Statistical Dissemination Policy and Strategy

STATISTICAL
1,2
DISSEMINATION
POLICY AND STRATEGY
1
THE TABLE OF CONTENTS:
1. Introduction 4
2. The system of the Slovenian national statistics 4
3. Registeroriented statistics 5
4. Statistical support on the path to accession to EU
and related activities of Slovenia 5
5. The new mission 6
6. The vision 6
7. The values 6
8. Current state of dissemination as an activity implemented in SORS 7
8.1 Statistical publications 7
8.2 Electronic media The SORS Homepage http://www.stat.si 8
8.3 Statistical databases 8
9. Longterm targets in the field of data dissemination 9
10. The legal framewor k for deter mining the needs of users 10
11. Strengthening the trust of user s 10
12. Quality as a strategic orientation of the Statistical Office
of the Republic of Slovenia 11
13. Operating objectives in view of reporting on quality until year 2007 12
14. Users of official statistical data and information 12
14.1. The currently used segmentation of users 13
14.2. Proposals for more detailed segmentation of users 17
15. Improvement of services 20
16. Pricing policy 20
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17. Data protection 21
18. Disclosure control 22
18.1. Users of data and disclosure of statistical data 22
19. Future development of dissemination 24
19.1. Summary of the strategic objectives 24
19.2. The SORS useroriented dissemination strategy is based on the
following principles 24
19.3. Records on issued publications 25
19.4. PXweb, search for data in tables, anticipation of publications
(release calendar), publications on Internet, search in full text of publications 26
19.5. Development work in the field of dissemination
most important novelties 27
19.6. The KLASJE classification server 27
20. Conclusion 28
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1. Introduction
Like other similar, modern social and economic communities, Slovenia as a young state has
two principal objectives: to have happy and satisfied citizens, and also to provide such
economic and social conditions that shall bring about satisfaction. Therefore, the rights and
obligations encountered on the way to satisfaction have to be properly distributed: phenomena
and circumstances relating to individuals or their business and other associations in the
society have to be measured; rules have to be determined at least in a statistical way. And
above all, the announced principal and intermediate objectives have to be determined and
measured, so that on the one hand the agreed policies that are linked to these objectives shall
have solid foundations and shall be monitored by the national and the international democratic
communities; and that on the other hand the required measures shall be sufficiently
substantiated and timely as well. Both objectives, however, lead to a third objective. Namely,
to attain these objectives, a democratic means or tool has to be set up namely national
statistics, which is not only independent and professionally consistent, but also continuously
monitors and makes comparisons of both national statistics and methods with those in the
international and supranational environments. It is national statistics that shall enable
professionally correct and democratic decisionmaking in the country and that shall support
development planning and actions made either by residents, by Slovene or foreign investors
or those business subjects that are interested in or concerned about the development of
Slovenia. The language and methods of global statistics shall facilitate business subjects and
everybody else in understanding the great competitive world and in integrating into it
economically and in other manners.
Transition to modern, marketoriented society has had influence on rapid changes in national
statistics from being productoriented to being useroriented. In case of development of
dissemination, stress is being put on: harmonization with international standards, increase of
data quality, conformity of concepts and classifications, timeliness, presentations and user
friendliness.
Meeting the users’ needs is the fundamental orientation and principle of the data
dissemination policy of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia (SORS). In fact, it is
on these principles that SORS has based its mission, strategy, objectives and programmes,
policies and activities. Even though in the Slovene system of national statistics the statistical
data dissemination is carried out also by other authorized performers and in some instances
also by certain Ministries, in case of data dissemination to the international environment,
SORS should at least be notified of such instances.
2. The system of Slovenian national statistics
National statistics is a professionally independent activity whose objective is the
implementation of the Programmes of Statistical Surveys. SORS is the main performer and
coordinator of the activities. Namely, in the implementation of the Programmes of Statistical
Surveys, there are involved also authorized institutions, established by midterm programmes
of statistical surveys. The Midterm Programme of Statistical Surveys 20032007 1 determines,
besides SORS, also other authorized performers of national statistics, these being:
1
Midterm Programme of Statistical Surveys 20032007, OJ RS, No. 10/2003.
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Bank of Slovenia (balance of payments statistics, financial and monetary statistics)
Ministry of Finance (public deficit and debt statistics, public finance statistics)
Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Records and Services under Public Law (partly
business statistics)
Institute for Health Protection of the Republic of Slovenia (health care statistics)
Pension and Disability Insurance Institution of Slovenia (pensions statistics)
Health Insurance Institution of Slovenia (social security statistics)
Employment Office of RS (partly employment statistics and unemployment statistics).
3. Registeroriented statistics
In cooperation with the Nordic countries, in the last 25 years SORS has been developing the
statistical environment, based on registers and above all on construction of infrastructural
administrative registers (Central Population Register, Business Register of Slovenia, Register
of Territorial Units) and on uniform identifications (personal identification number of citizen,
identification number of business subject, centroid). Even nowadays SORS has an important
role in development projects in the field of administrative records. Impacts on introduction of
statistical classifications as a national standard, retaining of uniform identifications, giving
opinions to methodological bases on data collection and access of subjects of national
statistics to administrative records on micro level and by identification numbers, remain the
primary longterm objectives of the Slovenian national statistics also for the future midterm
period.
In the past, SORS developed the basic administrative registers and handed them over to be
maintained by other institutions. In 1995, the Register of Territorial Units was taken over by
the Geodesic Administration of RS, whereas the Central Population Register was taken over
by the Ministry of the Interior in 1998 and the Business Register of Slovenia was in July 2002
handed over to the Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Records and Services under Public
Law.
The importance of registers, of the use of administrative sources and above all of the
possibility to make use of them in combination with statistical data, enables the system of
statistics to be more flexible and it facilitates redefinition of the user needs.
4. Statistical support on the path to accession to EU and related activities of Slovenia
In 1996, the »Europe Agreement establishing an association between the European
Communities and their Member States, acting within the framework of the European union, of
the one part, and the Republic of Slovenia, of the other part« was signed. In 1998 when the
Slovenia signed the Accession Agreement and during the screening exercises (i.e.
comparative examinations of legislation, incl. statistical legislation) the Slovenian national
statistics made the commitment to achieve full harmonization with the statistical legislation of
the EU not later than by the end of year 2002. As part of this process, in 2001 The Changes
and Supplements of the Slovenian National Statistics Act were adopted. Their purpose was to
ease the preparation and adoption of the Programme of Statistical Surveys, improve statistical
confidentiality, deepen professional independence of SORS and more precisely determine the
role of the authorized performers of statistical surveys. The new legal basis thus provided
SORS with reasons for its mission and for its scope of work. The longterm strategy was
prepared, incl. collection, processing and dissemination of data and of information. By having
signed the Accession Treaty on 16th of April 2003, the state Slovenia and thus also the
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Slovenian national statistics have formally entered into to the decisionmaking processes of
the EU. The support offered by provision of data is becoming increasingly important for
decisionmaking in Slovenia and in order to be able to act as an EU Member State. The
European Commission, the European Central Bank and other EU institutions are important
data users within the European Statistical System (ESS).
