1. Petteri Baer, Regional Adviser, UNECE
SDDS and Dissemination of Statistical Information to a Broader Range of Users
SIAP-UNECE Training Course on New Challenges of Economic Statistics for Central Asian countries Tehran, Iran 19 October 2008
Petteri Baer, Regional Adviser, UNECE

2. General Data Dissemination System
GDDS and SDDS
General Data Dissemination System
Basic Basic information on economic, financial and socio-demographic data
With a standardized content
Provided with regular intervals
Service and follow-up provided by IMF
Special Data Dissemination System
Same story – but more detailed and demanding

3. Custodian Organization: International Monetary Fund (IMF)
The IMF monitors the world’s economies, lends to members states in economic difficulty and provides technical assistance
The GDDS assists data-producing agencies to take control of statistical development programs in a structured manner

4. Why SDDS?
Starting from 1996
The SDDS was established by the IMF to guide members that have, or that might seek, access to international capital markets in the provision of their economic and financial data to the public;
Both the GDDS and the SDDS are expected to support the availability of timely and comprehensive statistics and therefore contribute to the pursuit of sound macroeconomic policies.

5. Main Dimensions of SDDS
The data: coverage, periodicity, and timeliness;
Access by the public;
Integrity of the disseminated data; and
Quality of the disseminated data.
All are important components when we think of dissemination of statistical information
Metadata…User relations…

6. Main content of SDDS Development in the Real Sector
10 components
Development in the Fiscal Sector
12 components
Development in the Financial Sector
Development in the External Sector
26 components
Population

7. CIS-Countries, whose Statistical System have subscribed to SDDS
Armenia
Belarus
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyz Republic
Russian Federation
Ukraine

8. Main idea – Reporting to an International Organization??
Well, yes and no
Strict regularity
Clear periodicity  reliability
Stable content  reliability
Metadata along  clearness, methodological soundness
Control and alarming by IMF, if troubles
 improving the service ability of the NSO

9. Support (1) Training by and in IMF
Support for the construction of web sites for economic statistics by IMF
User satisfaction surveys on a semi-regular basis
ROSC
Fairly small sample size
But important user groups

10. Support (2) Strict follow-up and monitoring by the IMF Headquarters
Implementation of disciplined dissemination practices, necessary for development of
Trust and reliability
Good service ability
Independence of the NSO
Link to the UN Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, where UN and UNECE are custodian organizations

11. What is a Good Service Ability?
Different target groups will need different kinds of ready made information
Some target groups will need mainly customized information
Analytic materials, Good visual presentations
What are the main target groups for Economic Statistics?
What are the main media of communication?

12. What is a Good Service Ability? (2)
The need of a Broad Dissemination Strategy
Timely economic statistics – A great possibility of Contact Building for the National Statistical Agency!
But in close and clear relation to all this
There is a need to have resources to do produce timely economic statistics
The biggest gap: Timely Short-Term Economic Statistics
Evidence-based decision making needs to have a good understanding of the economic development
In general
Different industries
Different regions
Internationally
In relation to export and import

13. A Problem - as posed in a Pretoria Expert Group Seminar in 2003
“Statisticians like to talk to one another in mysterious ways and with a time clock which runs 10 times slower than everyone else's”
 We have to communicate better!
 We have to imagine ourselves into the position of the potential users of our information!

14. Four important groups to provide services to
Decision makers in big enterprises and industries…
The people making decisions, related to economic development in the government
The media
The general public, NGOs, politicians
They are connected
Politicians need votes from the public
Governments are / should be accountable

15. Often Encountered Public Perceptions of important things
Health care
Schools
Medicines
Roads
Water
Crime prevention
Statistics????

16. Publicity may sometimes be tough!
Statistics often tends to attract hostile media coverage…
“Why does it take so long?”
“My own perception is different!”
“Lies, Big lies, Statistics!”
But what is the alternative to providing better publicity?
Any votes for the Census?

17. Strategies for the future (1)
Take publicity seriously
Make a good plan of what will be published
Publication calendar
Regular Media/Press releases
Press Officer
Press Conferences from time to time
…but not too often!
Also critical media to always be invited!
Cost plan and budget for publicity activities
Follow up on media appearance – both quantities and attitudes

18. Strategies for the future (2)
The importance of good statistical information
How can resources be allocated if basic information on the economic development is based on guesses and (too) old information?
Attracting investments, doing good business, developing economic activities needs good infrastructure – reliable official statistics is basic
If the denominators of Gross Domestic Product, Millennium Development Goals are wrong, no information is reliableMonitoring donor activities needs good basic background information
Monitoring donor activities needs good basic background information

19. The media is your partner
In disseminating the main results of all your work on statistics
In making problematic issues known
Help the media to be well informed!

20. The importance of good contact information
User lists
Existing customers and contacts
Regular and heavy sers of economical statistics
Contact directories
Feedback contacts
 Contact / Customer database
 Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

21. You will profit much from active feedback
Having more feedback will help you to develop your services
Interaction with critical customers will help you in having a positive pressure on performing better
A demanding customer is like a grain of sand within the mussel. It doesn’t feel good but the result may be a beautiful pearl!

22. The efforts you will make will be rewarded, because…
Only used statistical information is useful statistical information!
Thank you for your attention!