Data dissemination –
UK experiences
Iain MacLeay, Head of Energy Balances, Prices and Publications
Department of Energy and Climate Change
United Kingdom
26/10/12
Overview
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Why dissemination is important
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UK practice
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Recent examples from the UK
– Local Authority analytical tool
– Interactive maps
Why is dissemination important
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What are quality data
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“Official statistics are fundamental to good government, to the delivery of
public services and to decision-making in all sectors of society” –
preamble to UK Code of Practise for Official statistics
Why is dissemination important
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What are quality data
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“Official statistics are fundamental to good government, to the delivery of
public services and to decision-making in all sectors of society” –
preamble to UK Code of Practise for Official statistics
Quality data – data produced to good and open methodology that are used
and make an impact
UK Practice
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National Statistician’s Guidance is published
http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/national-statistician/ns-reports-reviews-and-guidance/national-statistician-s-guidance/index.html
A document that provides guidance to all producers of official statistics
Compliance with code of practice ensures statistical reports released
into public domain in orderly manner that promotes public confidence,
gives equal access to all, subject to relevant legislation
UK Practice continued
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Responsibility resides with the Statistics Head of Profession
Presentation and commentary
– Impartial; clear; balanced; made available to widest possible audience;
content reviewed regularly
Accessibility
– Take account of user needs; provide underlying data (subject to
confidentiality)
Pre-release access
– Restrict access to data prior to publication; report breaches
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DECC Ministers (3), special advisors (2), senior officials (2), press officer (1)
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http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/stats/governance/5494-decc-statemnt-compliance-prerelease-stats.pdf
Publication
– Follow published timetable; 12 months in advance
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http://www.decc.gov.uk/media/viewfile.ashx?filepath=Statistics/publications/37-decc12monthstatscalendar.pdf&filetype=4&minwidth=true
– Make metadata available
Dissemination modes
• Printed outputs of key annual and quarterly data
– Pressure on costs
– Print runs down to100s for main annual reports
– Cover marginal costs – not full recovery
• Web
– Main method of dissemination
– Feedback on access levels
– 450,000 hits last year
User engagement
• Check audience for what’s produced
• Seek views on new requirements
• Two years ago DECC ran survey
– Feedback positive
– More demand for renewables information
– More demand for regional data
Scope of data presented
• National data
• Regional breakdowns
• Sector breakdowns
• Principle – once we produce analysis – aim to make results
available to all
• Tables, charts, commentary
• PDFs, excel files
New media
• Twitter
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DECC @DECCgovuk
See where all our energy comes from and how it gets used, http://bit.ly/LQy0Fz #energystats
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DECC @DECCgovuk
Latest DECC #energy production, consumption and price #statistics published
http://tinyurl.com/cfcg257
Commenting on today’s Energy Statistics, Energy Minister Charles Hendry said:
"Today’s statistics show a clear increase on the first quarter of last year across all renewables – with rises in
wind, hydro, solar and bioenergy generation.
“Alongside a 36% increase in renewables capacity in the last 12 months, this shows that the UK is powering
forward on clean and secure energy and is clearly a very attractive place to invest.”
View “Quarterly energy statistics: Energy trends and quarterly energy prices” on the DECC website.
Dissemination of Statistics
• Keep it simple but factual
• Who is audience, what level of numerical skill
• Charts must make point easier to understand – they are the
hook
• Should raise a “why” question
A good picture is worth a thousand words
Charts
Everyone can understand a good chart!
UK Final Energy Consumption 2001 - 2011
Has been on the decline since 2005
240
Cold
year
230
Mtoe
220
210
200
190
Record decline in 2011,
a fall of 7%.
180
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
Developing new uses of statistics
Mapping energy statistics
• MapInfo Professional 10
• Create maps using postcode level or
various geographical level data e.g. at
local authority or output area level
• Capability to layer different types of
maps. For example, it is possible to
super-impose a map of the national
gas network to the map on the right.
Developments
• Good presentation of data is key
• Need to get data noticed and used
• Visualisation – a moving story – engages users
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Examples from the UK
– Local Authority analytical tool
– Interactive maps
Demonstration
UK Local Authority
analytical tool
Sub-national gas and electricity
analytical tool
Overview
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This tool forms part of a wider project that started in 2003 to meet user’s energy needs
at lower geographies.
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The tool is targeting local authority councils to help develop and monitor policies whilst
also enabling comparisons to be made with other local authorities.
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It is universally available.
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Currently, the fuels available for comparison in the tool are gas and electricity. New fuels
will be become available for comparison in the upcoming months. These include, road
transport and residual fuels. Residual fuels being non-gas, non-electricity and nontransport uses of fuels.
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It is in a ready to use Excel format and can be downloaded from the internet on the
DECC statistics website.
Sub-national gas and electricity analytical tool
Front Page
Introduction Page
Individual Local Authority Analysis
Comparisons between local authorities
Local Authority Ranking
Data section
Information pages
Notes and definitions
Links
Demonstration
Interactive
Mapping tool
Using the tool
Visualising changes in datasets
Visualising changes overtime
Using the tool
Mapping tool
Any Questions?