5. The new mission
The mission of Slovenian statistics is set out in detail in the National Statistics Act and in the
Midterm Programmes of Statistical Surveys. The Slovenian national statistics provides
bodies and organizations of public administration, the economy and the public with high
quality, timely data, comparable in time, within the state and internationally, whereas these
data refer to the situation and movements in the economic, demographic and social fields, as
well as in the fields of environment and natural resources. Data are provided at optimal costs
in order to meet the national needs and also in order to facilitate international comparisons.
By respecting statistical data protection, the trust of data users is provided. Professional
independence is attained via permanent training and education. Key words that relate to the
mission (for instance statistical confidentiality, trust of users, professional independence)
describe the basic principles of statistics and with due respect to these principles also
provision of statistical data of good quality (required to meet the users' needs within Slovenia
and in an international environment) can be guaranteed.
6. The vision
Modern approaches to total quality management, highly qualified workers, uptodate
harmonization with the international environment, userorientation, modernisation of
processes and improvement of working conditions are the most important activities, which
enable the Slovenian statistical system to implement its mission.
7. The values
The values of SORS and also those of the entire activity of national statistics in Slovenia are
being developed in an environment in which official statistical data keep gaining importance,
especially in view of Slovenia as a perspective EU Member State. So, the requirements and
the importance of the users, especially of the principal users in the EU, such as the European
Central Bank and the European Commission, and of national institutions, such as the National
Assembly of RS, the Government of RS, the Bank of Slovenia and the Chamber of Economy
and Industry of Slovenia, the key enterprises, the research community and the general public
keep increasing.
Trust gained on the part of all participants (users, data providers and producers of statistics)
keeps gaining importance. Independence of the SORS and statistics as a profession guarantees
that this trust has been maintained. Knowledge, experience, team work, personal data
protection, quality and userfriendliness are those values, which can have decisive influence
on the satisfaction of users and of the employees.
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8. Current state of dissemination as an activity implemented in SORS
The most important component part of the policy of dissemination are in fact anticipation and
foreseeing of the users' needs, the segmentation of users and monitoring of the users’
satisfaction with the quality of national statistics.
Statistical data collection, data processing, data analyses and interpretations of results do not
cover the entire objective of the statistical survey, if results of surveys are not timely, of good
quality, relevant for users and accessible to users in an adequate and userfriendly manner.
Provision of surveys results strengthens the trust of users into the SORS and provides
promotion of the official statistical data.
Promotion of official statistics thus means increased awareness, trust and understanding
gained on the part of users and of the general public. In SORS, dissemination of statistical
results is implemented through:
statistical publications
electronic media
statistical databases (BSP statistical databank, dynamic data in PXWEB)
email
Internet
information services, provided by advisers from individual statistical fields
services of the SORS Information Centre
training and workshops.
8.1. Statistical publications
The findings resulting from the statistical surveys are presented to the public also in the
classical manner in the form of printed publications. Namely, SORS issues 17 different
types of publications. All of them are published periodically, but not simultaneously
(monthly, quarterly, semiannually, annually or periodically). This depends on the contents
and the purposes of the publications. In them, the first data from statistical surveys are
published, as well as the estimates of economic movements and/or findings of regular and of
periodical statistical surveys presented in place and time. Publications are divided into:
serial publications (Rapid Reports SI, First Release PO, Some Important Data on
the Republic of Slovenia NP, Monthly Statistical Review of the Republic of SloveniaMP,
Slovenia in Figures ST, Statistical Yearbook SL, CANSTAT Statistical Bulletin CB,
Catalogue of Statistical PublicationsKP) and
publications (Results of Surveys RR, Methodological Material MG,
Classifications KL, Special Publications PP, Development Questions of Statistics RV,
Proceedings Volume of Statistical days ZB, Statistical Reports SP, Reports on work
performed and the implementation of the National Programme of Statistical Surveys PD,
Other publications DP).
Serial publications find their audience among different users, above all enterprises, users in
the public sector and the general public. It is characteristic that they are published bilingually,
in Slovene and English. Therefore they are accessible also to the international public and such
data can thus be used more widely (globally), as they are not available only to the Slovenian
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user – and certainly all the methodological explanations, required for proper understanding of
the statistical data are to be included.
At present, all other publications are translated only occasionally, dependently of their
contents and of their purpose. These are either publications in which data are presented to
such low breakdowns that they are to be used in case of very indepth research, or these are
materials which are intended primarily for the Slovenian users, reporting units and those who
prepare and implement the statistical surveys.
As users keep introducing new demands, constant changes and improvements of the contents
and of kinds of the statistical publications are required. The development of databases and
access to some publications on Internet have influenced the production of statistical
publications. In the near future, the number of paper publications will diminish and the
dissemination policy will be modified in such a way that the number of publications
accessible on electronic media shall increase and it will be possible to print them on demand.
As certain publications are accessible on the SORS web sites (Statistical Yearbook,
CANSTAT Statistical Bulletin, some issues of Results of Surveys, certain occasional
publications, etc.), the print run of printed publications is being reduced.
When determining the contents of the statistical publications, SORS has to take into account
the remarks and proposals of the statistical data users. The study on statistical data users
(more detailed distribution of users in view of their specific demands, introduction of regular
measuring of users’ satisfaction with quality of data) will have to cover also the needs and
wishes of users, broken down by each type of printed publications.
8.2. Electronic media The SORS Homepage http://www.stat.si
The number of data users who access to data via the Internet is increasing rapidly. The user
wishes to acquire the desired information as quickly as possible and in electronic form which
enables further work on these data. Therefore SORS attempts to make as many of its
publications as possible accessible on Internet. At present, the SORS web site contains
various information: on the SORS, shortterm economic indicators, Statistical Yearbook
(since 1995), Slovenia in Figures, CANSTAT Statistical Bulletin, Facts and Figures, 2000
Agriculture Census, 2002 Population Census, Catalogue of Regional Divisions,
classifications, nomenclatures, etc. A central dissemination server is being constructed. It will
cover the contents, published on the web sites. In fact the server will be organized by subject
matter fields and will comprise tables in PCAXIS format (i.e. a structured format that
contains statistical data in the form of multidimensional matrixes and adequate metadata),
publications, methodological explanations, etc. At present, the web sites already contain data,
organized in a dynamic metadatasupported form, for two domains (2000 Agriculture Census
and 2002 Population Census). The scope shall be gradually expanded to other fields as well.
8.3. Statistical databases
SORS has already had databases for many years. They contain very long time series of
macrodata. Some time series date back to year 1952 (e.g. prices) or are still older than that.
The database system was developed at the Office for Data Processing and Statistics in
Düsseldorf, (originally called Landesamt für Datenverarbeitung und Statistician, Düsseldorf,
Germany). SORS cooperates with Germany already from year 1971, when OECD offered
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assistance to the former Yugoslavia. The system, however, became completely operational in
1981.
The Internet version of the Statistical Databank (www.sigov.are/bsp/) is accessible by Internet
browsers, such as Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Explorer. The product has the shape of
tables and offers to users a simple dialogue. Data can be downloaded on a personal computer,
where they are processed with the software, with which the users are already familiar. The
current system has some information on metadata. SORS is seeking for additional solutions,
where metadata will be part of the statistical production process and it will be possible to
automatically store them together with data on userfriendly (accessible) databases.
