Inventory on International Statistical Standards, ISS INEGI-Mexico

1. Inventory on International Statistical Standards, ISS INEGI-Mexico 15th Meeting of the CCSA February 22, 2010

2. The Inventory Objectives: • To compile a Database of International Statistics Standards organized by type of standard: • Concepts and Definitions d) Data Sources • Classifications e) Indicators • Methods and Procedures • To use a metadata model to organize the ISSI and to present the information in a unified way. • To build a web-portal to facilitate the access to the information resources that includes ISS.

3. The Inventory Considerations: • Compilation of the ISSI isstill in progress. • ISS are continuously developed and/or updated by international organizations. • The Database does not contain all the ISS nor always have the latest version. • ISS imbedded in the Inventory´s Database should not be taken as official neither by the international organizations nor by INEGI. • The internet links to the information source or documents, included in the Database, could not be working correctly due to changes in the web sites. • ISS were originally translated into Spanish and updated continuously as possible. • The English version corresponds to the 2008 inventory. For this reason, the information available in Spanish and English might be slightly different.

4. International Statistical Standards and the Harmonization of National Statistics • Compliance with international standards is an important tool to harmonize and strengthen the National Statistical System in Mexico. • Statistical harmonization presents a number of challenges, including how to conceptualize, measure and analyze reality. Conceptual:   - Which definitions are applied. - Which conceptual frames are used. - Which classifications are used for aggregating data. Analytical: • - Which statistical methods are used. • Which indicators are derived. Methodological: - The way in which variables are measured. - The intervals over which they are collected. - The populations they cover. - The treatment accorded to missing data. Legal Framework: • - The Mexican law considers the use of standards and international recommendations.

5. The Legal Framework • The National System of Statistical and Geographical Information Law (SNIEG, 2008) is an instrument that organizes the “National System” to ensure that:   • The “Information of National Interest” satisfies the policy needs of the economic and social development of the country; • The information is comparable over time and space; • The statistical and geographic information processes are in line with international standards, so as to allow for international comparability. • Under this new legal framework, international standards and recommendations have taken on special significance for national statistics. • International standards need to be analyzed and adapted to the national context in such a way that regional and international data comparability becomes possible.

6. Statistical Standards Statistical standards are at the core of the harmonization processes International organizations recommend the use of international norms and common practices to foster coherence among national statistical systems. The development of the family of international standards amounts to the development of a “common language” which allows for meaningful international comparisons. Köhl, M. et al. 2000. Harmonisation and Standardisation in Multi-national Environmental Statistics – Mission Impossible?

7. Communicating Statistical Standards Due to the large number of statistical subject matter areas, there are a number of different international actors involved in developing standards and recommendations.Consequently, they are highly disperse in a great variety of sources: • Methodological publications; • Legal documents; • Glossaries (in documents, and on-line glossaries); • On-line databases; • Internet sites: text information in web-pages.

8. INEGI’s Statistical Standards Inventory The International Statistical Standards Inventory: http://mapserver.inegi.org.mx/estandares/, is a system that compiles the international statistical standards on the themes and subthemes which constitute the Information of National Interest, under a metadata model. Its objectives are: • compile standards recommended by the main international organizations in one database, systematized by types of standard and by statistical or geographical themes and subthemes of national interest; • provide basic information about each standard: objective, the international organization that recommends it, its version, the description of the standard, and to facilitate its consultation and access to the original information sources or documents. • making clear the network of international organizations involved in the development and dissemination of international statistical standards.

9. Metadata model

10. Technical card (example)

11. Benefits of the Statistical Standards Inventory (a) It makes compliance with the Law easier; (b) It facilitates documenting the references on International Statistical Standardsused in the national statistical projects (Census, Surveys, Monitoring programs, etc.), and; (c) It can help the dissemination of information, on the degree of compliance between the national statistics and the international standards to support future national statistical development National Statistics International Statistical Standards Compliance

12. Conclusions • Harmonization is needed to support the integration and comparability of information; • INEGI offers its Statistical Standards Inventory to the international community; • International cooperation is required to compile, communicate, use and document statistical standards; • The Committee on Coordination of Statistical Activities could review the database and make proposals for its further development and maintenance in the future.

13. Thank youINEGI, México http://mapserver.inegi.org.mx/estandares/