Next steps: what national and international statistical offices can do to improve our measures Walter Radermacher President of the Federal Statistical Office, Germany Conference Beyond GDP 19-20 November 2007, European Parliament Brussels
Official statistics and progress measurement
The Economic System in Statistics: A flat projection space stocks depreciation investment export flows import time
Statistic users and producers: Interactions Users of statistics Producers of statistics information problem use knowledge design discussion / definition perception patterns programmes products work system production conducting of processes, provision of products and services statistical information communication statistical data + metadata 02/02/2015 4
Measuring progress: development over time Social Indicators HDI EDP Ecological Footprint MIPS Sustainable Development Indicators Lisbon Indicators PEEIs MDG Indicators Progress Indicators 1980s 1990s 2000s 02/02/2015 5
Good policy needs good statistics (Tony Blair) Theoretical Consistency Quality of Statistics Political Relevance Empirical Measurability 02/02/2015 6
The Knowledge-Statistics-Motor Politics Public Opinion Statistics Science Institutional setup 02/02/2015 7
Fact based policy making The policy cycle Problem description Analysis Measures The input from statistics Performance control 02/02/2015 8
Species of Statistical Information degree of aggregation/ model character high multi-dimensional indicator systems composite indicators social accounting national accounts environment al accounting low accuracy short-term data structural data coherence 02/02/2015 9
Reductionism + Holism: Complementary Views Synthetic indices signalling a high-level Overview governance Indicator sets or aggregates with a single unit of measure Quantitative indicators with a multiple dimension space of measures Accounting data supplemented by satellite systems Basic statistical data from surveys etc. Details 02/02/2015 10
Holistic Measures on Different Levels of Aggregation Extended national accounts (e.g. SEEA) Indicators, indicator sets (e.g. EU structural indicators, EU sustainable indicators, UNSD, OECD) Composite indicators on environment, well-being, quality of life (e.g. Index on Sustainable Economic Welfare, Genuine Progress Indicator, Living Planet Index, Human Development Index, Happy Planet Index, Ecological Footprint) 02/02/2015 11
Data requirement for the German national strategy for sustainable development 21 headline indicators Discription of problems, performance control Additional indicators Data from accounting systems Detailed discription of problems Analyses of developments and linkages, identification of measures Primary data Specific analyses 02/02/2015 12
CO 2 emissions from transport of goods 70 million tons 61,3 60 50 42,2 50,2 18,8 Exports 56,4 40 12,3 Exports 30 42,5 20 30,0 Imports 10 Imports 0 Transport of goods outside the territory Transport of goods on the territory Transport of goods outside the territory Transport of goods on the territory 1995 2005 02/02/2015 13
Institutional Setup of Statistics Resources Quality Requirements Confidentiality Statistics Response Burden Neutrality, Independence, Objectivity Institutional setup 02/02/2015 14
Institutional Setup of Official Statistics Reduced Resources Extreme Quality Requirements Confidentiality Statistics Reduction of Response Burden Neutrality, Independence, Objectivity History, Political System 02/02/2015 15
Next steps for statistical offices Provide the resources for an adequate quality of official statistics Make sure that the necessary basic data is available Broaden the accounting systems (concepts/standards) - environment, sustainability, R&D, human capital - core system and satellite systems Agree on indicator sets based on available information Develop standards/handbooks on international level Build up databases for the analyses of transboundary flows (especially for the problem of climate change) Improve communication tools 02/02/2015 16
Statistic users and producers: Interactions Users of statistics Producers of statistics information problem use knowledge design discussion / definition perception patterns programmes products web 2.0 work system production conducting of processes, provision of products and services statistical information communication statistical data + metadata 02/02/2015 17
Further recommendations Official statistics contribute to the public debate but cannot be the only provider of information Make a clear distinction between tasks of statistical offices and of research institutes Enhance a close cooperation with science and model builders Intensify the working relationship between national statistical institutes and international organisations Increase efforts towards a user oriented communication of new measures Let civil-society participate in design processes 02/02/2015 18
Working together: progress indicators society Inter- und supranational institutions, e.g. OECD, UN European official statistics economy National official statistics government Research institutes environment 02/02/2015 19
Thank you for your attention! Walter Radermacher Telefon: +49 (0)611 / 75 21 00 walter.radermacher@destatis.de www.destatis.de