Statistics & the CHMA(+ - % = < >)
Charles BrownAssistant Statistician
Communities Analytical Services
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Overview Biography
Statistical remit of the Centre
Statistics training programme
Statistics guidance & advice
Statistics on the Centre’s new website
Contacting the Centre
Question time
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A Bit About Me!
Quick Biography• Graduated Edinburgh University 1999 - Psychology (25%
applied statistics) • Joined Scottish Government in1999 • Held posts in Health, Justice, OCEA and OCS • Joined CHMA in August 2008 – new to housing!
Government Statistical Service (GSS)• I am also a member of the GSS• 100+ statisticians in SG, with 1,000+ statistics collections• I can tap into this pool of statistics expertise to help you
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Why have a Statistician in the CHMA?
• Housing Need & Demand Assessments (HNDAs) need a robust evidence-base using many & diverse statistics
• The HNDA Guidance requires LAs to collect & analyse statistics – pretty technical in parts!
• LAs have differing levels of analytical resource available – some more that others
• The Centre to provide extra statistical resource if needed – to help LAs with analytical work for HNDAs
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Function 1: Guidance & Advice
• Run statistics training on relevant datasets – starting now! • Help LAs apply the HNDA Guidance and share best
practice
• Improve access to datasets via the Centre’s website – our ‘statistics portal’
• Advise on statistical methods & techniques to help maximise the quality of HNDAs
• Provide market context material eg research on housing, regeneration, equalities etc to complement HNDAs
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Function 2: Our Formal Role
• Responsible for “considering” if the process used to produce HNDAs is ROBUST & CREDIBLE
• My role - to see if the PROCESS by which HNDA statistics are derived is robust & credible - not the numbers per se
• A quality assurance process to;
- help LAs avoid HNDAs being challenged at Enquiry by Reporters
- help you maximise the statistical rigour of your HNDAs
• HNDAs will use local information and progress at different speeds - Centre is flexible here not prescriptive. About partnership working, in the spirit of the new Concordat to achieve the best HNDAs
* Ongoing guidance and advice = robust and credible HNDAs *
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Training Programme 2008 - 2009
• Some statistics training planned & some finalised. Key sessions;
- 2 housing statistics events; today & 29 January 2009 - HNDA Guidance (2008) step-by-step application - Equality statistics
• Training back up by web-based materials eg presentations, information packs, podcasts (maybe)…….
• Run regionally where possible – we’ll be on the road!
• Training is not set in stone so please tell us what you’d like
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Guidance & Advice
• We can give statistical guidance on;
- application of the HNDA Guidance (2008) - methodology eg sampling, confidence intervals etc - sourcing secondary data & selecting the best data - commissioning primary data eg local surveys - analysing and report statistics - ……..so please get in touch!
• CHMA website will list Q&As – a problem shared is a problem halved
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Statistics on CHMA Website
• CHMA website is under construction. Goes live soon at; http://www.scotland.gov.uk/chma
• To include; - ‘Statistics Portal’ with links to relevant HNDA statistics - Best practice to share local knowledge & expertise - Training materials & calendar - Market context materials - Guidance inc; HNDA Guidance & its application, statistics guide - Business plan - Stakeholder engagement inc. Steering group
• To be a source of practical, usable information. Simple & easy to use • Will develop over time. This is your resource so tell us what you think?
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Contacting Us
• Can contact the Centre directly • Preferred route is through local HID teams• A single response from the Centre and HID together• On receipt of queries will agree timescales for response• Ways to make contact: Mailbox: [email protected] Tel: 0131 244 0870• If statistics queries are HNDA-related, contact the Centre
first and we will notify the relevant statistician
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Your Views?
• To help us help you, we are seeking your views on;
- the statistics training you need most - the statistics guidance you need - content you would like on the website - how best to contact & feedback to you
• So let us know your thoughts
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• The Centre is your resource – so please use us!
• We’re about partnership working to help achieve the best HNDAs possible – based on sound evidence
• Keep in touch as you progress your HNDAs and lets all progress gradually to ‘robust’ and ‘credible’
• Your the local experts & we need to learn from you – tell us about best practice, difficulties, your issues
• Lets share our knowledge and expertise across the board – we’re all in this together.
So in Summary…
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Thank You
ANY QUESTIONS?
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