Mike Sivyer

ACCOLEDS Training, December 8, 2003

CALGARY, DECEMBER 2003

AN OVERVIEW AN OVERVIEW

OF OF

STATISTICS CANADASTATISTICS CANADA

CALGARY, DECEMBER 2003

WHERE DO WHERE DO

THE DLI DATATHE DLI DATA

COME FROM?COME FROM?

Statistics Canada is the federal government’s central statistical agency

Its mandate is to collect, compile and disseminate statistics on the country’s population, resources, economy, society and culture

In addition to the Census every 5 years there are about 350 active surveys on virtually all aspects of Canadian life

At the head of the agency is the Chief Statistician of Canada

This is equivalent to a deputy minister level in other federal departments

Statistics Canada is divided up into a number of different areas called FIELDS - There are 7 major fields

Not all Fields are survey or data related, for example some deal with communications or management, etc

Each Field is headed by an Assistant Chief Statistician

The 7 major Fields are:

Social, Institutions and Labour Statistics

Business and Trade StatisticsNational Accounts and Analytical

StudiesAnalysis and DevelopmentCommunications and Operations Informatics and MethodologyManagement Services

Each FIELD is made up of a number of BRANCHES headed by a Director General

Branches are made up of a number of DIVISIONS

Divisions can be further divided into sub-divisions, sections, units etc.

There are over 5,000 employees at Stats Canada

The DLI Program is a Section within the Library and Information Center

This is situated in Field 7 – Communications and Operations

Also includes areas such as: Dissemination, Advisory Services, Communications, Marketing, Survey Operations, and others

There are over 60 separate divisions within Stats Canada

Of these about 30 are involved with data collection, analysis and/or the creation of data products

The divisions that concentrate mainly on analysis (about 10) produce many of the, articles and papers disseminated by Stats Canada

Stats Canada can also be said to be divided by the type of data that are collected

There is the business, trade and economic statistics side (includes business and trade statistics, national accounts and analytical studies, analysis and development, etc)

And the household - social data side

There are very few files in DLI from the business/trade/economic statistics side because these divisions tend not to produce public use files - all data go into CANSIM

For the most part, business surveys are censuses therefore there are confidentiality concerns related to producing non-aggregate data & files

There are about 9 divisions from 4 different fields that do supply some data to DLI

Industrial Monitor

Trade dataSAADSocial Economic

Simulation Database and Model (SPSD/M)

KLEMSEtc

The type of products received include:

Census of Agriculture

Canadian Business Patterns

Geography Files, PCCF

Financial Performance Indicators

Inter-corporate ownership

Most of the files in the DLI collection come from the household/social statistics side of Stats Canada

This is Field 8:: Social, Institutions and Labour

Statistics

There are 8 divisions from this area that supply data files to the DLI

These divisions Culture, Tourism and Center for

Education StatisticsHealthIncomeLabourCensusCentre for Justice StatisticsSpecial SurveysHousing Families and Social Statistics

SCFHIFE (FAMEX)LFSVolunteersNLSCYCTSCADS/NADSCensus

Some of the survey files received include:

GSSPost Censal SurveysSmokingHPSCCHS / NPHSGraduatesAETSSLIDLMASFOOD EX

The organization and operation of Statistics Canada can be compared to Canada

Canada is a confederation of 10 provinces and three territories

Jurisdiction over different responsibilities and activities are divided between the two levels of government

Statistics Canada can be viewed as being a confederation of 60 divisions with jurisdiction over different responsibilities and activities divided between the corporate and divisional levels

In a manner of speaking each division acts independently yet at the same time works towards the greater corporate good.

Each survey division is responsible for the collection, processing, quality control and dissemination of their own surveys

At the corporate level there are certain policies and guidelines that all divisions are required and expected to follow with respect to their data

For example: All divisions MUST register their surveys

and products in the corporate databaseNo data can be released to the public

until it has first been announced in the Daily

All public use microdata files MUST be approved by the Microdata Release Committee

All releases must bilingual Publications must follow the STC and FIP

rules

The corporate level also controls such things as:Data quality and release guidelinesInternet pages on STC siteService to clients guidelinesAllocation of divisional budgetsStaffing and recruitmentLanguage requirements of positionsSoftware & related licences

Custom tabulations CANSIM A print or electronic

publication Etc

Notwithstanding STC standards, guidelines and policies, each division is allowed to determine the manner and format by which they make their data and metadata available to the public

This can be: Beyond 20/20 An ASCII PUMF SAS or SPSS

portable file

There are guidelines on the type and kind of information that must be provided with a Stats Canada data product

For example we must provide information on data quality etc.

However each division is allowed to prepare their metadata as they see fit

The style and content of a Microdata User’s Guide and/or a codebook accompanying a public use microdata file is up to the producing division

Sometime it is even up to a project team within a division

This is why obtaining consistent and complete metadata for every survey file in the DLI collection is sometimes very difficult

Divisions that conduct surveys and collect data tend to guard and be very protective of these data

For example: some survey divisions will not allow another division access to a data file until they have been informed of the purpose and use

They may also want to review any analysis before publication

Some survey divisions may even charge other divisions for their data

The concept of cost-recover is pervasive throughout Stats Canada

For example: if we want translation done or a large number CDs replicated or to store files on the mainframe computer, we have to pay the division responsible

Another example is : Each project/division must pay a monthly charge to the informatics division based on the number of PCs they own

This charge is to cover such items as corporate licences for software products

This is how the cost for CA*Net3 was removed from DLI and made a monthly charge to all divisions

When obtaining data products for the DLI we must deal with each producing division separately – usually we must also deal separately for each product produced within one division

Most divisions are very co-operative with the DLI and many in fact go out of their way to ensure that we receive the data

Requests from the DLI Section usually have very little impact on a survey division’s decision on how - if – and when - they produce their data and metadata products

If anything, we are seen as one client – and one that does not pay!

Although we do provide financial compensation to divisions this is transparent to many client service areas and project managers

Some divisions are very willing and eager to work together to help improve their products

In fact we are in the process of trying to organize a number of divisions to work with us on a project related to adopting the DDI as a standard for metadata delivery

As well, members from the STC Library (incl DLI) were part of the committee drafting the new Policy on dissemination/communications

The DLI will now be mentioned by name in the new policy

Will state that publicly available electronic files, in all formats, along with related documentation and software will be supplied to the DLI program

We understand the difficulties that people from outside of Stats Can have in understanding why things happen the way they do

It is important to always remember that Stats Can is composed of many independent parts that may not always mesh as well as they might

Working in STC can be a challenge – but it has its rewards as well