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Managing Statistical Activities Using the DQAF Structure

This presentation focuses on the management of statistical activities using the Data Quality Assessment Framework (DQAF) structure. It discusses the reorganization and enhancements made to improve data management and highlights the relevance of the IMF's Data Quality Program.

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Managing Statistical Activities Using the DQAF Structure

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  1. Data managed according to the DQAF at the IMF Statistics Department July 2008 Conference on Data Quality for International Organizations (Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities) Lucie Laliberté

  2. The IMF Data Quality Program The IMF introduced its DQAF-based Data Quality Program in 2006 for integrating: • its data assessments of member countries (ROSC Data modules) • Its data dissemination initiatives with member countries (SDDS/GDDS) • Its technical assistance to member countries • its own statistical activities The presentation focuses on the management of statistical activities according using the DQAF structure.

  3. Reorganization to enhance data management In 2005, STA created the Statistical Information Management Section (SIMS) to: (i) provide central leadership to ensure the use of cost effective and best work practices in data management; (ii) provide data collection and client services for STA; (iii) provide central leadership for STA in the use of information technology (IT) and managing IT development and production projects; and (iv) manage STA’s publications and electronic dissemination through, for example, a statistics portal. In January 2007, the Statistical Information Management Division (SI) was created to further improve STA’s data management functions while streamlining the use of resources.

  4. 0.1 Legal and institutional environment. The IMF is an international organization, comprising 185 member countries, whose scope of operations is determined through a charter entitled the Articles of Agreement. Article IV, Section 3, assigns to the Fund surveillance over exchange arrangements, and Article VIII, Section 5, sets out member countries’ obligations to provide to the Fund such information as it deems necessary for its activities.

  5. 0.2 Resources. STA’s activities encompass • macroeconomic data management and publications, • standards for data dissemination, • support of surveillance and program monitoring, • statistical methodologies, • capacity building and training, and • international statistical coordination and cooperation. • the IMF’s central macroeconomic databases of country, regional, and global statistics that cover about 300 countries and regional groupings.

  6. 0.3 Relevance. • STA’s work program has been adapted to ensure consistency with the IMF priorities on enhancing statistical services to support the IMF’s global, regional, and country-based surveillance, including work on globalization, financial account issues, financial soundness indicators, and balance sheet positions. • The IMF has conducted intensive user consultation on its electronic and paper publications; in light of those assessments, major upgrades are being made to its disseminated products (see dimension 5—Accessibility) • STA responds to statistical needs as they emerge (e.g., financial soundness indicators and the Coordinated Direct Investment Survey (as of end-2009)

  7. 0.4 Other quality management. • First, the data dissemination initiatives. STA closely cooperates with the World Bank and with PARIS21, notably in workshops to promote countries’ participation in the GDDS. In addition, STA works with organizations such as the Arab Monetary Fund, the Central Bank of West African States, the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, and the Economic Commission for Africa to conduct training seminars for officials from countries interested in participating in the IMF’s GDDS. Technical assistance is provided to implement strategies as laid out in countries’ GDDS “Plans for Improvement” or to meet SDDS requirements. There are currently 64 SDDS subscribers and 90 GDDS participants—a total of about 82 percent of Fund membership. • Second, the DQAF was devised to encourage member countries in improving their data quality. The DQAF methodology helps to identify and document in a systematic manner countries’ practices in statistical production, ranging from their institutional arrangements to data collection, compilation, and dissemination. • Third, the data module of the Report on Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSCs) provides countries with an expert and externally based assessment of their macroeconomic statistics. As of February 2008, 112 data module ROSCs had been completed, including updates and reassessments. This framework helps identify deviations from internationally accepted good practices and ways to improve the quality of statistical products and institutions. • Fourth, STA also uses the DQAF for the promotion of quality in its own statistical operations. For instance, STA reformatted the SDDS and the GDDS metadata into the structure of the DQAF with the aim of streamlining STA’s work in data standards, technical assistance delivery, and the data module ROSC.

