Transcript UN Presentation (IMF)

Moving into the 21st Century:
A New Strategy for Disseminating
IMF Statistics and Metadata
Working Session on Emerging Trends and
Best Practices in Data Dissemination
United Nations Statistics Division
March 3, 2006
The Current Situation
Home
Current
Situation
First Steps
Usership
Research
Web
Dissemination
Next Steps
Vision for
EDW
• 4 “traditional” products in print and on CD-ROM
– Balance of Payments Statistics
– Direction of Trade Statistics
– Government Finance Statistics
– International Financial Statistics
• 3 online products, different formats
– International Financial Statistics
(modeled after the CD-ROM)
– International Reserves (static tables)
– Coordinated Portfolio Investment Statistics
(static tables)
• IMF Data Dissemination Standards Bulletin Board
– Special Data Dissemination Standard
– General Data Dissemination System
First Steps...
Home
Current
Situation
First Steps
Usership
Research
Web
Dissemination
Next Steps
Vision for
EDW
 Spring 2005: two studies commissioned by the
IMF’s External Relations Department and Statistics
Department
– Qualitative Usership Research of traditional
products (conducted by Research Perspectives)
– Review of Best Practices for Web Dissemination
of Data (conducted by Sabatier Consulting)
 Fall 2005: studies completed and results presented
to IMF staff
Key Findings and Recommendations:
Qualitative Usership Research
6 focus groups, 36 in-depth interviews
Home
Current
Situation
First Steps
Usership
Research
Web
Dissemination
Next Steps
Vision for
EDW
Positive feedback
• Users of IMF data also access data from a wide variety
of sources (e.g., OECD, UN, World Bank)
• IMF databases have an excellent image (“the gold
standard”) but some reputational issues
• Online data desired despite access limitations in some
locations
• Many still want print publications
• More data desired, e.g., data on Taiwan and trade
breakdowns
• Some interest in one large database (“super IFS”) rather
than separate products
• World Bank’s World Development Indicators mentioned
as an ideal in terms of user-friendliness
Key Findings and Recommendations:
Qualitative Usership Research (cont’d)
6 focus groups, 36 in-depth interviews
Home
Current
Situation
First Steps
Usership
Research
Web
Dissemination
Next Steps
Vision for
EDW
Negative feedback
• IFS online and CD-ROM considered highly userunfriendly by current standards
• Desire for more information on definitions yet confusion
over the term “metadata”
• What metadata does exist users cannot find
• Data are not sufficiently timely
• Quality control issues: users find errors in the data which
are not corrected quickly enough
• Insufficient information on changes to the database
• Dislike of IMF mnemonics (“impenetrable”) requiring print
publication to understand data
• Insufficient information on series definitions
• Inadequate content support for users
Key Findings and Recommendations:
Best Practices for Web Dissemination of Data
40 telephone interviews:
19 comparable organizations, 21 data distributors
Home
Current
Situation
First Steps
Usership
Research
Web
Dissemination
Next Steps
Vision for
EDW
• Increasing worldwide access to and comfort
with the Internet
• Users wish all data accessible via the Internet
• Trends toward free access; simpler, flatter
pricing; and instant pay-per-use
• Online downloads replacing CD-ROMs but
demand for print likely to continue
• Many technologies in use although move
towards industry standard software
• Slow movement towards standardization of
database structures and metadata
Key Findings and Recommendations:
Best Practices for Web Dissemination of Data
Home
Current
Situation
First Steps
Usership
Research
Web
Dissemination
Next Steps
Vision for
EDW
• Provision of data in XML
• Desire to store queries for repeated execution
• RSS feeds increasingly utilized
• Importance of clear metadata for searching and
understanding data
• Desire to have references from main web site to
partner organizations offering data
• Customer support essential but move to online
help to reduce resources
• Need for online mechanisms for feedback and
questions
Next Steps...
Home
Current
Situation
First Steps
Usership
Research
Web
Dissemination
Next Steps
Vision for
EDW
Winter 2006
 Statistics Department staff retreat to consider mediumterm strategies of the IMF
• Introduction of [email protected] permitting
content questions to come directly to the Statistical
Information Management Section (SIMS was created in
June 2005) of the Statistics Department
• Adoption of Remedy for tracking queries to ensure timely
responses and consistent responses
• Creation of a library of responses to ensure consistency
of message and reduce resource requirements
Next Steps...
Home
Current
Situation
First Steps
Usership
Research
Web
Dissemination
Next Steps
Vision for
EDW
Spring 2006: issues to be addressed
– Work practices within Statistics
– Development of a statistical data warehouse
– The role and extent of metadata
– Effective user support
– Technology alternatives
– Marketing and pricing strategies
Summer 2006 and beyond: implementation of
short-term and medium-term strategies for
online dissemination
A Vision for the Economic Data Warehouse and
Future Dissemination
EXISTING DATA
& METADATA
National
Sources
ICS
DATA
WAREHOUSE
Plus additional
metadata
DATA SEARCH
&
ELABORATION
Rationalized
Databases, Gaps
Identified
National
Sources
ICS
Statistics
IFS
Data
(disseminate as
appropriate)
Area
Depts
10+ countries
Web
Access to
Data
Warehouse
IMF.ORG
Statistics
Portal
Validated
Data
Metadata
Research
WEO
External
Data
OECDMEI
INTLINE
Searchable by:
•
•
•
•
Topic
Country
Source
Reports
Metadata
Publications
CD ROM