Towards Implementation of SDMX January 9-11, 2007 World Bank, Washington D.C.

1. Towards Implementation of SDMXJanuary 9-11, 2007 World Bank, Washington D.C. The IMF Metadata Repositories Project International Monetary Fund Statistics Department Data Dissemination Standards Division

2. SDDS and GDDS repositories • Subscription to the Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS) has grown to 64 countries • Participation in the General Data Dissemination System (GDDS): metadata for 88 countries • More than 80 percent of the IMF membership disseminate information on statistical practices using the SDDS/GDDS framework for over 20 “data categories”

3. SDDS and GDDS repositories • SDDS and GDDS metadata are maintained in relational databases, which allow • Dynamic generation of web pages • Query facilities providing information on • metadata concepts (or elements) • advance release calendars • Comparing cross-country practices

13. Metadata Repositories • Facilitate access to data (list of countries, of data categories, with information on ARC, URL, ...) • Provide critical information on data categories and data compiling agencies • IMF repositories (SDDS/GDDS) provide the largestdatabase-supported access to standardized metadata on macroeconomic data categories • Largest: 152 countries X 20 data categories – with information provided and certified by countries

14. Shortcomings of Access to Repositories • Query outputs (html pages) – cannot be easily imported in users’ environments • Even queries across SDDS/GDDS not possible • Metadata providers have no direct access to the repositories (no updating facilities)

15. How to Improve the RepositoriesUsing SDMX • Make outputs from queries computer-readable • Allow updates to other agencies’ metadata repositories • Support automated updates of the IMF repositories from compatible repositories

16. Metadata Formats at the IMF • metadata dissemination format in the IMF: • SDDS + GDDS using the Data Quality Assessment Framework (DQAF) • Provides a common basis for developing SDMX messages for exchanging the metadata

17. Dimension 4. Serviceability Elements 4.1 Periodicity and Timeliness 4.2 Consistency 4.3 Revision policy and Practice Indicators 4.2.1 Statistics are consistent within the dataset 4.2.2 Statistics are consistent or reconcilable over a reasonable period of time 4.2.3 Statistics are consistent or reconcilable with those obtained through other data sources and/or statistical frameworks Structure of the DQAF

18. SDDS Metadata in DQAF Format

19. What’s the Next Step? • We need a common format for exchanging the metadata – so that information retrieved from the IMF repositories be computer-readable • Advance Release Calendars: Useful for policy makers, journalists, researchers monitoring macroeconomic developments in their own country and in others • Information on data compilation practices: useful when comparing the data • Common exchange format provides options for sharing metadata across international organizations

20. SDMX Version 2.0 • Support widespread metadata exchange • Metadata Structure Definition : metadata are exchanged separately from the data that they describe – these metadata about data categories are called reference metadata in SDMX • metadata concepts timeliness, source data, data presentation • “attachment level” data category,compiling agency

21. Metadata Concepts

22. Attachment Levels Data Category Agency

23. SDMX and SDDS/GDDS • SDDS/GDDS Metadata “concepts” are attached at two levels: “agency” – based on a code list of data compiling agencies jointly maintained by the BIS/ECB/IMF “data category” – based on a code list of data categories that are used for the SDDS/GDDS

24. Simplified example – data category Attachment : “consumer price index” + “Statistics Denmark” Metadata concepts : “periodicity” = monthly “timeliness” = one month “source data” = Price collection methods: Prices for clothing and fresh food are collected by price collectors visiting the outlets. Almost all other prices are collected by questionnaire. Some prices are collected from price lists and the like and via the internet. Sample size: 25,000 prices from approximately 2000 outlets. In addition prices for approximately 4000 rental units are collected once a year.

25. Simplified example – agency Attachment : “Statistics Denmark” Metadata concepts : “confidentiality of individual data” = According to the "Public Authorities' Registers Act" (LBK nr. 621 by 2 Oktober 1987, and changed by § 11 by Act nr. 192 of 29 March 1989 and Act nr. 346 of June 1991 and Act nr. 654 of 20 September 1991), data attributable to identifiable individuals (or enterprises) shall not be passed on.

26. Benefits of SDMX for metadata exchange • Computer-readable metadata on over 150 countries for more than 20 data categories • Common metadata format would facilitate metadata exchange arrangements between agencies • Metadata in SDMX-ML formats would facilitate creating metadata repositories by other agencies • Agencies monitoring macroeconomic statistics would have easy access to computer-readable metadata, including advance release calendars and contact person information