  8. 1. Assurances of integrity • 1.1 Professionalism. STA is actively involved in developing statistical guidelines in macroeconomic statistics that are decided on purely professional scientific grounds (see below dimension 2, Methodological soundness). It also plays an active role collaborating with a number of multilateral organizations engaged in promoting sound statistical practices. This includes STA’s role in the work of four interagency task forces—finance statistics, statistics of international trade in services, international (merchandise) trade statistics, and public sector accounting, and two intersecretariat working groups—national accounts and prices—and participates in the Irving Fisher Committee on Central Bank Statistics. In addition, STA participates in meetings of the UN Statistical Commission, the Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities, the UN regional statistical commissions, the OECD Committee on Statistics, the ECB, the BIS, UNCTAD, the Commonwealth Secretariat, and the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board. • 1.2 Transparency. STA produces an annual publication Recent Developments and Current Initiatives that is sent to all national statistical offices, central banks and international organizations. The publication provides an overview of STA’s work program to assist countries more effectively in developing their statistical capacity and strengthening collaboration. This is consistent with STA’s business plan that is also included in the pamphlet. • 1.3 Ethical standards. The staff is bound by IMF general professional standards and code of conduct.

  9. 2. Methodological soundness STA is also actively engaged in developing statistical methodologies that encourage international comparability, support the efficient use of statistical resources, and promote the analytical usefulness of statistics. The IMF’s expertise is primarily in the • national accounts, • prices, • government finance, • monetary and financial statistics, • financial soundness indicators, • balance of payments, international investment position, external debt, and international reserves statistics. • STA also collaborates with the World Bank on the methodology of the International Comparison Program (ICP) and contributes a representative to the Program’s Technical Advisory Group. The methodological frameworks are documented in manuals and are reflected in STA’s statistical publications.

  10. 3. Accuracy and reliability • STA uses only datasets produced by countries and validated by them, as relevant. The business model is to encourage member countries to produce data according to international standards. To help data producing agencies develop their statistical capacities, STA offers advice in the topical areas of national accounts and price statistics, government finance, monetary and financial statistics, financial soundness indicators, balance of payments, international investment position, and external debt statistics. During fiscal year 2007, STA fielded 451 technical assistance missions to 128 countries. Training courses offered by STA generally consist of a series of lectures, discussions, practical exercises, and case studies with focus on the relevant statistical methodology. An increasing share of the funding for technical assistance comes from external donors. • Based on a recent survey of data providers, a number of new features to streamline data reporting have been implemented in the Integrated Correspondence System (ICS). The ICS is a web-based data reporting system developed by STA for use by country data reporters. The ICS provides data reporters with an efficient method of sending data to STA in a secure Internet environment using Excel.

  11. 4. Serviceability • 4.1 Periodicity and timeliness. The IMF’s four main statistical publications are International Financial Statistics (IFS), monthly, Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook (BOPSY), Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS), annual, and Government Finance Statistics Yearbook (GFSY). More recently, the IFS Supplement on Monetary and Financial Statistics has been produced on a quarterly basis. STA is also involved in a number of other data releases such as the results of the Coordinated Portfolio Investment Survey and of the Coordinated Compilation Exercise for Financial Soundness Indicators, as well as quarterly data on the Currency Composition of Foreign Exchange Reserves. • 4.2 Consistency. STA strives for consistency of data by presenting the statistics according to the IMF statistical manuals, which are harmonized with the principles of the System of National Accounts 1993 (1993 SNA).

  12. 5. Accessibility • The statistical products are available in hard and electronic versions. Assistance to users is provided on an ongoing basis. • Recent development work on the IMF’s economic data warehouse, IMF.Stat, has resulted in a pilot release internally within the IMF of the warehouse containing both STA databases, selected databases managed in other departments, and databases provided by other external and commercial organizations. IMF.Stat introduces a new collaborative approach in the design and development of common tools to support data management.[1] The initiative represents a fresh perspective on the organization and management of data and metadata to improve the way data are collected, stored, documented, managed, and disseminated. IMF.Stat brings together the IMF’s key economic statistics and related metadata to enhance access to and communication about the data. IMF.Stat will be the foundation of new effort to develop an IMF statistical portal. • STA participates, together with the BIS, the ECB, Eurostat, the OECD, the UN, and the World Bank, in the SDMX initiative to facilitate exchange of statistical information among national and international agencies. • [1] The software supporting IMF.Stat data and metadata has resulted from collaboration with the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). STA is appreciative of the support provided by the OECD in this endeavor.

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