The Importance of User Relations for a Modern National Statistical Agency

1. 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

2. Director General Heli Jeskanen-Sundström Advisory Board of Statistics Finland Scientific Advisory Board Co-operation Committee Advisory Board of the Library of Statistics Secretariat of Director General Popu-lationStatistics SocialStatistics PricesandWages Econo-micStatistics BusinessTrends BusinessStruc-tures Management Services Information Services Library of Statistics Interview andSurvey Services IT and Statistical Methods Statistical Research and Methods Petteri Baer

3. 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 Petteri Baer 2

4. 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 Petteri Baer 3

5. 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 4

6. Good user relations are important, because… • Only used statistical information is useful information • Statistics is mainly not produced for the archives • If statistics does not serve as a tool for decision making and helping to understand on-going phenomena, it has failed its core function

7. Basic statistics - an infrastructure of modern society • Basic statistical information is a tool for safeguarding democracy • In order to participate in decisions of society, citizens should have access to basic information on structures, development • Statistics serves decision making • 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

8. In a world with growing information overflow a tough question is: • Will Official Statistical Agencies in the future have the role of akey provider of • 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

9. 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 • 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 futureof any statistical agency. Petteri Baer

10. 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

11. 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… • PC-Axis, PX-Web… User friendly services! Petteri Baer

12. In the East European countries • …the top layer of the state administration is usually well served with statistical information • President’s office • Ministries • Central Bank • But what about other stakeholders? • District and local administrations needs?

13. 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!

14. Relations with the business community – difficult but rewarding • The business community is a much broader target group than often believed • Banks • Insurance companies • Big corporations • Medium sized enterprises • Chambers of commerce • Branch organizations • Employers organizations • Foreign companies • Etc.

15. 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

16. Other important stakeholders and users of a statistical information • Libraries • Educational institutions • International organizations • Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) • Trade unions • Social issues • Environmental issues • Information brokers • Information service agencies • Business intelligence systems • Knowledge managements systems

17. The importance of good contact information • User lists • Existing customers and contacts • Regular and heavy users of economical statistics • Contact directories • Feedback contacts •  Contact / Customer database •  Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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! • petteri.baer@stat.fi