Transcript Toiminta

The Importance of User Relations
for a Modern National Statistical
Agency
Presentation given by Petteri Baer at the
Seminar on Dissemination
NBS Moldova, Chisinau 27 May 2010
Advisory Board of Statistics Finland
Advisory Board of the Library of Statistics
Secretariat of Director General
Director General
Heli Jeskanen-Sundström
Population
Statistics
Social
Statistics
Prices
and
Wages
Scientific Advisory Board
Co-operation Committee
Economic
Statistics
Business
Trends
Business
Structures
Management Services
Information Services
Library of Statistics
IT and Statistical Methods
Statistical Research and Methods
Interview
and
Survey
Services
Petteri Baer
27 May 2010
1
Statistics Finland’s services, 1/3
Online services
 in total around 120,000 web pages
 Publications
 Roughly 90 publications per year. The majority are also
available in electronic form
 Software products
 Geographical information, statistical tables, classifications etc.
 Classification services
 Handbooks and applications
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Petteri Baer
27 May 2010
2
Statistics Finland’s services, 2/3
Special compilations
 Tailored compilations from existing Statistics Finland
data or by collecting new research material
 Interview and research services
 Commissioned surveys and compilations according to
customers’ needs
 Training in statistics
 Training on statistical methodology, graphics and
reading and user skills. Tailored courses for customers
 Business Register
 E.g. address data of enterprises for marketing purposes
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Petteri Baer
27 May 2010
3
Statistics Finland’s services, 3/3
International consulting in the field of statistics
 Expert help in developing statistics
 Regional service offices in Turku, Tampere, Seinäjoki
and Oulu
 Offer all the services of Statistics Finland
 Library of Statistics
 National central library of statistics, open to everybody
 Information service
 Information service queries by telephone or e-mail

Petteri Baer
27 May 2010
4
Good user relations are important,
because…
Only used statistical
information is useful
information
 Statistics is mainly not
produced for the archives
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27 May 2010
If statistics does not serve as
a tool for decision making and
helping to understand ongoing phenomena, it has
failed its core function
Basic statistics an infrastructure of modern society

Basic statistical information is a tool for safeguarding
democracy
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In order to participate in decisions of society, citizens should have
access to basic information on structures, development
Statistics serves decision making

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This infrastructural service of basic statistical information, often
generates demand for more sophisticated and customized statistical
information on additional topics and phenomena
More labour- and/or investment-intensive statistical services and
service products are usually chargeable
Petteri Baer
27 May 2010
6
In a world with growing information overflow a
tough question is:

Will Official Statistical Agencies in the future
have the role of a key provider of

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correct, objective, non-partial, non-biased,
understandable, comparable and easily accessible
information, relevant to stakeholder and user needs?
Or will they degenerate into
under-funded producers of historical data,
 having a limited role as a background source for users
mainly in public administration and in institutions of
economic and social history?

Petteri Baer
27 May 2010
7
User relations are of strategic importance
The question of the development of services,
development of modern service products,
 the questions on marketing and dissemination of
statistical information

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Both are questions of a strategic importance for
any National Statistical Agency.
They are not just side functions or minor activities.
 They are questions about the future of any statistical
agency.

Petteri Baer
27 May 2010
8
Proactive is the magic word
Statistical agencies need a well balanced,
proactively communicative and professionally led
and administered comprehensive approach to the
development of their information services
 The information services are, together with the
data collection and production of statistical
information, one of the CORE FUNCTIONS of any
statistical agency
 Reference is made to the

Fundamental Principles of the UN
 The Generic Statistical Business Process Model,
developed by the UNECE and Eurostat

Petteri Baer
27 May 2010
9
The importance of user friendly Database
services
Statistical agencies produce quite a lot of statistical
information
 Different users have different aspects of interest,
they want information

By industries, By enterprise sizes
 By regions
 Comparisons over different time periods
 International comparisons
 And numerous other aspects…

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PC-Axis, PX-Web… User friendly services!
Petteri Baer
27 May 2010
10
In the East European countries

…the top layer of the state
administration is usually
well served with statistical
information

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
President’s office
Ministries
Central Bank
But what about other
stakeholders?
 District and local
administrations needs?
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27 May 2010
The media is our partner
In disseminating the
main results of all your
agency’s hard work on
statistics
 In making problematic
issues known
 Help the media to be
well informed!
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27 May 2010
Relations with the business community –
difficult but rewarding

The business community is
a much broader target
group than often believed

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27 May 2010
Banks
Insurance companies
Big corporations
Medium sized enterprises
Chambers of commerce
Branch organizations
Employers organizations
Foreign companies
Etc.
The research community – aspects for building
good relations
Co-operation in methodological development
 Recruitment of new statistical professionals
 Promoting the use of statistical information in
general
 Continuous pressure for providing good metadata
 Finding ways for a broader use of microdata
without violating confidentiality

Petteri Baer
27 May 2010
14
Other important stakeholders and users of
a statistical information
Libraries
 Educational institutions
 International organizations
 Non-governmental organizations
(NGOs)
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Information brokers
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27 May 2010
Trade unions
Social issues
Environmental issues
Information service agencies
Business intelligence systems
Knowledge managements systems
The importance of good contact information

User lists

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Existing customers and
contacts
Regular and heavy users of
economical statistics
Contact directories
 Feedback contacts
  Contact / Customer
database
  Customer Relationship
Management (CRM)
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27 May 2010
For good user interaction at least a
Customer Database is needed
For contacting
 For surveys on
satisfaction or
dissatisfaction
 For presenting new
targeted services
 For other forms of
interaction
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27 May 2010
Statistical agencies profit much
from active and critical feedback (1)
Having more feedback
will help us to develop
our services
 Interaction with critical
customers will help us
in having a positive
pressure on
performing better
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27 May 2010
Statistical agencies profit much
from active and critical feedback (2)

A demanding customer
is like a grain of sand
within the mussel. It
doesn’t feel good but
the result may be a
beautiful pearl!
Thank you for your
attention!
 [email protected]

27 May 2010