Enhancing the Value Proposition of Official Statistics: Modernization Committee Insights

1. Communicating the NSO value proposition – Ensuring that official statistics is a well recognized brand Modernization Committee on Products and Sources UNECE Works Session on the Communication of Statistics Geneva 18-20 June 2014

2. Modernisation Committeeon Products and Sources • MC-PS • One of four MCs overseen by HLG-MOS • Eight countries (AU, CN, FR, IE, IT, NL, NZ, PL) andthree organisations (OECD, Eurostat, UNECE) • Key areas of interest • Big Data, CSPA, Mixed Mode, Mobile devices and Marketing • Current Activities: • Big Data Inventory • Branding of Official Statistics • Survey: NSOs’ best practices in communicating their value proposition

3. Why Branding of Official Statistics? • Recent developments in: • Source situation (big data, web panels etc.) • Alternative statistics (Billion Prices, Google etc.) • Dissemination modes (social media, mobile devices etc.) • Official Statistics to react: • Develop brand of “Official Statistics” • Define our common value proposition • Build on our strengths and address weaknesses

4. NSOs’ Strengths • Quality focus • Standardized concepts • Maximum accessibility of data • Independence • Positive public image • International network

5. NSOs’ Weaknesses • Timeliness could be improved • Limited responsiveness to user needs • Including tailored requests • Long time to market • For developing new products • For incorporating new sources

6. How to build on strengths and address weaknesses? • Different approaches to deal with challenges • Best practices are worth sharing • Four examples from MC-PS members • IE, IT, NL, NZ • Other countries also have valuable examples • Australia: Run That Town • Denmark: Sales and Marketing Division • South-Korea: Homo Statisticus

7. Valuing the Censusin New Zealand • Objective: • Measure the value from the five-yearly census • Approach: • Independent report places dollar value on the information • Conclusion: • Benefits clearly exceed direct cost

8. Improving statistical literacyin Ireland • Education Outreach Programme • Objective: • Long term investment to increase awareness and use of statistics • Approach • Educating key data users • Schools • Third level and continued professional development • Media and wider society • Fostering partnerships at national and international level

9. Supplying Customised Statisticsin the Netherlands • Objective: • Increase (re)use of data • More flexibility and responsiveness • Approach: • Tailor-made statistics • Research questions from paying customers • Results published on website of SN • Effect: • Now 30 researchers active • Expenses fully covered

10. Statistical Storytellingin Italy • Objective • Make results of official statistics accessible and understandable • Approach • Several storytelling projects, ranging from basic to highly interactive • Examples • NoiItalia: Indicators involving a broad range of statistical subjects at different territorial levels; more than 200 text stories with graphic facilities • Scuoladistatistica-lab: Laboratory to create stories on data by discovery, curiosity and exploration mechanisms

11. Survey: NSOs’ best practices in communicating value proposition • NSOs’ best practices are worth sharing! • Collaboration opportunities? • MC-PS plans to conduct survey • Results will be published • Idea supported by CES and HLG-MOS • Will you contribute? • Do you have suggestions?

12. Backup slides

13. Information Gathering and Survey Objective • Development of a shared resource on best practices examples • Identifying opportunities for collaboration on the marketing of official statistics Potential Content • Key Stakeholders – government policy makers, students, researchers, other • Strategies underway or planned • Relevant research undertaken on attitudes towards official statistics • Relevant research on effectiveness of strategies • Collaboration between national and international statistical organisations • Collaboration with other organisations (eg academic, commercial, non-government) • Links to further information available publically • Opportunities and Barriers • Other? Do members of the audience have input to offer for the development of the survey?

14. Sales and Marketing at Statistics Denmark Establishment of new Sales and Marketing Division Objective • Create optimal conditions for data suppliers • Increase revenue streams by professionalizing relationships with data customers Marketing and promotional activities include: • Education • Free introductory courses on services of Statistics Denmark • Free courses on the journalistic value of published statistics provided to media students at third level institutions • Analysis days where potential customers can outline their data needs • Direct Marketing • Phone calls to potential customers • E-mails to potential customers who have agreed to receive material from Statistics Denmark • Promotional magazine “StatistiskPerspektiv” is sent to interested parties quarterly • Provides examples of customized tasks that customers have paid for

15. Measuring value and awareness of official statistics Statistics New Zealand Valuing the New Zealand Census • Objective - to measure the value produced from five-yearly census and associated population estimates • Approach • independent report commissioned to place a dollar value on the information • Complex process of estimation – no agreed models for measuring the value of such statistics • Conclusion • The census delivers benefits well in excess of its direct cost Measuring use and trust survey • Objective – survey of data users to find out about their attitudes toward official statistics • Approach • Follows guidelines developed by the OECD Committee on Statistics • Survey conducted by an independent research organisation • It measures for official statistics • Awareness and importance • Usage and access • Trust people have in official statistics

16. Statistical Storytelling at Italian National Institute of Statistics Objective • Make the results of official statistics accessible and understandable to people • Storytelling projects include:

17. Improving statistical literacy in Ireland Education OutreachProgramme Purpose • long term investment to increase awareness and use of statistics Approach • Educating key data users • Fostering partnerships at national and international level • 3 broad target areas • Schools : Influence curriculum Statistics competition Online educational tools • Third level and continued professional development : Diploma in Official Statistics Seminars on subject areas • Media and wider society : Press conferences : Statistical Liaison Groups : Parliamentary briefings

18. Acronyms • HLG-MOS: High-Level Group for the Modernisation of Statistical Production and Services(http://www1.unece.org/stat/platform/x/xIR8Aw) • CES: Conference of European Statisticians(http://www.unece.org/stats/ces.html) • MC-PS: Modernisation Committee on Products and Sources • CSPA: Common Statistical Production Architecture(http://www1.unece.org/stat/platform/x/PojNBQ)

19. Members and participants of the Modernisation Committee on Products and Sources: • JenineBorowik (Australia) Chair • Julie Trépanier (Canada) • Franck Cotton (France) • Richard McMahon (Ireland) • Stefano De Francisci / Monica Scannapieco (Italy) • BarteldBraaksma / Barry Schouten / Johan van der Valk (Netherlands) • Jean Watt / Amy White / Emma Mawby / Lyn Kaye (New Zealand) • Anna Dlugosz (Poland) • MichailSkaliotis / Martin Karlberg / Pilar Rey del Castillo (Eurostat) • Yuri Gyomai / David Barraclough (OECD) • UNECE Secretariat: TaekeGjaltema / Steven Vale