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Coordination with other Partners
in the National Statistical System
Olav Ljones
SADC Work Shop, Luanda 2-6 December 2006
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Why and with whom to coordinate?
• Several government institutions
will be relevant as partners
both as data providers, producers of statistics and users of
official statistics
 Data capture, Other government bodies that create, collect and store
data. Example, Vital registration, Customs, Tax
 Production and dissemination of statistics. Other institutions. (Even
private firms may produce statistics on contract with the government)
 Need formalized contact with User Groups.
• What to aim at: Consistence, coherence, international
comparability, and not to forget reduced response burden
and a cost efficient statistical system.
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Statistical tools for better coordination
• Concepts
• Units and population
• Standards and classifications
• Dissemination, Internet portals
• International coordination,
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Cooperation with other public institutions
• ….is a must for NSOs
• Is it sufficient with good intentions, good will and nice
behavior?
• Strategic theory, thinking and practice, will help. Strategy,
tactics, actions, counteractions, results,
• Our public image – very important also for our ability to build
bridges and cooperate.
• We
- the NSO management - believe that NSOs are special
(producers of a public good and professional
independence).
• Will we meet other institutions that respect our integrity and
behave altruistic
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Some examples from cooperation
• Concepts:
– Definitions and traditions for concepts and measurement of
manpower (incl working hours) is not equal between, Labor Force
Surveys, School administration, Hospitals, etc. A common set of
definitions will not be the best solution for a precise measurement of
labor in all sectors
– Accounts, variations in basic principles cash accrued, gross/net,
revenues from fees paid by users etc
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More examples
• Dissemination. Some Directorates/Ministries will have as an
obligation to pre inform their minister of major events.
Example New estimates on emission to air, based on a tight
cooperation with the Directorate of Environment Protection.
• Some Public Bodies will have a new regime for budgets and
revenues and are obliged to go market and maximize
revenues. Norway – geographic information and maps. The
Directorate want to sell and Stat Norway ask for information
free of charge. Second conflict we put the same information
as a public good on our web site
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More examples
• The understanding of differences in roles between NSOs
and other agencies. The very important distinction between
data collected for statistical purposes and data collected for
administrative purpose. Example: Income data collected for
income statistics (For example. Gini coefficient) and income
data collected for calculation of taxes to pay)
• In cooperation NSO a single purpose body while others will
often be a multipurpose body (administration and statistics)
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More examples
• Some regulations on privacy and confidentiality are strong
and protects data even from use in official statistics.
Example Health data collected by health staff and regulated
by health staff privacy regulations
• All government bodies want to have the best web pages
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The Model for Cooperation
• How to build relations?
• Advisory boards for users.
• Bilateral agreements
• Overall Advisory Council for Official Statistics
• Council for government data registers
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The Norwegian Council for Official Statistics
• Who are invited?
• The ToR/Mandate
• The experience
• Common training program
• A special Register forum for data owners
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The Council for Coordination of Official Statistics
(CCO), Mandate
• It is established by a decision of the DG Statistics Norway
• CCO is an advisory body to give advice to Statistics
Norway and other producers of official statistics in Norway.
• The CCO shall :
– contribute by coordination of production and dissemination of official
statistics
– Contribute by establishing quality requirements, as regards
independency, quality (relevance, coverage, accuracy and
punctuality, coherence and consistence, accessibility and
documentation) confidentiality and lowest possible response burden
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Mandate cont.
• Contribute to cooperation that fulfills these quality standards
and to an (resource) efficient production of official statistics
• Be a Forum for exchange of best practice and building of
competence. Spread good methods for data capture,
production and dissemination of official statistics and for
deliverance of data to the research community. This may be
done by arranging seminars and training courses.
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Mandate cont.
• When appropriated contribute to coordination of
international statistical cooperation.
• A yearly report
• The Council is chaired by the DG of Statistics Norway
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Members list
• Employment Directorate
• General Business Register Office
• Fishery Directorate
• Housing Bank,Govnm.
• Institute for Public Health
• Institute for Research on Education and Research
• Central Bank
• Data Archive for Social Sciences
• Police Directorate
• Post and Telecommunication Directorate
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Members list 2
• Social Insurance Directorate
• Central Tax Office
• Directorate for Health and social affairs
• Government Environment Inspectorate
• Geography and Map Directorate
• Agricultural Directorate
• Central Directorate for Roads
• Education Directorate
• Immigrant Directorate
(very informal translation of names)
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