The Statistical Databank contains the results of official statistical surveys. These are data,
which are aggregated on different levels: Slovenia, municipalities, administrative units...
Information is available in Slovenian, English and German. In order to access the Statistical
Databank, identification is not required. Use is free of charge.
Users can make use of preprepared standard tables or they can make their own tables. Pre
prepared (i.e. in advance determined) standard tables enable users to simply and quickly
approach the selected fields. The time and spatial components can, dependently from
availability of data, be chosen arbitrarily. At the moment, the following fields are available:
foreign trade, population, earnings, labour force, consumer price indices, 2000 agriculture
census, elections to the National Assembly and 2002 Population Census. More demanding
users with special wishes can make their own tables, as they can arbitrarily select the
characteristics, time and level of aggregation of data.
9. Longterm targets in the field of data dissemination
Longterm targets are related to the fact, that on 16th April 2003 Slovenia signed the Pre
accession Treaty as a future member of the EU. In May 2004 Slovenia will become a full
member of the EU. It is the inclusion into the decisionmaking process in the EU, the support
to policies in various fields, rapid development of the information society and possibilities of
the informationcommunication technology (ITC) that direct strategic deliberations especially
in the direction leading to the following objectives:
timely and precise elaboration of reliable, adequate, highquality data must meet the
requirements of the users on the levels of the country, the EU and on international
level;
further strengthening of those frames (the Statistical Council of RS and the Statistical
Advisory Committees of RS), where users, performers and data providers shall
anticipate and harmonize users’ needs;
consistency (in time and place and internationally) of statistical products in the
statistical system and adequate coordination predominantly in the field of data
dissemination to the EU institutions;
modern information technology must support the timely, cheapest, flexible and user
friendly services;
improvement of knowledge on statistical services and restraints concerning their use,
training for internal and external users;
strict respect of statistical confidentiality;
development of the policy of protective prices, while bearing in mind the fact, that
official statistics is a public good and must be most broadly accessible to the benefit of
all potential users.
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10. The legal framewor k for deter mining the needs of users
The legal bases for operation of national statistics are the National Statistics Act 2 , the Mid
term Programme of Statistical Surveys 3 , the Annual Programmes of Statistical Surveys and
the Personal Data Protection Act 4 . The stated legislation, besides other legal frames, valid in
the Republic of Slovenia, determines the roles of all those who provide data, collect them and
make use of them. At this point it goes without saying that the basic principles of official
statistics are fully respected. In August 1995, the Slovenian National Statistics Act officially
set up the Statistical Council of RS and over 20 Statistical Advisory Committees of RS, where
debates are held between experts from Ministries, from academic circles, from the public
sector, from enterprises, from Chambers of economy and industry and from trade unions, with
the objective to harmonize the needs for data on the part of: data users, those implementing
statistical surveys and data providers. The Midterm Programme of Statistical Surveys covers
about 600 titles of statistical surveys that are implemented by SORS and authorized
institutions, within which the entire process of official statistics is conducted from data
collection, preparation of statistics to data dissemination.
11. Strengthening the trust of user s
The National Statistics Act demands consistent respect of principles and rules on statistical
data protection, including statistical confidentiality, and it maintains and strengthens the trust
of data users and data providers. Data, collected with statistical questionnaires, can be used
for statistical purposes only and they are disseminated as aggregates, so that it is not possible
or it is extremely difficult to identify individual observation units. Individual data
(i.e. those with identifications), acquired from reporting units or from administrative sources,
also can be used for statistical purposes only. Microdata (deindividualized individual data)
can be used for research purposes. For research purposes, however, registered research
workers and research institutions can get access to the name and surname of the individual,
his address, year of birth, sex and vocation. SORS as the legally authorized office for linkage
of data on micro level thus prepares the majority of sample plans for surveys to be conducted
in the field and mail surveys of research institutions or research workers. The Personal Data
Protection Act very severely determines the conditions for dealing with personal data. Rules
on technical, organizational and ITprocedures when handling with data are written down in
the internal rules of those who implement the Programmes of Statistical Surveys.
The Programmes of Statistical Surveys (annual and midterm ones) which are published in the
Official Journal of the Republic of Slovenia are made out as a kind of a catalogue, stating all
the requirements for statistical data.
2
National Statistics Act, OJ RS, Nos. 45/95 and 9/2001.
3
Midterm Programme of Statistical Surveys 20032007 (OJ RS, No. 10/2003).
4
Personal Data Protection Act, OJ RS, Nos. 59/99 and 57/2001.
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12. Quality as a strategic orientation of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia
Despite relatively well developed modes of formal cooperation with data users and despite
possibilities that data users can state their opinions and thus exert certain influence
(in the Statistical Advisory Committees of RS, the Statistical Council of RS, groups, when
collecting opinions), identification of users is becoming ever more difficult. Use of
information technology has resulted in an increase in numbers of badly identified or not
identified users, and this really is a paradox 5 . In fact, segmentation of users is becoming more
and more detailed, as different groups of data users set specific requirements. Measurements
of the satisfaction of data users and of data providers are becoming essential as they clearly
indicate how data users respond to the offered products and services. Data users expect that
their needs will be met and fulfilled by modern data dissemination methods, but in reality
paper publications still remain an important channel of data dissemination.
Data users are often data providers as well. This must be clear to us if we wish to reveal the
synergy of both roles. This is especially important in case of principal data providers, who
must be included in all the surveys in order to maintain the quality of statistical data. The
burdens on data providers are becoming decisive for the increase of nonresponse.
Introduction of adequate communication channels between the organisation who is data
provider & data user and the SORS presents a challenge in view of improvement of quality.
The evaluations on quality that are made out by the users can either greatly differ one from
the other or they even contradict one another. As competitiveness is increasing (due to limited
resources from the budget and the emergence of the private sector), the support on the part of
the users and of the profession is important. The need to collect data on the opinion of users
and the use of such data for total quality management is increasing in the public sector as
well. Introduction of total quality management demands that national statistical offices
provide more information on who the users are and what they request.
The National Statistics Act determines SORS as a professionally independent office, which is
the main performer of the activity of national statistics and the one that coordinates the
implementation of the activity of national statistics. Professional independence is ensured in
legal provisions, which do not allow any government body to give to SORS obligatory
instructions in relation to professional and methodological questions of national statistics
(e. g. contents, scope, obtaining the right to acquire data already in advance). The same
applies also for other authorized performers in this field 6 . The rights and obligations of
respecting the fundamental principles of official statistics 7 apply for all those participating in
the activities of national statistics in case of the right to obtain data and in case of data
dissemination. Such a solution simultaneously facilitates and also binds the subjects of the
Slovenian national statistics to produce statistics and to disseminate highquality data and to
provide adequate services to users. The user is one of the important elements in the valid
regulation of the Slovenian national statistics.
5
The number of accesses made to the SORS Home Page in fact tells nothing on the actual use of published data.
Therefore additional surveys on use of data and on user satisfaction with Internet will have to be conducted.
