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
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