Next steps for statistical offices

Statistisches Bundesamt

Next steps: what national and international statistical offices can do to improve our measures Walter Radermacher President of the Federal Statistical Office, Germany

Conference “Beyond GDP” 19-20 November 2007, European Parliament Brussels

© Walter Radermacher, President Federal Statistical Office, Germany


Official statistics and progress measurement



The Economic System in Statistics: A “flat” projection space stocks

investment depreciation

flows export import


time


Statistic users and producers: Interactions Producers of statistics

Users of statistics design information problem

discussion / definition • perception patterns • programmes • products

work system production conducting of processes, provision of products and services

use

knowledge

statistical information

communication


statistical data + metadata 02/02/2015

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Measuring progress: development Ecological over time HDI

Footprint EDP MIPS

Lisbon Indicators PEEIs MDG Indicators

Social Indicators

Sustainable Development Indicators

Progress Indicators

1980s

1990s

2000s


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“Good policy needs good statistics” (Tony Blair) Theoretical Consistency

Quality of Statistics Political Relevance


Empirical Measurability

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The Knowledge-Statistics-Motor Politics

Public Opinion

Statistics

Science Institutional setup


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Fact based policy making The policy cycle Problem description

Analysis

The input from statistics

Measures

Performance control


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Species of Statistical Information degree of aggregation/ model character

composite indicators multi-dimensional indicator systems

high

social accounting

environment al accounting national accounts

structural data short-term data low accuracy © Walter Radermacher, President Federal Statistical Office, Germany

coherence 02/02/2015

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Reductionism + Holism: Complementary Views Synthetic indices signalling a high-level governance

Overview

Indicator sets or aggregates with a single unit of measure

Quantitative indicators with a multiple dimension space of measures

Accounting data supplemented by satellite systems

Details Basic statistical data from surveys etc.


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Holistic Measures on Different Levels of Aggregation Extended national accounts (e.g. SEEA) Indicators, indicator sets (e.g. EU structural indicators, EU sustainable indicators, UNSD, OECD) Composite indicators on environment, well-being, quality of life (e.g. Index on Sustainable Economic Welfare, Genuine Progress Indicator, Living Planet Index, Human Development Index, Happy Planet Index, Ecological Footprint) © Walter Radermacher, President Federal Statistical Office, Germany

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Data requirement for the German national strategy for sustainable development 21 headline indicators

Discription of problems, performance control

Additional indicators

Detailed discription of problems

Data from accounting systems

Analyses of developments and linkages, identification of measures

Primary data

Specific analyses


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Statistisches Bundesamt CO2 emissions from transport of goods million tons 70

61,3 56,4

60

50,2

18,8

50

42,2 40

Exports

12,3 Exports

30

42,5

20

30,0

10

Imports

Imports

0

Transport of goods outside the territory

Transport of goods on the territory

1995 © Walter Radermacher, President Federal Statistical Office, Germany

Transport of goods outside the territory

Transport of goods on the territory

2005 02/02/2015

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Institutional Setup of Statistics Resources Quality Requirements Confidentiality

Statistics

Response Burden Neutrality, Independence, Objectivity


Institutional setup

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Institutional Setup of Official Statistics Reduced Resources Extreme Quality Requirements Confidentiality

Statistics

Reduction of Response Burden Neutrality, Independence, Objectivity History, Political System © Walter Radermacher, President Federal Statistical Office, Germany

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Next steps for statistical offices Provide the resources for an adequate quality of official statistics Make sure that the necessary basic data is available Broaden the accounting systems (concepts/standards) - environment, sustainability, R&D, human capital - core system and satellite systems Agree on indicator sets based on available information Develop standards/handbooks on international level Build up databases for the analyses of transboundary flows (especially for the problem of climate change) Improve communication tools © Walter Radermacher, President Federal Statistical Office, Germany

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Statistic users and producers: Interactions Producers of statistics

Users of statistics design information problem

discussion / definition • perception patterns • programmes • products

work system production

use

knowledge

statistical information

web 2.0

communication


conducting of processes, provision of products and services

statistical data + metadata 02/02/2015

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Further recommendations Official statistics contribute to the public debate but cannot be the only provider of information Make a clear distinction between tasks of statistical offices and of research institutes Enhance a close cooperation with science and model builders Intensify the working relationship between national statistical institutes and international organisations Increase efforts towards a user oriented communication of new measures Let civil-society participate in design processes © Walter Radermacher, President Federal Statistical Office, Germany

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Working together: progress indicators Inter- und supranational institutions, e.g. OECD, UN

society

economy European official statistics

National official statistics Research institutes

government © Walter Radermacher, President Federal Statistical Office, Germany

environment 02/02/2015

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Thank you for your attention! Walter Radermacher Telefon: +49 (0)611 / 75 21 00 [email protected] www.destatis.de