6
The activity of Slovene national statistics is carried out by the Statistical Office Republic of Slovenia and by
the authorized performers: Agency for Public and Legal Records and Services under Public Law, Bank of
Slovenia, Institute for Health Protection of the Republic of Slovenia, Ministry of Finance, Pension and Disability
Insurance Institution of Slovenia, Employment Office of Slovenia, Health Insurance Institution of Slovenia.
7
Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, UNECE, CES 1992.
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13. Operating objectives in view of reporting on quality until year 2007
SORS has established an already longstanding tradition of publishing its kernel and
basic methodological explanations in paper publications. For instance: in the collection
Statistical Information, there are in the chapter Methodological explanations published the
key definitions of surveying, the data on the structure of the sample, the sources of the
obtained data, formulas for calculations, etc.
On the web site of the International Monetary Fund, SORS is already publishing the
key explanations for selected categories of data that are interesting for monitoring of key
economical and financial movements. A similar approach will be prepared also for the
remaining categories of data.
SORS will keep acquainted with the efforts of international institutions in preparing
the reports on data quality. SORS will develop and implement those quantitative indicators of
quality, adopted on international level, especially those which will be required by Eurostat.
SORS will regularly (in 2year intervals, as is determined by international standards)
conduct surveys on users’ satisfaction and thus deepen and further develop its dialogue with
users of statistical data.
SORS will strive to ensure that statistical surveys will be well documented. The basic
principle to be used is that the survey is documented only once in a regulated shape
(METIS + KLASJE) and that this documentation represents the general, common source,
which can be reused at any time.
SORS will continue to strive to shorten the publication period for monthly, quarterly,
semiannual and annual surveys.
While striving to achieve the abovementioned and in line with special requests to
extend the calendars on release of future publications, SORS will gradually extend the scope
of such calendars (besides First Release) also to the Statistical Information and subsequently
to other collections of publications.
SORS will be gradually expanding the domains available to users via the Internet, so
that until year 2007 all the official statistical data shall be accessible to users via this medium.
14. Users of official statistical data and information 8
Data users are those to whom the mission of SORS is addressed. Their importance is
increasing together with their awareness and level of knowledge and with the improved
quality of statistical products and services. Useroriented and professionally independent
national statistics are a sign of the level of democracy within the society. The users
8
In case of statistical texts, the Slovenian term »uporabnik« in fact is not equivalent to the English term »user«
which is used as the English equivalent.
Different countries make use of different terms even when they refer to one conception. The majority of NSIs,
however, make use of the English term »user« when they refer to the Slovenian meaning »uporabnik«. When
referring to somebody who places an order and usually pays the charge for the service rendered, the English term
»customer« is used. In other cases, the term »client« can be used as well. On these matters, a consensus has not
yet been reached in the EU.
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themselves, however, do not determine all the needs for statistical data, and above all they do
not always perceive (establish) them at the right time. For this reason the anticipation of
future users' needs is an important component part of the national statistics' strategy. Due to
their different modes of communication, the users who represent a very heterogeneous group
really have influence on the quality of data of national statistics. The proposed strategy sets
out the segmentation of the users, which is more detailed than the currently valid one in
SORS. Its importance is based on the specific requirements of users.
14.1. The currently used segmentation of users
In the SORS, users are divided into four groups, these being: enterprises, the public sector, the
general public and research institutions. In view of their diversified needs for statistics and of
different interests in statistics, these groups vary among themselves: users from research
institutions, who often do analytical work, need more detailed statistical data, which they
combine with other data, statistical and administrative sources; quite the opposite applies for
users from the general public who need topical data from the social and economic fields, in
short time series, so that the data themselves already at least briefly present or hint at the
phenomena of the society. Users from enterprises and those from the public sector need
official statistical data for different reasons which to a large extent vary due to topical
happenings in their environment or in the entire society the scope of their requests can vary
from the most simple questions to special, quite nonstandard requests
(e.g. for processing of microdata) which can be arranged against payment and performed in
subjectmatter departments of the SORS.
In 1996 the SORS Information Centre started to records the requests of data users, received
by post, facsimile and email. The following table comprises the results, obtained for years
1996, 2001 and 2002.
Group Structure of the written requests, accepted in the Information Centre
1996 2001 2002
Enterprises 42 % 31 % 24 %
Public sector 35 % 29 % 23 %
General public 16 % 36 % 50 %
Research and
development 7 % 4 % 3 %
Written communication with users is only one of the ways in which we disseminate statistical
data and we believe that it roughly reflects the situation on user group demand for official
statistical data. In the Information Centre to which users are most frequently directed, data are
disseminated by telephone as well. This is done in two ways: firstly, an adequately qualified
person provides replies to the short and simple questions of users, and secondly the automatic
telephone answering machine reads out the topical shortterm indicators
(regulated into 9 statistical fields) and the dates when the subsequent publications containing
such indicators shall be published.
In case of dissemination of data and information by telephone, it is not possible to record the
requests by user groups. Therefore only the total number of requests is recorded, together with
the breakdown of No. of requests for each working hour. Thus it is not possible to claim with
great certainty which way of obtaining data is preferred (is more useful or more often used)
by each of the 4 user groups.
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The statistics on telephone requests (excl. the automatic telephone answering machine) clearly
indicates that quick provision of most topical data is becoming increasingly popular.
Yet, wider access of users to the web sites and the increasing supply of official statistical data
on the world wide web have caused that even the telephone (as the most frequent
dissemination channel) is gradually losing its primer position in the list of data search options:
No. of telephone requests for statistical data
1997 2001 2002
17 121 30 132 28 003
At present the automatic answering machine cannot record the requests for statistical data in
such a way as to make a breakdown according to fields of statistics. Yet, when observing the
calls (this can be performed by a special computer program), we can see there are no calls
from midnight until 5 o’clock in the morning, while most calls are recorded during the
morning (i.e. until noon). Since 2002 when the form of written requests for data
(letter, facsimile, email) is recorded as well, it is evident that the response time of SORS is
gaining importance. The user namely expects to receive the reply to his request for data
through the same channel and he also anticipates he shall receive a reply without undue delay.
In the first half of 2002, 55 % of all written requests for data were received by email,
whereas of all user groups email was predominantly used by the general public (over 66 %).
In the entire year 2002, 60 % of all written requests for data were received by email. The
frequency of electronic communication with SORS thus increased in the second half of 2002.
Thus, for instance, in January 2003 the Information Centre directed over 45 % of users
directly to the SORS web sites, of these even 40 % were directed to the Statistical Databank,
whose coverage is at present incomplete and covers 8 fields of statistics. Not only anticipation
and experience of other statistical offices, but our experience as well indicate what is the right
strategic orientation concerning preparation of a more comprehensive offer of statistical data
on electronic medium.
