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

Objects to be assessed in relation to USER RELATIONS

in a Global Assessment

EFTA-Eurostat-UNECE Seminar on Global Assessments

Yalta, Ukraine 23 – 25 September 2009

Petteri Baer, Regional Adviser, UNECE

24.9.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 2

Are users well informed about the main services of the statistical system/agency? Do you have a Release Calendar of official statistics?

• In which forms is it made available to the media and users? Do you have a fixed daily time for statistical releases? How often do you organize press conferences? What is the number of subscribers of press releases

• To the media, absolutely and in relation to the number of media in the country

• To other users of statistical information Do you have a Publication Catalogue?

• How is it made available to users• What is the amount of its proactive distribution?

24.9.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 3

What is your web site’s role as a service forum for official statistics? With which average frequency do you produce

updates on your web site?• By the hour, daily, weekly?

Format of statistical information on your web site• Mainly HTML• Mainly HTML and PDF• HTML, PDF, MS Excel, MS Access• Also service databases, visual presentations and dynamic

information materials available Is the general speed users can download your

information• Sufficiently rapid• Too slow

24.9.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 4

Do you provide database services to users?

What do your database services cover?• Fields of statistics available?• Time periods available?

Who are the users of the service databases?• Can anybody make use of the services?• If not, which are the main user categories?• Are the database services chargeable?• Are the database services user friendly?• Which was the number of subscribers/users of the

database services at the end of last year?

24.9.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 5

What user surveys are in place to improve your understanding of the different needs of different users Are user surveys performed on a regular

basis? When were the three previous user surveys

performed? Were they focused on

• Specific user groups?• Specific products?• General satisfaction of the services provided?

What improvements in your user services have taken place due to the user surveys?

24.9.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 6

How is feedback from users dealt with? Is giving feedback encouraged? In which ways can users give you feedback? Is user feedback encouraged? How? Are there active procedures and defined

responsibilities to follow-up on user feedback? Which are the main forms of your reacting on

user feedback? Can examples of improvements, resulting from

user feedback, be mentioned?

24.9.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 7

Are users informed proactively on new statistical services and updates?

Which are the main forms of contact building with existing users?

Which are the main forms of contact building to new potential users?

Are some user categories given training on methodological issues?

If yes, which? Is there a plan on providing statistical literacy

training to different user categories? Is it being successfully implemented?

24.9.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 8

How do you categorize your users?

By institutional sectors and branches By their size (turnover, staff number) By the frequency they obtain statistical

information By the way they use statistics

• “Tourists”, “Farmers”, “Miners” By the statistical products and services they

obtain By all or most of the criteria mentioned

24.9.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 9

In which ways do you deal with contact information of your users?

Contact lists of important and regular users exist• In the MS Word format• In MS Excel and/or MS Access format• In other formats, which?

Responsibilities on updating contact information to customers are defined and work well

A customer database is in use A customer relationship management system is in use Do you have sufficiently staff to keep up with this kind

of things?

24.9.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 10

Chargeable services

Do you provide adapted, custom-designed analyses of your statistical output upon request?

Do you charge users for more labour- or/and investment-intensive services?

Do you have established and published pricing principles for chargeable services?

Name the five most popular chargeable services you provide

24.9.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 11

Corporate imago

Does the National Statistical Agency have • A logo?• A defined visual image?

Is this the defined visual image used in all published materials?• Web site• Publications• Letter heads• Business cards• Etc.

24.9.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 12

Statistical Council

Does the National Statistical Agency have a Statistical Council or a corresponding body providing high-level advice to the Chairperson/Director General?

A Statistical Council can be very helpful• In providing advice on the need structures and the

sentiments of different stakeholder groups• In agreeing on information to be brought from the

Statistical Agency to different stakeholders• In getting a broad approval for strategic issues of

the Agency

24.9.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 13

Wise words of Samuel Johnson

“Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves or we know where we can find information upon it”

Thank you for your attention! petteri.baer@unece.org