COMSIS: a Statistical

Information System for

evidence-based planning

Office of Economic and Statistical

Research (OESR)

Queensland Treasury

COMSIS:

Department of Communities Statistical Information System

Presentation outline

• OESR Statistical Information Systems (SIS)

• What is COMSIS?

• Demonstration

• How is COMSIS being used?

• Three take home messages

OESR Statistical Information Systems (SIS)

• OESR developing SIS since 1992 (QRSIS – public)

• Three SIS components:

Data

− social, demographic and economic indicators

− usually freq counts or rates (not unit record)

− 488 collections, 47,000 unique series

Time series

− where possible data collected over time

Geography

− Small-area (SLA/LGA) based on ASGC (2006)

• Website: www.oesr.qld.gov.au

What is COMSIS?

• In 2005, Qld Dept of Communities (DoC) developed an evidence-based planning framework – NBPRAF.

• Concept – use data (quant & qual) as evidence to ensure best allocation of resources to priority need.

• Small area data from QRSIS excellent starting point, but DoC needed.….

1. Data presented on DoC regions

and

2. Specific administrative data from other agencies

What is COMSIS?

1. Data presented on DoC regions

What is COMSIS?

2. Specific administrative data from other agencies

• Exisitng data + DoC ‘wish list’ of admin data

• OESR acted as data broker

Examples:

COMSIS admin collection Source agency

Births to teenage mothers (15-19 yrs) Qld Health

Substantiated notifications - child abuse Department of Child Safety

Crim convictions - custodial sentences Justice & Attorney-General

Yr1 students did not attend preschool Department of Education

What is COMSIS?

Define data and concordance

Gather (broker) data

COMSIS - Database query tool

COMSIS -Regional profiles

COMSIS - Thematic

maps

Load Data

Shared SIS database

Demonstration

COMSIS – Database query tool

Scenario: DoC Officer in Cairns working on an Indigenous adolescents program would like to determine target pop.

– Screenshots

Benefits

– Easy-to-use

– New data automatically concorded to DoC regions

– DoC access to previously inaccessible Qld Govt admin data (and load own)

– Ability to ‘drill down’ to small-area geographies

– Print, or export data tables for further anlysis

Demonstration

COMSIS - Regional profiles

Scenario: DoC Officer in Noosa would like a quick demographic profile Sunshine Coast to use in a planning report.

– Screenshots

Benefits– Easy-to-use

– Provides a quick informative snapshot of region

– Tables, charts and analysis automatically updated with latest statistics from database – always current

– Consistency in reporting across agency

– Significant time and cost savings

Demonstration

COMSIS - Thematic maps

Scenario: DoC Officer in Bris working on migrant support services would like to identify communities with high proportion of o/s born persons.

– Screenshots

Benefits

– Easy-to-use

– Presents spatial distribution of indicators

– Quick visual identification of clusters or ‘hotspots’

How is COMSIS being used?

DoC examples

– Development of needs scores to identify SLAs of greatest risk/need

– Modelling need using synthetic estimation (matching SLA variables with CD level predictors)

– Regional offices using for funding proposals

– Input to Govt Regional Plans (Blueprint for the Bush)

– DoC Evidence Groups – program strategies

– Mapping services against need (supply/demand)

– For research projects (Impact of Poverty report)

How is COMSIS being used?

Other Agencies using SIS’s

– Disability Services Queensland

– Department of Tourism, Regional Development and Industry

– Office of Child Safety

– Parliamentary Library

– Department of Natural Resources and Water

– Department of Education Training and Arts (in development)

Hope to encourage other service delivery agencies

Three take home messages

1. Govt agencies can/will make evidence-based decisions – data accessible and relevant

2. Govt agencies can/will share admin (statistical) data – need for trusted broker

3. Small-area data crucial - building blocks for customisation