The practice of making visits to SORS to obtain statistical data has changes and so have the
needs and especially anticipations of users, especially due to the fact that currently the
majority of data are available either on SORS web sites, by telephone and email. One of the
most important characteristics of statistical data, which is gaining importance on the part of
the user is simplicity and speed of access, whereas many users are prepared to cancel their
requests in cases when the waiting periods for replies are rather long. By all means, the wide
range of data offered on the SORS web sites influences the number of data users visitors to
SORS who therefore less frequently visit the Information Centre. Most visitors are students
who need longer time series of data and statistical comparisons by states and some of them
seek data on enterprises especially when seeking for information for other states. The same
applies for users from the group of scientific and research institutions. The group of the public
sector comprises few visitors who request for data from printed publications and those
available on the electronic medium.
Visits made in person to the SORS Information Centre
JanuaryJune 1998 JanuaryJune 2001 JanuaryJune 2002
243 632 326
14
The increasing number of possibilities which face the statistical offices and users of statistical
data and the development of information technology bring about new challenges as well.
There is no dilemma whether to accept these challenges. The only question is how to best take
advantage of these possibilities to increase the wellknown identity and visibility of the SORS
as the most important producer of official statistical data and to simultaneously increase the
satisfaction of statistical data users.
Enterprises
In the first half of 2002, SORS received 334 written requests for data from enterprises, of
these over 40 % by email. In fact, enterprises have predominantly (19 %) asked for data from
the Business Register of Slovenia, almost 16 % of questions referred to external trade
statistics, then there were 12 % of requests for data on industrial production and only on the
fourth place ranked the data on prices (8 %). Enterprises usually seek for data from more than
one field only usually for data on external trade and industrial production. As external trade
statistics is available on the web sites in the Statistical Databank and in discussions users are
directed to this source, we can wonder whether the demand for external trade data is realistic.
In the second half of 2002 the ratio has changed, predominantly because SORS on 15th July
2002 submitted maintenance of the Business Register of Slovenia to the Agency of the
Republic of Slovenia for Records and Services under Public Law.
As regards the demands for data set by telephone (which are neither reflected in written
requests for data nor represented by No. of visits to the Information Centre), it is our estimate
that enterprises rapidly need information on the most topical indicators, such as earnings and
inflation. As these data are also available on web sites and from the automatic phone
answering machine, we believe that despite the stated analysis, these data are of most interest
to enterprises.
In the framework of strategic communication with enterprises as the target public, SORS will
prepare a plan for promoting rapid access to topical data, including paid advertising, focused
on:
access to topical data and indicators on SORS web sites, incl. the advance release calendar
for the forthcoming year;
access to the most recent, most topical data and indicators, which are available on the
automatic phone answering machine.
Users from the public sector
Users from the public sector, to which belong also local communities, have focused the
majority of their written requests on data from the Business Register of Slovenia (30 %).
As this register was transferred to the Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Records and
Services under Public Law in the middle of year 2002, it is understandable that the frequency
of requests in this user group diminished accordingly. Then follows the interest for prices
(11 %), population (10 %), employment (8 %), farming and fishing (6 %), etc. Because this
group holds subscriptions to numerous statistical publications, in their written requests for
data they seek those data which have not yet been published. When a municipality is
interested in data on population, SORS in a personal discussion with their representative
advises them to examine the SORS web sites and the Statistical Databank, as transfer of data
is enabled to their computers and thus also further manipulation with data is enabled.
15
In future, users from the public sector who are really faithful and regular subscribers of
numerous SORS publications will have to be offered on SORS web sites the possibility of
access to tables from printed publications.
The general public
In 2002, users from the socalled general public were those who sent most frequently requests
to the SORS. Nearly half of the users from this group, among them the media, hold a special,
most important position.
Among all groups of users, here the distribution of requests to various statistical fields is most
even and there is not a field, in which they would show no interest. The other interesting
characteristic of this group is that in the year 2002 even 66 % of all electronic requests for
data that were received directly from the general public, which indicates that the Slovenes
have the possibility to access Internet and that the socalled Internet literacy of this population
is quite high. These findings are an additional incentive and plea to renew the SORS web
sites. More detailed analysis of this group of users reveals it is becoming more and more
difficult to identify the users into one of the four of user groups as these were defined years
ago, when this basic breakdown of users was by far more appropriate.
Since all users have numerous possibilities to access the world wide web, most of them do not
find it necessary to introduce themselves as representatives of an enterprise or scientific or
research institution, etc. Even in case data are used for business purposes, users establish
contacts with SORS from their private addresses and thus only in case of such search for data
that request further consultations with data users, can we really reveal that the person is for
e.g. an independent researcher or analyst in a certain enterprise. Upon such discoveries doubt
slightly increases on whether statistics on user groups is really well traced.
Media
Among various groups of statistical data users, media have a special position. Namely, the
role of press agencies, TV and broadcasting stations and newspapers is to transmit data and
information to others, above all to the broader public. When announcing certain data and
information, media trigger public debates and assist in the formulation of the public opinion.
Understandably, SORS is greatly interested in appearing in media and to a certain extent
citations of SORS in media are evenly related to usability of statistical data and information.
Discussions with journalists reveal that they find many presentations of data and
commentaries to the statistical publications to be too complex, even beyond comprehension
and with no clear message on the findings or results that arise from the conducted surveys.
Time and time again SORS and the journalists together establish that it is SORS who should
prepare the press releases containing a clearly stated message and revealing the true
importance of the data acquired from the statistical surveys.
In order to further maintain and to perhaps even improve good relations between the SORS
and the media, SORS will in the frame of strategic communication with this target public
introduce as follows:
the professional field of »public relations«. This will be done in the framework of
tasks of the Information Centre of SORS, with special stress placed on relations with media.
This would be made in order to monitor all the relations with interest groups (stakeholders), to
set up and maintain with them mutually useful relations, especially with media (Verčič, Zavrl,
Rijavec, 2002) through media that SORS reaches out to the other public;
public relations (viewed as a profession) have become welcome to SORS and for this
reason special organizational rules will be prepared;
a guide on media, containing the basic rules or else instructions on communication
16
with journalists, and rules & recommendations for statisticians of subjectmatter departments
for their presentations on press conference, etc.;
workshops for those statisticians from subjectmatter departments, for whom it has
been foreseen they will hold presentations and interpretations of statistical data and
information to the media, on the following contents: what media are, presentation of
journalist's manner of work (2 journalists would be invited, of these 1 working for a
newspaper, the 1 for TV), mastering of rhetoric, writing short commentaries with a clear
message, preparation of simple tables and graphs, etc.;
press releases, which would be prepared in subjectmatter departments;
promotion projects initiated upon publication of some statistical publications or those
on web sites;
promotion at the completion of renewal of web sites, incl. advertising on electronic
media;
a web journalistic centre, which would contain: press releases, news, invitations to
attend events, media archives of photographs, registration of journalists and
subscription to messages and invitations via email (”alert me”).
Research workers
Among statistical data users, the science and research group is the smallest one. In 2002 it
submitted only 3 % of all written requests for data. On the other hand, these requests are
usually very demanding, so that special additional treatment of microdata is usually required.
Share of users of scientific and research institutions
2000 2001 2002
5 % 4 % 3 %
Although the share of these users is relatively small and keeps diminishing through years, we
estimate that this group are the only user group, whose desire for data and expectations often
exceed the amount of actually collected data. These users state their requests very clearly. The
National Statistics Act allows the research workers to have access to individual data for the
determined purpose of the survey. In future, when official statistics will be disclosed as
assistance in scientific research, these users will acquire access to deindividualized data, but
prior to this formal and technical conditions and duties will have to be precisely defined.
