics)
Correlated reports:
- First 15 main trade partners, Region Calabria, 2015
- Main exported products (ATECO), Region Calabria, 2015
Provinces
Values (€)
Incidence rate (%)
Percentage change (%)
Vibo Valentia
13,0%
46,2%
Crotone
7,7%
36,7%
Catanzaro
17,6%
13,4%
Reggio di Calabria
39,6%
10,5%
Cosenza
22,1%
5,9%
Calabria
15,3%
The incidence rate is calculated:
Provinces exports / Region exports
Data from Official Statistics
(table)
Contestina Storytelling:
Reading the data
Metadata
Related Reports
The percentage change between two years t and t-1 is calculated:
[Exports values (t) – Exports values (t-1)]/ Exports values (t-1)
Note Exports of goods and services – merchandise trade comprise goods leaving the statistical territory of a country. In the general trade system, the definition of the statistical territory of a country coincides with its economic territory. 
Graph Area
Graph Area

9. EXPORTS TRENDS Exports value, Region Calabria and provinces, 2015
In 2015 the value of Calabria’s exports amounted to € . Reggio di Calabria is the largest exporter with 39,6% of incidence rate. The subsequent provinces are:
Cosenza (22,1%)
Catanzaro (17,6%)
Vibo Valentia (13,0%)
Crotone (7,7%)
The results at the regional level show a growth for the exports with respect to There are positive percentage changes in all the provinces, in particular:
Vibo Valentia (46,2%)
Crotone (36,7%)
Catanzaro (13,4%)
Reggio di Calabria (10,5%)
Cosenza (5,9%)
Source:
: Istat- Coeweb (Foreign trade Statistics)
Correlated reports:
- First 15 main trade partners, Region Calabria, 2015
- Main exported products (ATECO), Region Calabria, 2015
Provinces
Values (€)
Incidence rate (%)
Percentage change (%)
Vibo Valentia
13,0%
46,2%
Crotone
7,7%
36,7%
Catanzaro
17,6%
13,4%
Reggio di Calabria
39,6%
10,5%
Cosenza
22,1%
5,9%
Calabria
15,3%
The incidence rate is calculated:
Provinces exports / Region exports
The percentage change between two years t and t-1 is calculated:
[Exports values (t) – Exports values (t-1)]/ Exports values (t-1)
Note Exports of goods and services – merchandise trade comprise goods leaving the statistical territory of a country. In the general trade system, the definition of the statistical territory of a country coincides with its economic territory. 
IST-02179

10. EXPORTS TRENDS Exports value, Region Calabria and provinces, 2015
In 2015 the value of Calabria’s exports amounted to € . Reggio di Calabria is the largest exporter with 39,6% of incidence rate. The subsequent provinces are:
Cosenza (22,1%)
Catanzaro (17,6%)
Vibo Valentia (13,0%)
Crotone (7,7%)
The results at the regional level show a growth for the exports with respect to There are positive percentage changes in all the provinces, in particular:
Vibo Valentia (46,2%)
Crotone (36,7%)
Catanzaro (13,4%)
Reggio di Calabria (10,5%)
Cosenza (5,9%)
Source:
IST : Istat- Coeweb (Foreign trade Statistics)
Correlated reports:
- First 15 main trade partners, Region Calabria, 2015
- Main exported products (ATECO), Region Calabria, 2015
Provinces
Values (€)
Incidence rate (%)
Percentage change (%)
Vibo Valentia
13,0%
46,2%
Crotone
7,7%
36,7%
Catanzaro
17,6%
13,4%
Reggio di Calabria
39,6%
10,5%
Cosenza
22,1%
5,9%
Calabria
15,3%
Note Exports of goods and services – merchandise trade comprise goods leaving the statistical territory of a country. In the general trade system, the definition of the statistical territory of a country coincides with its economic territory. 

11. Total main trade partners
First 15 main trade partners, Region Calabria, 2015
In 2015 the value of Calabria’s exports amounted to € . The most important trade partner is Germany with 2,3% of incidence rate. The following ones are:
United States (2,1%)
United Kingdom (1,3%)
France (1,3%)
The first 15 main partners incidence on the total amount of exports is 10,3%.
Source:
IST : Istat- Coeweb (Foreign trade Statistics)
Correlated reports:
- Exports value, Region Calabria and provinces, 2015
- Main exported products (ATECO), Region Calabria, 2015
Country
Values (€)
Incidence rate (%)
Germany
2,3%
United States
2,1%
United Kingdom
1,3%
France
Austria
0,8%
Spain
0,6%
The Netherlands
0,4%
China
South Korea
0,3%
Belgium
Brazil
0,2%
Turkey
0,1%
Argentina
Greece
Denmark
Total main trade partners
10,3%
Total exports
The incidence rate is calculated:
Region exports / Total exports
Note Exports of goods and services – merchandise trade comprise goods leaving the statistical territory of a country. In the general trade system, the definition of the statistical territory of a country coincides with its economic territory. 

12. PRODUCTS Main exported products (ATECO), Region Calabria, 2015
In 2015 the value of Calabria’s exports amounted to € . The exports are led from the following sectors:
Other chemical products (19,2% incidence rate)
Other processing and preserving of fruit and vegetables (10,5%)
Growing of perennial crops (9,1%)
Manufacture of basic precious and other non-ferrous metals (8,5%)
Manufacture of other general-purpose machinery n.e.c. (6,9%)
Source:
IST : Istat- Coeweb (Foreign trade Statistics)
Correlated reports:
- Exports value, Region Calabria and provinces, 2015
- First 15 main trade partners, Region Calabria, 2015
The incidence rate is calculated:
Category of product exports / Total exports
Products
Values (€)
Incidence rate (%)
Other chemical products
19,2%
Other processing and preserving of fruit and vegetables
10,5%
Growing of perennial crops
9,1%
Manufacture of basic precious and other non-ferrous metals
8,5%
Manufacture of other general-purpose machinery n.e.c.
6,9%
Manufacture of other food products
Manufacture of vegetable and animal oils and fats
3,3%
Waste
3,0%
Manufacture of general-purpose machinery
2,3%
Processing and preserving of meat and production of meat products
2,1%
Manufacture of beverages
1,9%
Total exports
Note Exports of goods and services – merchandise trade comprise goods leaving the statistical territory of a country. In the general trade system, the definition of the statistical territory of a country coincides with its economic territory. 

13. TAKE AWAY
Contestina facilitates the comprehension of statistical information for ”tourists” using metadata and figures joined together in a story.
Contestina aims to offer a contextualised reading of statistical results in order to make them effectively usable in policy and social debates.
Contestina tries to address the lack of capabilities in order to make the information not only accessible, but comprehensible and transparent.
THANK YOU!