CountryData Development
Improving the collation, availability and dissemination of development
indicators (including the MDGs)
Nairobi, 27 November 2013
National Systems
National Database
• Implemented in all project countries
• Store and expose national development
indicators
• Provide a searchable Web interface over
the data
• Most project countries use the DevInfo
software as the platform
• Thailand and Morocco use native systems
(StatXChange and BDS)
SDMX Registry
• Facilitates “pull model” for efficient data
dissemination
• Sends update notifications to subscribers
• Enables automated data and metadata
transfers
• Implemented in 10 project countries
• Most project countries use DevInfo 7
Registry
– Thailand uses Metadata Technology’s Fusion
Registry
DevInfo 7
• Released by DevInfo Support Group in
November 2012.
• Much improved over di 6: better user
interface, visualizations, search
• A number of tools developed for the
project facilitate SDMX exchange
– SDMX Registry
– MDG DSD Mapping Tool
DevInfo 7: Recent Developments
• A number of improvements recently
implemented for the project by DSG
– Advanced mappings (many-to-one and oneto-many)
– Advanced publication filters
– Simplified and improved menu structure
– Improved SDMX functionality
Thailand: StatXChange to CountryData
• StatXChange is an advanced data sharing
system developed by the Thailand NSO
– Relies on Web services that supply data in an
XML format (StatXML)
• Application was developed with UNSD
assistance that converts StatXML to MDG
SDMX.
Thailand: SDMX Registry
• Once converted, SDMX data is placed on
a Web server and registered with Fusion
Registry, installed with UNSD assistance.
• Fusion Registry is an advanced
implementation of the SDMX Registry
specification, developed by Metadata
Technology.
Morocco: SDMX Export
• Morocco uses its own indicator database,
BDS, developed in-house.
• Morocco NSO built SDMX export module,
which produced SDMX data that has been
published at CountryData.
• Fusion Registry to be installed in
December 2013 to complete the data
exchange system.
CountryData
CountryData Platform
• Developed by UNSD for the project
• Automatically receives development data
indicators from project countries
• Enables comparisons between national
data and those obtained from international
agencies
• Provides re-dissemination and data
visualization
• Part of, and linked to, UNdata
CountryData SDMX
Data Exchange
National Statistical Office
National
Repository DB
CountryData
Web Site
1. Publish
6. Publish
and Visualize
SDMX Dissemination
Site
CountryData DB
2. Register
International
MDG DB
5. Upload
4. Download
3. Notify
National
Registry
CountryData
Web Service
Discrepancy Analysis
• Once in the CountryData database,
national development indicators are
matched with international MDG series.
• Any discrepancies are investigated and
reported on the Web site.
• Metadata crucial in explaining
discrepancies.
Visualization and Re-dissemination
• National and international development
indicators are presented at CountryData in
charts as well as a tabular format.
• Data transferred to CountryData can be
downloaded in a variety of formats
including CSV, Excel, and SDMX.
Application Programming Interface
• API was developed for CountryData and
some other UNdata datasets in 2012
• Based Eurostat’s SDMX Reference
Infrastructure software
• Uses SDMX to query for structures and
data, and to receive results
• Support for SDMX 2.1, as well as REST
Web service, to be introduced soon
API: How It Works
www.mydataportal.com
1. Request chart on a Web page
6. Create and return chart
2. Call SDMX Web Service
5. Return SDMX data
3. Query database
4. Retrieve data
Plans for the Future
Further DevInfo Development
• Work is underway on new di features
– Installer for the di 7 software
– Further improvements to SDMX publishing
Expansion of Data Exchange
• Mexico has supplied MDG indicators in the
SDMX format, which has been published
at CountryData.
• Other countries have expressed interest in
joining data exchange.
Migration of Legacy Data
• Plans are in place to migrate the MDG
Labs database into CountryData
– MDG Labs was developed for the pilot phase
of the UNSD-DfID project.
– Shows discrepancy analysis for several dozen
countries.
– Does not support SDMX or data exchange.
After migration, all its data will be
downloadable as SDMX.
CountryData Development
• New home page to accommodate nonproject countries
• New visualizations as part of UNdata
redesign
DSD Development
• MDG DSD constantly updated, primarily
with geographical information.
– CountryData DSD v 0.9 in sync with latest
MDG DSD
• CountryData DSD to be updated with new
indicators requested by countries.
• Both DSDs to be updated for improved
maintenance and compatibility with SDMX
Reference Infrastructure.
Links
• MDG Labs (current version)
http://unstats.un.org/unsd/mdglabs
• UNdata Web Service
http://data.un.org/WS
• UNdata SDMX Browser
http://data.un.org/SdmxBrowser