14.2. Proposals for more detailed segmentation of users 9
User – data provider
Almost all statistical offices all over the world face data collection problems.
In Slovenia this fact has not become more clearly visible until the 10year period. Especially
in the business world the data provider can appear also as data user.
Among four user groups, it is enterprises that most probably play this double role.
Experience gained in communication with enterprises as data providers shows that in
enterprises the person usually responsible for providing data to the statistical office is not the
person, who for this enterprise prepares the analyses which requires official statistical data.
This could be one of the reasons why the role of the statistical office in different departments
of a certain enterprise is not clearly understood.
And vice versa: the fact, that a certain enterprise really needs statistical data, does not
9
The proposals are taken from the Magistrate work of Mrs. Irena Križman, The role of data users in total quality
management of the services rendered by the national statistics, Faculty for Social Sciences, University of
Ljubljana, June 2002.
17
guarantee that the statistical data of the enterprise shall really be transmitted to the statistical
office.
In order to increase the visibility and corporate design of the statistical office among the users,
the next project on strategic communication with enterprises will cover some smaller
promotion actions which shall be prepared for this group of users, who act as data providers
and data users.
Internal users and external users
Besides external data users (the public sector, enterprise, general public, science and
research), in statistical offices the internal users are also important especially those working
in national accounts statistics and other crosscut fields of statistics (e.g. regional statistics).
The latter are often very critical towards products, therefore their knowledge on quality and
limitations of sources are really important for quality assurance (above all coherence) of final
products. In order to achieve bigger transparency of the needs of internal users, special will be
prepared as the same contents may appear in several statistical surveys. Or else a list of
surveys will be prepared, containing the characteristics which are necessary, so that another
survey can be correctly implemented.
National and foreign users
Doing business with Slovenian and foreign users differs predominantly in the language of
communication and partly also in the mode of presentation of data. The majority of required
statistical surveys is already being carried out in Slovenia and data are disseminated in line
with the international standards. For this reason, extensive interpretations of data to foreign
users are not required. International organizations, however, hold an exceptional position
among foreign users.
International organisations
A special group of foreign users are international organisation and other supranational
institutions (for instance Eurostat). This group mostly consists of different organisations
within the United Nations (the Statistical Commission, the Conference of European
Statisticians and the UN Statistical Division for the fields of ECO, ILO, WHO, UNESCO),
OECD, IMF, WTO and other. It is characteristic of these users that they are cofounders of
standards in the field of statistics and they implement the policy of their harmonization. Due
to certain differences in standards, countries have to perform additional work to meet the
needs of the users. In SORS, dissemination of data to international organisations shall be
regulated centrally, i.e. through the Information Centre. The basis for a review of all
international tasks is a list of all sets of data which SORS is regularly sending to Eurostat and
a list of those that are available at SORS but are at present not sent to Eurostat. SORS is
cooperating in the national project Egovernment as well in the subproject entitled
Informing of International Organisations. The results of this project will provide a good basis
for a review on the actual state of dissemination of the Slovene official statistical data into the
international environment and they shall most likely direct the further development of
uniform communication with international organisations in Slovenia.
18
The European Union
It is predominantly due to the volume of requests for data and their legal regulation that the
European Union (EU) represents a large internal user of the European Statistical System, to
which the Slovenian national statistics also belongs. Fulfilment of the needs of the EU is a
priority task of Member States and of candidate countries 10 .
Within the ESS, data are officially collected by Eurostat and the European Central Bank,
whereas the latter collects statistical data of the central banks of the Member States. Data are
collected also by DirectoratesGeneral who receive them directly from Ministries and also
from agencies (e.g. the European Environment Agency).
Despite the fact that NSIs are responsible for international dissemination of data, there are
cases when data are collected separately and without the assistance and knowledge of the
NSIs and even that of Eurostat.
SORS will continue to harmonize the transmission of data to the EU on national level
(within the statistical system and also in agreement with Ministries).
Students
In most cases this is a very numerous group of users who expect to acquire data
predominantly in electronic form. This group is especially important as this is considered to
be investment in future users and collaborators, irrespective of the whether they shall once be
employed within the field of statistics or in other activities. Proper use and intensity of use of
statistical data often corresponds to the inclusion and level of cooperation of the teachers of
these students with national statistics 11 .
Users as data providers
Many data users are at the same time data providers as well. This creates the possibility of
synergy of effects, at the precondition that both parties are mutually adequately informed and
in case the needs of both parties are taken into account. Difficulties arise predominantly in
certain groups of corporative users (e.g. enterprises), where the role of data providers
disseminating data to the official statistics is usually not played by the same persons
(e.g. employees in the accounting department, personnel department, production), and in
enterprises data are required either by the Department for planning and analysis or
respectively by the management of the enterprise. Therefore careful consideration should be
placed to the question which is the appropriate level at which to promote the correct use of
statistics. In the past the statistical offices mainly cooperated with those who persons who
filled in the questionnaires. Improved cooperation with managements of enterprises could
diminish the problems on nonresponse and enable better (quality!) use of statistical data. It is
really essential to see the observation unit as a whole. For this reason, internal harmonization
of methodological bases within the statistical offices and also unification of organizational
and technical approaches to data collection and data dissemination are required.
Users who “ reorganize” (” transform” ) data for their members

This group consists of organisations, such as chambers and organisations of employers, to
whom data providers granted the right to obtain certain data and use them for statistical
10
At the DGINS meeting of the Directors General of NSIs of EU Member States and Candidate Countries which
was held in Palermo, Italy the principle »First for Europe« was adopted, valid predominantly in case of short
term economic indicators.
11
In Slovenia exceptionally good cooperation has been established with the Faculty for Social Sciences and the
Faculty of Economics, both of the University of Ljubljana.
19
purposes. In fact, these elaborated data are used to decisively contribute to satisfying the
needs of the users who are members of abovementioned organisations.
15. Improvement of services
Even daily communication with various users itself dictates to SORS the guidelines for
development and improvement of its services. The tasks are as follows:
to create a new SORS web site that will be in line with the well studied rules on high
quality elaboration of web sites, so that the usability of official statistical data through this
dissemination channel shall be on the increase. Such a web site will provide: transparency and
simplicity, data equipped with metadata, a browser, an offer for subscription to the web
(announcements of release of future publications and epublications, announcements of
availability of data in the database (tables, Statistical Databank, other regular or periodical
publications) (“alert me”). Web sites will emphasize the identity of SORS and thus the SORS
corporate design shall be increased, together with the positive image and reputation of SORS.
the Statistical Databank that is located on the SORS web sites will expand its offer to
the currently missing statistical fields;
publication of electronic form of printed publications on the SORS web site;
preparation of a database containing a set of topical data for which there will be
available a time series that shall be as long as possible (at least from 1991 onwards). It
will provide data for most statistical fields and three levels of territorial breakdowns
(country/state, statistical region, municipality);
the content of printed publications is to be simplified and is to become more
transparent, so that the analytical work (with statistical data) performed by users shall
no longer be so demanding.
