The Statistical Metadata System: its role in a statistical organization

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The Statistical Metadata System its role in a
statistical organization
A presentation of Part A, Chapters 13 of the
Draft Statistical Metadata Framework

• Jana Meliskova
• Joint UNECE / Eurostat / OECDWork Session on
  Statistical Metadata
• Geneva, 3 5 April 2006

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Background

• Aim of Metadata Framework Part A
• Inform senior managers
• Describe their involvement in SMS projects
• Role of Statistical Metadata Systems (SMS)
• Effective functioning of statistical organization
• Expertise in statistics
• Cross cutting nature of SMS
• Interdisciplinary team approach

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Issues addressed in Part A

• Corporate Value Proposition
• Functions
• Users
• Benefits
• Strategies
• Vision
• Metadata Objects
• Strategic Planning
• Management
• Core Principles
• Corporate Governance model

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What is the role of an SMS?

• The Statistical Metadata System supports
• Production of official statistics
• Monitoring and evaluation of statistical
  processes
• Management of methodological activities

• Cooperation with users
• Increasing usability of data for clients
• Improved data quality
• Management of data sources

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Role of an SMS (continued)

• Dissemination of final results
• Integration of SIS nationally and internationally
• Management and unification of internal workflows

• The Statistical Metadata System supports

• Knowledge base on the processes of SIS
• Administration
• Evaluation of cost and revenues
• Unified statistical terminology

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Statistical Metadata System Users
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Benefits of an SMS

• Common benefits
• Increased information, quality, retrieval and
  exchange, terminology, standards, CMR, reuse,
  knowledge
• Senior management
• Facilitates monitoring and management of all
  major activities of SO integration of
  statistical information
• Designers and evaluators
• Methods, tools and IT components
  available,feedback about performance , usage,
  users satisfaction, up to date documentation,
  info on similar systems

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Benefits of an SMS (continued)

• Methodologists
• Improved design and implementation of surveys
• Content integration
• Keeping and maintenance of classifications,
  registers, methods and standards
• Subject-matter statisticians
• Better understanding of users needs
• Knowledge base on data collection
• Access to consistent classifications
• Elements and engines used for new surveys
• Standard processes to avoid local solutions
• Better support for consultation services and
  training

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Benefits of an SMS (continued)

• Research Development
• Knowledge of statistical systems and productions
• Recognized theories, methods and good practice
• Costs and quality aspects in SIS
• Administration of Metadata Content
• Smooth and systematic metadata maintenance
• Update once in one place
• No human interference
• Errorless metadata navigation of e-production
• Technical Administration
• Using SMS tools for technical maintenance of CMR
• Metadata elements links
• Links to e-production
• Knowledge about tools used by content admin

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Benefits of an SMS (continued)

• IT Unit
• MD driven production
• Increased standardisation and efficiency
• Unified MD on data and concepts, classifications,
  populations, time series, measurement units etc
• Respondents
• Respondents can be users
• SMS is an integration tool for this process
• Harmonized methodology
• Use of standards, terminology
• Feedback from surveys, access to CMR etc

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Benefits of an SMS (continued)

• End users on a national level
• Improved discovery, understanding and
  interpretation of statistical data
• Increased consistency, comparability and
  credibility
• Recognized intellectual property
• Monitor users feedback

• Unify terminology
• Cognitive psychology i.e. presentational aspect
  to MD consumption
• Harmonizing MD on websites
• Integration of statistical output DB

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Benefits of an SMS (continued)

• International Users
• International Organizations
• Greater consistency when interacting with NSOs
• Coordination of access through a single
  gateway/portal side SDMX project
• MNEs
• Harmonization of MNEs information systems with
  SIS
• Standardisation of forms of organization, stat,
  units, charts, accounts and classifications

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Management Strategies and Policy Framework

• SMS vision
• MD object
• Strategic planning
• Management strategies for corporate SMS

• SMS vision
• Prerequisite for the success story
• Direct involvement of and supervision by the top
  management
• Approved Vision is an integral part of the
  strategic direction of the SO
• Interdisciplinary team approach

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Components of the SMS vision
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Metadata objects

• Statistical data and concepts
• Variables, populations, classifications,
  registers, templates, surveys, time series, stat.
  methods etc
• Statistical processes and procedures
• Related to statistical production, SIS,
  organization, planning, performance, evaluation,
  costs, management etc
• Tools enabling production and usage
• Terminology, description methods, registration
  tools etc

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Strategic planning

• Incorporates all important activities, their
  links and priorities
• Clearly specified conditions
• Organization framework and ground strategy
  management established
• Plan approved by all actors

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Management strategies for corporate SMS

• SMS management across the whole organizations
• Leading role of top management SMS management
  board established
• MD management is a part of every project

• Board is taking an ultimate corporate view on all
  decisions dealing with SMS development
• Management strategy is in a close alliance with
  existing SO structure
• A multidisciplinary team approach

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SMS Metadata model
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Management strategies for corporate SMS

• Major phases of SMS development

Design
Implementation
Maintenance
Usage
Evaluation
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Management of SMS design

• Vision
• Global architecture
• Impact of inventory of existing systems
• Common components
• Impact on existing statistical production
• Outcomes and feedback from evaluation phase

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Management of SMS implementation

• Development of tools and vehicles
• Completeness of implementation
• Coherent technical implementation
• Outsourcing

• Setting of corporate CMR including loading MD
  into CMR
• Reengineering of existing processes
• Detailed and coordinated planning for all stages
  of implementation

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Management of SMS maintenance

• Ensure timelines and coherence
• Oversee all MD stored in CMR
• Define policies, procedures and protocols

• Concepts for registration of MD objects
• Rules and guidelines (jointly with owners)
• Delimitation of organizational background for
  maintenance

• Ensure use of coherent/standard set of tools
• Prepare plans for maintenance
• Training of owners

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Management of SMS use

• Coordinate detailed plans IT unit should be
  responsible for plans dealing with production
  process
• Oversee availability of MD and MD tools
• Oversee use of MD and MD vehicles by users

• Inform users about changes in MD context
• Organize feedback from users
• Oversee use of MD on statistical websites

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Management of SMS evaluation

• Specify major targets of SMS evaluation
• Oversee evaluation (costs, use of standards,
  efficiency etc)

• Specify evaluation forms
• (i) regular long-term (e.g. 3 years interval)
• (ii) regular short term (e.g. annually)
• (iii) ad hoc (when needed)

• Setting benchmarking for all defined targets
• Appoint a team of evaluators (SO staff, MD
  users), consider possibility of external
  evaluators

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Some questions for discussion

• Is the role of SMS exhaustive enough?
• Should the benefits of SMS for senior management
  further improved?
• Will it be useful to prepare an annex with some
  concrete examples of the Vision document?
• Is the necessity of a lead role of the SO top
  management in the SMS development justified
  enough?
• Are the tasks for the management in the
  individual phases of SMS life cycle
  representative enough?

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Thank you