What is the VSSIntroduction to the Virtual Statistical

System

• On-line resources for NSO’s and other data producing agencies

• Information about statistical organizations and operations

• Links to valuable information (sites & documents)• Checklists for the improvement of statistical

organizations• Exchange of information for practitioners and users• Access to 200 eLearning lessons about 10 topics.

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VSS is a Portal providing …

Why VSS and who needs VSS?

• Experience shows the clear need for improved access to statistical information.

• The Web offers exciting possibilities to access and share information.

• Countries requested to be involved in South-South communications

• Where to go to find the VSS: google “virtual statistical system”, or “www.virtualstatisticalsystem.org or “statsys.com”.

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The VSS is designed:

• To learn about official statistics.• To improve the statistical capacity of countries

by using: VSS knowledge base. VSS eLearning courses. VSS communication tools.

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Main Components of the VSS

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• Activities• Themes• Comments

•Discussion groups•Wiki information exchange

• Animated presentations• Power point presentations

The VSS can be used to

- understand a range of issues that national statistical organizations face.

- understand the nature of statistical subject matter topics.

- to design strategies to improve national official statistics.

- to design implement plans for projects.

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Activities and Themes

• Two sides of the same coin.• Activities are a series of building blocks for

national statistical systems and organizations.• A Building block is a complete set of activities

which are defined by a series of checklists.• One building block is a (useful) condition for

the next.• Building blocks have several aspects (tabs).

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Accessing VSS Knowledge Base: Activities and Themes

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Building blocks for statistical systems

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Themes

• are the other side of the coin.• are the subject matter topics about which

statistics report, and • deal with specific questions, other than

generic, that statistical organizations may face.

• are the traditional fields of work in statistics.• have a number of separate aspects (tabs).

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How Statistical Operations Work

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