Innovations in data collection, data dissemination, data access and data analytics

“Modernisation: Evolution or revolution”

Pádraig Dalton, John Dunne & Donal Kelly

Global Conference on a Transformative Agenda for Official Statistics

New York 15-16 January 2015

What am I going to talk about?

Introductions

Context for the paper

Environmental issues

Modernisation challenges

Highlight questions

What am I hoping for?

Open discussion

Amongst colleagues

Inherited our organisations and systems

Trying to wear a global hat!

Provocative and perhaps challenging

Lots of questions – fewer answers?

Consider the power of “One Voice”

Modernisation – Broad perspective

Expectation may be technology, Big Data,

CSPA

Context and audience led to broadening of

definition of modernisation and relativity

Asking questions to tap into experience at

conference and develop understanding

Environmental context

Only constant - change

Pace of change

Increased user demand

Emergence of global user

Digital age – technology, sources, strategic alliances?

Skills: Re-profiling, outsource?

Availability of skills?

Environmental context - continued

Politicisation – crisis, targets and indicators

Resources – are we too passive, a consistent message?

Urgency some areas – revolution?

Other areas will take more time – evolution?

How do we decide – links to collaboration?

Modernisation Maturity Model?

Modernisation Maturity Model (MMM)

Just an idea – has it a role?

• Build & maintain strategic relations, nationally & internationally• Build & maintain external statistical excellence• Advance inter-agency & international collaborations • Secure support for statistical & capability portfolio

Manage financesManage human

resourcesManage IT

• Understand national & international directions & factors• Determine organizational vision & values• Determine organizational value proposition• Determine organizational goals • Communicate values & expectations

• Develop strategies for achieving organizational goals• Prioritize statistical portfolio• Prioritize capability portfolio• Allocate portfolio & programme budgets• Build & maintain internal statistical & professional excellence

Capability Corporate support

Plan capability improvementsDevelop capability

improvementsManage capabilities

Support capability implementation

Manage business & performance

Strategy

Position Govern Influence & collaborate

• Manage IT services• Manage IT & information security

• Manage documents & records • Manage knowledge • Manage information standards & rights

• Manage communications and media relations• Manage stakeholder consulations• Educate users and improve statistical literacy• Manage cross-product user support

Manage information & knowledge

Manage consumers & suppliers

• Manage business performance• Manage change and risk• Manage legislation & compliance• Manage physical assets, including building facilities

• Maintain accounts (including assets & liabilities)• Manage procurement & contracts

• Manage employee performance • Manage & develop skills• Manage talent• Manage recruitment• Ensure succession planning

• Identify 'disruptive' & other capability improvements• Propose capability improvement projects, including shared infrastructure• Manage capability improvement programmes

• Undertake background research• Develop detailed capability requirements• Design capability solution• Build & release capability solution, including shared infrastructure• Manage capability development project

• Maintain capabilities, including shared infrastructure• Promote capabilities• Evaluate capabilities• Manage data, metadata and process data• Manage quality

• Support design • Support operations• Support use externally

Modernisation Challenges

Institutional setting

Without appropriate institutional settings for NSIs,

despite having numbers, do we have robust, trusted,

reliable and internationally comparable data?

Statistical Framework Pillars

Data Protection

Freedom of Information (FOI)

Statistical legislation

Statistical legislation the starting point?

Long-standing problem outside power of NSIs – but can we

influence?

Without Data Protection and FOI can we have an effective

statistical framework?

Secondary data sources

Variety of data sources

Hot topic is Big Data but…….

Administrative data

- Administrative data also evolving

- Access remains an issue – Why?

- Value proven where in use

- Have we a communications problem to address?

Have we a role in educating custodians on why and value?

Big Data

Must continue our work in this area

Are considerable opportunities and challenges

Mobile phone data, smart metering, traffic loop data

Need to move from potential to actual delivery

Are challenges/questions

- Conflating volume with insight

- Sustainability of data sources over time

- Availability of skill sets

- Technology challenges

- Privacy and data security concerns exist

Big Data

Not necessarily better than traditional sources but there

is value

Is it over-hyped at this point and are we managing

expectations?

Those that can should push ahead but ….

Coherent output(s) to maximise value of investment

Create a road-map for others to follow

Privacy & Data Protection

Are a range of challenges

- Linking secondary and primary data sources

- Implication of strategic alliances

- Privacy and efficiency debate

Privacy & Data Protection

How do we retain trust in such an environment?

Do we have a role in surfacing the issues and bringing a

balance to the debate?

Beyond legal issues – cultural also?

Communications challenge?

One Voice

Technology

Proliferation of mobile technology

Web services

Web scraping

Visualisation

Pace of change is incredible

NSIs must share experiences (and tools) – collaboration

Technology

With technology and “systems development tools”

changing so quickly in what skills etc. should NSIs invest?

Public-private partnerships – if so in what areas?

What is the appropriate model for these partnerships?

Should we “club” together to increase

influence/negotiating power?

Could or should we pool resources?

Standards based modernisation

A lot of work ongoing

UNECE HLG MOS – GSBPM, GSIM, GAMSO, CSPA

DDI, SDMX

Stability/maturity of standards - Is there development for

development sake in some areas?

Standards based modernisation

Is there development for development sake in some

areas?

Does it mitigate against implementation?

Proliferation of players (ownership and maintenance)– is

it a challenge?

How can we collaborate and influence the development

and maintenance of modernisation relevant standards?

Communications

Already referenced - resources and privacy

Quality-timeliness debate

Race to the bottom?

Must improve timeliness but trade-off limit?

Are we clear about where we want to position official

statistics – our brand?

Are we all agreed on our competitive advantage(s) and

unique selling point?

Communications continued

Each of us strike our own balance or One Voice?

How can we progress these communications

challenges?

What will be the most effective approach?

Conclusions

Couldn’t address all of the modernisation issues

Focussed on what we thought were the big strategic issues

Lots of questions – fewer answers!!

Broader definition of modernisation required

Is an urgency to modernise in many areas

Reality - are also modernisation challenges that will take time

WHO, WHAT, WHERE and WHEN? MMM to help?

Conclusions

Collaboration is key – easy to say, difficult to do

effectively

Are a lot of modernisation programmes underway at

both national and international level

What are the most effective and efficient mechanisms,

and divisions of labour, to support the transformative

agenda?