1. Organising and Managing a Statistical System in a Small Country
Strategic Management Seminar for Candidate and Western Balkan Countries Split, Croatia November 2007
Session I
Organising and Managing
a Statistical System in a Small Country
Hallgrímur Snorrason
Heinrich Brüngger

2. Statistical system in a small country - session Ia
Introduction - the demand for official statistics (Snorrason)
Legislative framework – confidentiality (Brüngger)
Organisational structure (Snorrason)
Managing demand – priority setting (Snorrason)
Discussion in 2 groups
Legislative issues and confidentiality (Snorrason)
Managing demand, priority setting, user contact (Brüngger)

3. Statistical system in a small country - session Ib
Collecting data (Snorrason)
IT management – digital dissemination (Snorrason)
Development and human resource policies (Brüngger)
Regional cooperation (Brüngger)
Discussion in 2 groups
IT management and dissemination (Brüngger)
Regional cooperation (Snorrason)

4. Official statistics – based on the UN Fundamental Principles
Introduction
Official statistics – based on the UN Fundamental Principles
Essential part of the information system of a democratic state
Professional independence
Confidentiality
Transparency
Prerequisites for official statistics in small countries
Legislative framework
Sound organisational structure
Careful management – particularly for setting clear priorities and maintaining high level of efficiency

5. Organisational structure
Varying traditions and practices between countries and over time
Icelandic experience: small countries should have centralised statistical systems
More comprehensive coverage, clearer responsibilities
Harmonisation of methods, standards and practices (security, confidentiality, transparency of processes and practices, pre-release calendars, pre-publication dates for outcomes and revisions)
Increased efficiency and quality in dissemination
Gains in professional standards
More focused international cooperation

6. Managing demand – priority setting
Small agencies face larger demands than they can cope with – from government, businesses, households, educational institutions, international institutions
Demand for statistics in small countries is characterized by:
Large number of subject matters – hence surveys
Too frequent surveys
Very large representative samples – hence very costly
The required level of detail is larger than can be obtained from economic actors in small countries

7. Managing demand – priority setting
Continuous dialogue with users
Explain scarce capacity and other limitations
Seek cooperation in setting priorities
Coordinate demand from different users and align it with international requirements
Gain acceptance of the use of international definitions, classifications and practices and abandon special domestic standards
Seek cooperation with international agencies on demand and priorities

8. Continuous dialogue with users
The use of advisory and user groups
Advisory groups
Permanent or ad-hoc groups
For development of new surveys, new statistics
For methodological discussions
User groups
For continuous consultation and information on the present scope of work, future plans, European demands, annual plans and priority setting, on dissemination, use of data for research etc.
Utilisation of the information services of the NSI to gain knowledge of user demand

9. Statistical system in a small country - session Ib
Collecting data (Snorrason)
IT management – digital dissemination (Snorrason)
Development and human resource policies (Brüngger)
Regional cooperation (Brüngger)
Discussion in 2 groups
IT management and dissemination (Brüngger)
Regional cooperation (Snorrason)

10. Difficulties in collecting data – increasing in many countries
Possible measures to ease data collection:
Applying best practices – and announce that – as regards collection methods and ensuring confidentiality
Using administrative records for statistical purposes
Collecting data electronically from enterprises and institutions – direct linking to information systems of firms, web enquiries, web solutions

11. Best practices in data collection
Establishing trust between statistical agency and data provider/respondent
Explaining the purpose of the data collection
Explaining the handling of the data and how confidentiality is ensured
Proclaiming loudly and clearly that best practices are applied
Show that the data is collected for statistical purposes – by disseminating the statistics, speedily and regularly

12. Utilising administrative records
In some countries there is a long tradition for using administrative records and registers
Advantages: cost effective, no response burden
Several preconditions:
Availability of good quality, usable records/registers
Acceptance by businesses and households
Legal authorisation for the statistical agency to use such data
Legal and real recognition by administrations holding administrative records on their use for statistical purposes
Full observation of confidentiality requirements

13. Electronic data collection – some examples
Electronic transfers and on-line use of databases – population register, tax registers, customs databases
Combining sample surveys and administrative data
Collecting data directly from information systems of businesses – wage data, PPI data
Acquiring data as by-product of public information systems
Collecting data over the web – XML questionnaires and tables

14. IT-management in a small statistical agency
Main features of the IT policy applied at Statistics Iceland
Heavy reliance on IT at all stages of production and dissemination
Maintaining a uniform IT- platform within the house
“Federal” organisation: small development and service unit but large involvement and responsibility of the different production and dissemination units

15. Based on considerations of both efficiency and quality
Heavy reliance on IT
Based on considerations of both efficiency and quality
Data collection: transfers of large amounts of register data, on-line access to administrative sources and information systems, CATI, web-solutions etc.
Quality considerations
Uniformity of data treatment, traceability of data, applications for data editing and control, increased ease for outside users
Use of standard software – avoidance of tailor made in-house systems
Use of state-of-the-art technologies
IT used by all employees - flexible policy for employee use
Sufficient training
Sufficient number of up-to-date workstations

16. Applying a uniform IT-platform
Involves having the same family of software and central decision taking on deployment
Is believed to have produced large cost savings and efficiency gains:
Decisions on deployment are taken with a strict view to relative costs
Cost savings through contracts on comprehensive deals and services involving several compatible systems
Reliance on one family of software makes for efficiency in training and learning, for subject matter specialists and IT-staff (both as regards user services and software application)

17. In-house organisation of IT-work
Statistics Iceland has maintained a relatively small specialised IT force within the house
This requires relatively high level of skills within the subject matter departments
Involves some use of outside consultants or contractors
Previous organisation: IT divided in one unit for services and another for applications and development
Recent reorganisation into one unit is believed to have brought gains in both quality and efficiency
Need for certain overlap in skills in a small institution
Ensuring continuity in running the IT-system and provision of staff support

18. Digital dissemination of statistics
Reorganising the system and practices of dissemination – from production of printed reports to web-based publication
Icelandic example
Reorganisation of the website; contains 1,000 tables in Icelandic and in English, uses PX-Web system for creating and publishing tables
Publication of large printed publications was stopped (though not the Statistical Yearbook)
Printed reports replaced by concise thematic reports, published on the web, can be downloaded, may be ordered in printed form (digital printing)
All web use including downloading is free of charge
Most countries and NSI´s are ready for this!!!