united nations economic commission for europe statistical division developing our service abilities...

United Nations Economic Commission for EuropeStatistical DivisionUnited Nations Economic Commission for EuropeStatistical Division

Developing our Service Abilities

Strategic Challenges for Statistical Agencies

Presentation prepared for the IAOS Conference, Session 3,“User demands for official statistics”

Shanghai, China, 14 October 2008Petteri Baer, Regional Adviser, UNECE

14.10.2008 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 2

User demands – how can they be found out?

Is knowing user demands important – or not?

Not a simple task Which users’ voices

are heard? How good is the

coverage of our information sources?


More and more statistical publication takes place on the internet…

This is a very positive development

Availability and accessibility of official statistics has grown substantially

In the beginning of the year 2008• > 500 Million internet

hosts in the world!

Internet hosts in the Worldin the beginning of each year

* Millions *

0.00002 0.03 0.716

147

433

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

1982 1987 1992 1997 2002 2007


How do we perceive ourselves? How do decision makers perceive our services?

How important is our role in real decision making?

In practical terms? How covering is our

information on users? Do we know enough

about our potential users, our potential customers?


User demands – the basic ones

User friendly Easily accessible Understandable and clear Focused on the essentials With visual presentations Impressive Balanced


Basic quality demands for statistical services

Q=

Relevance Accuracy Timeliness Punctuality Accessibility Clarity and Comparability


Trade-offs almost every day

Timeliness is a must – but what about accuracy?

Relevance is a must – but what about needs specific only to one or a few users?

Remember:Only used statistics is useful statistics


User friendly statistical services

…can be established only through interaction with users• Interaction with real users• Not with solely our

imagination on them• Not only governmental

users• Not only the ones we by

tradition are mainly used to


If we do not know our users

We will not know how satisfied or dissatisfied they are with the present services we provide

We will not know about any unmet needs in the field of statistics

It will be difficult to develop services that better fit their information needs.


Who bears the responsibility that communication with users works well?

The future… The importance… Our place in society

is at stake… Users’ judgement

may well define, how of our statistical services are perceived and used


Who bears the responsibility that communication with users works well? (2) Is it the individual

statistician, the subject-matter expert?

Program managers? Information & PR Unit? Or – Is it a challenge for

the top management?• Who should bring in a

systematic approach on building user relations, if it is missing?

3.6.1999

Source: Seppo Määttä & Timo Ojala (1999). TASAPAINOISEN ONNISTUMISEN HAASTE - Johtamin en julkisellasektoril la ja Balanced Scorecard. Edita Oy.

MissionMandate

Responsibilities

CapabilitiesResources

STRATEGIC SCOPE


Back to the basics:

Who are our stakeholders? Government &

Ministries Parliament President The National Bank &

other central gvt Regional & locaal

governing bodies

Is THIS the list?


Different user groups have different need structures Consequently they have varying

demands for statistical services• Business people versus researchers• Local authorieties – comparisons with other

local authorities and with the average• NGOs, lobbyists – focus on the themes,

relevant for their interest group It is not wise to serve them all with the

same common approach


A modulated approach - basics for efficient user services The importance of

• A good information architecture

• Effective databases• Metadata information

available• Linking identifications

exist between different data

• XML helps to build electronic bridges


Often it is not easy, especially if different divisions work in silos - and behave as that would be ideal


Internet has in recent years pushed for building corporate imagos

It has also highlighted the often very different approaches different departments/divisions/units may have on ways of publishing data

Sometimes these differences are reflected on the web site of the NSO!


Following elements are usually found on a NSO`s web site

Statistical releases, Press releases Statistics by topics and subject matters; Key figures; Calculators Frequency of baby names service Contact us / Feedback / Privacy statement Search / Site map / Help Links to other national and international

statistical agencies What’s new (on our web site)?


Other possibilities for service development on the web

Statistics by popular themes and topics First visit service for new visitors Services made available by user group Notifying special days with statistical

information materials Links to relevant Wikipedia pages Use of new web tools, Internet 2 Service pages with top actual themes: What’s

hot?


User needs are specific – not “general”

All user needs are specific

Their satisfaction should be developed in communication and cooperation with the users

For this categorization and contacts are needed

No errors in basic data

Delivery on time

Delays are reported

Data supplied in desired form

Comparability of data

Customer is taken into consideration

Friendly staff

Finding the right persons

Accessibility of staff

Data delivered with speed

Data up-to-date

Information about the data/service

Data meets demand

Tailored data value for money

Further processing of data sufficient

6 7 8 9 10

6 7 8 9 10


One way to categorize users

Central administration Local administration Corporations and

enterprises Educational institutions

and public libraries Research institutions Organizations Media


Lithuania’s impressive Statistical literacy plan

Promoting statistical literacy among users

Targets: All main user categories

When? During 2008 – 2012

Special attention to educational institutions and businesses


Concept of Statistical literacy in Statistics Lithuania


Tools assisting work for better satisfaction of user needs

Customer databases• Information on regular and heavy users

Customer Relationship Management system• For good and systenmatic follow-up and

planning of interaction with regular and heavy users

• Example NSO:s: Canada, Finland, Estonia Business Intelligence systems


But – that’s already another story

Thank you for your attention

Remember:• Only used statistics is

useful statistics Final question – who

will have the responsibility for systematic satisfaction of user needs?

A learningCustomerRelationship

united nations economic commission for europe statistical division developing our service abilities...

Documents