1. 1 3

2. AN OVERVIEW OF STATISTICS CANADA
OVERVIEW OF STATS CANADA
AN OVERVIEW OF
STATISTICS CANADA
CALGARY, DECEMBER 2003 1 3

3. OVERVIEW OF STATS CANADA
WHERE DO
THE DLI DATA
COME FROM?
CALGARY, DECEMBER 2003 1 3

4. OVERVIEW OF STATS CANADA
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 1 3

5. OVERVIEW OF STATS CANADA
At the head of the agency is the Chief Statistician of Canada
This is equivalent to a deputy minister level in other federal departments 1 3

6. OVERVIEW OF STATS CANADA
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 1 3

7. OVERVIEW OF STATS CANADA
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 1 3

8. OVERVIEW OF STATS CANADA
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 1 3

9. OVERVIEW OF 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 1 3

10. OVERVIEW OF STATS CANADA
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 1 3

11. OVERVIEW OF 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 1 3

12. OVERVIEW OF STATS CANADA
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 1 3

13. OVERVIEW OF STATS CANADA
The type of products received include:
Industrial Monitor
Trade data
SAAD
Social Economic Simulation Database and Model (SPSD/M)
KLEMS
Etc
Census of Agriculture
Canadian Business Patterns
Geography Files, PCCF
Financial Performance Indicators
Inter-corporate ownership 1 3

14. OVERVIEW OF STATS CANADA
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 1 3

15. OVERVIEW OF STATS CANADA
These divisions
Culture, Tourism and Center for Education Statistics
Health
Income
Labour
Census
Centre for Justice Statistics
Special Surveys
Housing Families and Social Statistics 1 3

16. OVERVIEW OF STATS CANADA
Some of the survey files received include:
GSS
Post Censal Surveys
Smoking
HPS
CCHS / NPHS
Graduates
AETS
SLID
LMAS
FOOD EX
SCF
HIFE (FAMEX)
LFS
Volunteers
NLSCY
CTS
CADS/NADS
Census 1 3

17. OVERVIEW OF STATS CANADA
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 1 3

18. OVERVIEW OF STATS CANADA
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. 1 3

19. OVERVIEW OF STATS CANADA
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 1 3

20. OVERVIEW OF STATS CANADA
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 public use microdata files MUST be approved by the Microdata Release Committee
All releases must bilingual
Publications must follow the STC and FIP rules 1 3

21. OVERVIEW OF STATS CANADA
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 1 3

22. OVERVIEW OF STATS CANADA
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
Custom tabulations
CANSIM
A print or electronic publication
Etc 1 3

23. OVERVIEW OF STATS CANADA
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 1 3

24. OVERVIEW OF STATS CANADA
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 1 3

25. OVERVIEW OF STATS CANADA
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 1 3

26. OVERVIEW OF STATS CANADA
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 1 3

27. OVERVIEW OF STATS CANADA
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 1 3

28. OVERVIEW OF STATS CANADA
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 1 3

29. OVERVIEW OF STATS CANADA
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 1 3

30. OVERVIEW OF STATS CANADA
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 1 3

31. OVERVIEW OF STATS CANADA
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 1 3

32. OVERVIEW OF STATS CANADA
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 1 3