16. Pricing policy
It is essential to know that the activity of the national statistical office is financed from the
national budget and that SORS does not have the status of a profit organisation, because these
facts to a large extent determine the basic way we cooperate with customers / users of official
statistical data. The prices of the basic publications and other services have therefore been set
as low as possible and products and services are often declared to be promotion material. This
applies especially in case of printed publications which are donated to institutions, such as are
schools and the like. In this way we strive to spread statistical literacy. More demanding user
needs, marketorientation and partial introduction of marketorientation in activities of
national institutions offer even other solutions which are still in line with the principles of
activity of public institutions.
The price list of the SORS services is adopted by the Government Republic of Slovenia.
In future, the price list of products and services will be published in all media in which SORS
appears when disseminating data and information. Three price levels are foreseen , these
being:
free access to all data, published on the SORS web sites; free access to all most highly
aggregated data from all statistical fields, irrespective of the dissemination channel
(dissemination by classical post or email, phone or automatic phone answering
machine);
20
prices for printed publications are stated in the valid price list; prices for preparation of
larger quantities of data from standard tables which are accessible free of charge on
web or at the subjectmatter department or in a printed publication are stated in the
valid price list the basis for calculating the price of a tailormade product or
performed service will be the time actually spent for this administrative task;
prices for nonstandard processing of data, data analysis made on demand, etc. are
stated in the valid price list, containing the price/hour for an hour’s work of the experts
(expert and programmer).
17. Data protection
The Changes and Supplements of the National Statistics Act state provisions that are
important for the fields of data protection and statistical confidentiality as well. With the
adoption of these changes, SORS continues to ensure the legally requested statistical
confidentiality in case of data on individuals and legal persons (important provisions for the
2002 Census of Population, Households and Housings were included).
In view of the purpose for which data are used this means that the collected individual
personal data on natural persons and on legal persons can be used for statistical purposes only.
Individual data cannot be disclosed to other users or for other, i.e. nonstatistical purposes.
SORS is fully aware of the meaning of safe and rational use of the Internet and the email.
Therefore it looked for an exemplary example in the acts of the European Commission and it
closely observed the translation of the document entitled Rules and conditions of use of the
Internet and email with the equipment of the European Commission. This is a document that
was made in an environment that is explicitly referential to the entire Slovene public
administration, although this is not one of those documents with which harmonization should
be achieved, but it serves merely as a source document.
Preparation of adequate acts was envisaged also in the project entitled Policy of protecting
and safeguarding, which is implemented by the RS Government centre for informatics. In
2001, two draft proposals were discussed, namely the Organizational recommendations to
bodies of public administration on use of email and Recommendations to users for safe use
of email within the public administration of RS.
SORS submitted to the RS Government centre for informatics a draft document entitled Rules
and conditions of use of the Internet and email with the equipment of SORS as a
contribution to the debate on the following two documents:
Rules on the procedures and measures for data protection, collected with the SORS's
Programme of Statistical Surveys
Rules on handling with confidential data and on the manner of protecting confidential data at
SORS.
In the document entitled Rules and conditions of use of the Internet and email, SORS
anticipated that, in view of available PC hardware and software, all SORS staff shall be
permitted to have access to sources of information on Internet and email. SORS staff can
make controlled use of the Internet and email when this contributes to effectiveness of work
and to improved quality of the work performed.
21
SORS can disseminate to users with the adequate legal rights only aggregated or
deindividualized data 12 . In view of statistical confidentiality, in small countries, such as
Slovenia, even dissemination of aggregated statistical data represents a large problem.
SORS can disseminate deindividualized data for research and scientific purposes.
Besides legal and methodological aspects of data protection, technical and physical protection
of such data is important as well. The basis for technical and physical protecting has proven to
be normal and something readily accepted in case of business buildings. The situation of one
of both SORS's business buildings, however, really is not normal. Therefore, upon the opinion
of the representatives of the European Commission, the National programme for adoption of
Acquis Communautaire already foresees that provision of a new and unified location for
SORS has to be made, predominantly in order to ensure data protection and data security.
When adopting the 2000 budget, the National Assembly notified the Government of the
Republic of Slovenia that the spatial problems of SORS have to be settled as soon as possible.
Thereupon, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia accepted the decision to solve this
issue at latest until the year 2005.
18. Disclosure control
18.1. Data users and disclosure of statistical data
According to Mr. Sundgren 13 , data confidentiality must always be viewed in relation to the
freedom of information and actions are to be balanced in line with the response of the public,
in combination with measures of different kinds: legal, administrative, methodological and
technical. Right with this combination the accessibility to microdata can be increased on the
one hand (including the support given to processes of democratization) and at the same time
protection of confidentiality of reporting units can be improved on the other hand.
Along with the above stated, the trust of the general public into the official statistical data and
towards the statistical office has to be built: also by supporting research workers and
development of new knowledge, by supporting democratic process (participation in public
debates), by supporting surveying (e.g. ecological characteristics), by supporting the use of
data in business processes (public and private ones) and use of data in education processes
(schools) and in other ways of development of new knowledge.
Data protection is a crosscutting field where mathematics and law meet and combine; and
there exists also the right of being informed. Here methods on data protection and legal acts
are combined. Additional trouble arise in case international institutions (Eurostat) request the
transmission of those data which are confidential in a certain country.
Before final publication of tables or before dissemination of microdata, these must be
protected in such a way that an individual unit cannot be identified from the published or
transmitted data. The bases for data protection are set out in legislation
12
When identifiers of individual reporting units are removed, the socalled DEINDIVIDUALIZED micro data
originate from individual data.
13
Sundgren B., Statistical Microdata Confidentiality Protection Vs Freedom Of Information, UN/ECO,
EUROSTAT, Joint ECO/Eurostat Work Session he Statistical Data Confidentiality, Working Paper No. 25,
Skopje, 1416 March 2001.
22
(National Statistics Act, Personal Data Protection Act) and in the SORS internal Rules on
procedures and measures for protection of data collected at SORS in line with the Programme
of Statistical Surveys. Upgrades consist of mathematical procedures for protection of tables
and microdata.
The basic procedureused when protectingtables is compilation of lines and (or) columns.
Use of this procedure reduces the number of sensitive cells which are determined by a
threshold or with the (n, k) rule of prevalence 14 . The final method which is used when tables
are protected is use of missing values at cells, which remain sensitive even upon compilation
of lines and (or) columns. This means that values of the sensitive cells are not published and
are replaced by missing values (»z«).
When protecting microdata, initially all the identifiers (name, surname, address...) are
removed. Then the degree of sensitivity of variables (very sensitive, sensitive, less sensitive)
is defined and the number of units in different combinations of variables is verified. In case
this number is smaller than the predetermined threshold, the values at units are considered to
be sensitive and they have to be adequately protected. In protecting microdata, the final
protective method is, similarly as in case of protection of tables, use of missing values with
which the values in sensitive units are replaced. The number of missing values can be largely
diminished by combinations of different categories of variables. Compilation of different
categories of variables is the basic method used to protect microdata.
