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Taking the Pulse of our Members: Creating a Healthy Data Services Environment. Wendy Watkins Carleton University Michel Seguin Statistics Canada. Outline. Structure of DLI Survey objectives Highlights National Regional Regional differences Comforts and discomforts Comfort levels
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Taking the Pulse of our Members: Creating a Healthy Data Services Environment Wendy Watkins Carleton University Michel Seguin Statistics Canada IASSIST 2009, Tampere, Finland
Outline • Structure of DLI • Survey objectives • Highlights • National • Regional • Regional differences • Comforts and discomforts • Comfort levels • Discomfort levels • Rx for future development
Data Centres in Canada Before DLI Closest Data Centre
DLI Contacts’ Survey (2008) • Previous survey in 2001 • Wanted to look at the following aspects: • Content of the collection • Peer-to-peer training program • annual training held in each of the 4 regions • national training held in conjunction with Cdn IASSIST • travel expenses covered by DLI • Competencies in providing data services
Survey Objectives • To illustrate how a census of Canadian Data Liberation (DLI) Contacts can: • assess needs of contacts in providing data services • assess the contacts’ satisfaction with DLI Central’s • services to contacts • collection • training • identify self-assessed competencies of data service providers • provide clues to refining the training program to augment competencies relevant to providing data in an academic environment
Attend Annual DLI Training? Canada Yes 86% Never 6% Atlantic Yes 75% Never 25% Quebec Yes100% Ontario Yes 80% Never 5% (1 resp) West Yes 91% Never 0%
Overall Satisfaction with DLI Training (1=Not at all 5=Completely)
Comforts and Discomforts • Respondents given 18 skill areas • Asked to rate competency from 1 to 5 • 1 and 2 = Very competent, somewhat competent • 4 and 5 = Not very competent, not at all competent • Combined 1 and 2 • Combined 4 and 5 • Created comfort and discomfort scales • Marked differences between regions
Top 5 Comfort Levels for Canada(% Very competent and somewhat competent)
Top 5 Comfort Levels for Atlantic(% Very competent and somewhat competent)
Top 5 Comfort Levels for Quebec(% Very competent and somewhat competent)
Top 5 Comfort Levels for Ontario(% Very competent and somewhat competent)
Top 5 Comfort Levels for West(% Very competent and somewhat competent)
Summary of Comforts • All regions fairly comfortable with the Census • Comfort levels decrease with the complexity of the data (more comfortable with aggregate data than microdata) • Atlantic contacts less comfortable than counterparts in other regions • Fewer than half feel competent outside the Census • Quebeckers most confident of abilities regarding aggregate statistics
Bottom 5 Discomfort Levels for Canada(% Not very competent and not at all competent)
Bottom 5 Discomfort Levels for Atlantic(% Not very competent and not at all competent)
Bottom 5 Discomfort Levels for Quebec (% Not very competent and not at all competent)
Bottom 5 Discomfort Levels for Ontario (% Not very competent and not at all competent)
Bottom 5 Discomfort Levels for West(% Not very competent and not at all competent)
Relative Discomforts“I don’t know my PUMF from my dummy variables and I’m feeling a bit synthetic”
Summary of Discomforts • All regions not comfortable with • data manipulation • providing different software formats • The more complex the data, the greater the level of discomfort • DLI contacts have limited knowledge of data outside the program • Problems with statistical/data literacy appear to be because of fuzzy definitions
Training Implications • Different levels of service require different competencies • Develop skills in increasing levels of complexity • Provide growth opportunities for everyone • Make sure there are adequate community supports for smaller institutions • Tailor the training program so that everyone grows • Involve new people and ideas from outside regions in regional training • Explore internships, mentors, lists of experts • Work with IASSIST and CAPDU to develop national training
Next Steps • DLI Education Committee meets next month (June 2009) • Review on-line resource materials • Survival Guide, Training Repository, <odesi> ,etc. • Initiate new Regional Training Coordinators • Review results of competency workshop • Develop curriculum plan to address gaps, build on strengths • Plan the next ‘Train the Trainers’ workshop for Nov. 2009