When tables are being protected, the software package τArgus is used. In order to protect
microdata, the software package µArgus is used. Both software packages were developed
within the project for statistical data protection at the Dutch statistical office, in cooperation
with experts from other countries 15 .
In future more detailed rules on data protection will be separately defined for each survey.
The adequacy of methods for the protection of tables and microdata which are currently still
not used will be tested as well.
Training of statisticians in the fields of data protection and data control:
Holders of statistical surveys regularly attend seminars on data protection and on the use of
methods and software packages.
14
Engl. (n, k) dominance rule; Leon Willenborg, Ton de Waal, »Statistical Disclosure Control and Practice«,
pp. 89.
15
Anco Hundepool et al., 2003, μARGUS version 3.2 user's manual, 2003, τARUGS version 2.2 user's manual,
Statistics Netherlands, Voorburg, The Netherlands.
23
19. Future development of dissemination
19.1. Summary of the strategic objectives
In the field of dissemination, SORS is especially striving to be a userfriendly institution
towards all data users in Slovenia and abroad. Adjustments will be made to different segments
of users and to users' needs. SURS will strive to permanently improve the quality of data and
of related services.
The main strategic objectives presented can be summarized as follows:
quality in the widest sense,
equal access to statistical data (results),
professionalism,
transparency,
userfriendliness,
improvement of accessibility to statistical data and information on the world wide
web,
as many publications as possible are to be published bilingually, in the Slovene
language and in English,
uniform and transparent dissemination of data to the international environment.
The basic objectives of SORS cover not only provision of data to the internal users, but also
dissemination of data in order to meet the needs of the ESS and international dissemination.
In case of data dissemination to the international environment, the adopted legislation
stipulates that SORS is the coordinator of these activities.
The demands for timely statistical data (especially in case of shortterm statistics) are on the
increase in the fields of economic statistics and other statistics. These demands can be met by
prompt action on the part of reporting units, with the use of secondary sources and by
improving the work procedures within SORS.
For some users (e.g. the International Monetary Fund), SORS is preparing an advance release
calendar. According to plans, such a calendar will be prepared for all results.
At present, users are divided into four groups: enterprises, the public sector, the general public
and research workers & the universities. Important future tasks are:
more detailed segmentation of users in view of their specific demands,
improvement in the field of users’ training and development of subjectmatter
statistics,
introduction of regular measurements of the satisfaction of users with the quality of
data and services.
19.2. The SORS useroriented dissemination strategy is based on the following principles:
Large quantities of data and detailed statistics can be disseminated in electronic form.
Therefore all statistical data will be available in electronic form.
Paper publications will focus on the most important, topical news. Presentations of key
data and the use of diagrams and commentaries will assist users in understanding of
complex phenomena in the society.
24
Paper publications and electronic ones are coordinated. When summary tables are
printed in paper publications, more detailed tables with statistical data will be
accessible on the SORS web sites and in other electronic forms.
SORS will maintain one entrance point, the SORS Homepage, from which access is
granted to statistical data and also to electronic forms of paper publications (in html
and pdf format).
The SORS Information Centre and its Library are also one of the centres of
dissemination of international statistics in Slovenia. They hold publications, issued by
Eurostat, the UN, OECD, other international organisations, as well as a selection of
statistical publications of other countries. The Library is really a professional library
and is included in the COBISS system.
In statistical data dissemination one foreign language (i.e. English) is used.
In case of incorrect interpretation of data in the media, SORS duly reacts as soon as
this is perceived.
19.3. Records on issued publications
Publications, issued by SORS, are equipped with and identified by the assistance of
rules on the catalogue number.
/Rules are accessible on: http://surs_web/projects/Stat2000/V1GROUP/
12.3 Records on data users
At present, the way in which SORS monitors and statistically processes data on its users is
incomplete due to only partial arrangement of the basic records on users. This represents a
problem in the elaboration of the samples for monitoring the satisfaction of both users and
orderers of SORS services. Lists of users, which are at present dispersed within SORS and
unsystematically arranged in various departments, are hardly suitable for effective keeping of
records that would be used in further strategic communication with users.
In case enterprise identification numbers from the Business Register of Slovenia were
arranged in the database of users (enterprises), this could enable processing of data on users,
orderers, those who pay for our services by activity, by size of enterprises, location. If
comparisons were made with address books, information on which users are data providers as
well could be linked. The general public and their opinion can be obtained without any
relatively high costs, as only some questions would have to be added to the Survey on
consumers’ opinion.
The project of setting up a uniform database of users will cover: users who are regular
subscribers to statistical publications, users who regularly order special processing of
statistical data and occasional users of the SORS services. The database will initially serve as
the basis for situation analysis which will represent the initial measurement of the state or will
serve as a review of internal advantages and disadvantages and external opportunities and
threats which have influence on the successful work with users.
The situation analysis will be prepared in the Information Centre with the support of an expert
on system technical support. As the next step, the plan on communicating with users will be
prepared, comprising precisely determined objectives, distribution of staff and means and the
time plan. The plan will logically follow the findings of the analysis and will comprise: a
description of individual steps required for implementation of the plan, the breakdown of
financial needs and the consequences that result from the implementation of the proposed
25
plan. When the proposed plan has been completed for the first time, the evaluation and annual
report will be prepared. The annual report will be the basis for the next analysis and the entire
cycle will be repeated with an annual frequency. In this project on communication with users,
media will have a special position as a special type of target public.
19.4. PXweb, search for data in tables, (advance release calendar), publications on Internet,
search in full text of publications
In the project " Alignment of Slovene Statistics with the Acquis Communautaire,
Component 1: Development of integrated regional and agricultural data" revision of the
dissemination process is being prepared by SORS. A browser will assist the users of statistical
data and publications in accessing to data and publications which are published by SORS.
19.5. Development work in the field of dissemination most important novelties:
anticipation of publications in future (advance release calendar) for different time
periods (next week, month, etc.) or respectively for selected statistical fields (for
instance: dates of publications on CPI by months of year 2003);
"permanent" archive of all publications on Internet in pdf and html format; access to
parts of publications also via tables of contents and indexes;
dynamic selection and creation of data tables by use of PCAxis files via PXWeb;
further work or data analysis in user environment with the use of a selected format
(excel, txt, csv, html, etc.);
dissemination of data to subscribers using "data shooting" (saved queries) and
additions of new points of time in standard tables;
access to »Basic methodological explanations and the standard report on data quality«.
This is a combination of the contents of the Swedish template (used also by the Danes)
and the Eurostat standard report on quality. This shall be attached directly to the data
tables;
elaboration of the GESMES/CB report from PX files.
19.6. The KLASJE classification server
According to the Midterm Programme of Statistical Surveys, a large part of classifications
which are used by SORS in data collection, data processing and data dissemination belongs to
the statistical infrastructure. In addition, SORS also uses a wide range of nomenclatures and
other (independent) code books which are used in individual statistical surveys. In November
2002, the classifications database comprised around 500 classifications and code books in one
or more versions and over 60 concordances among them.
Within the project Egovernment, SORS will (with the assistance of a browser) ensure access
to this database in two directions: via the Homepage and via the web portal
egovernment.
Within this project, SORS will also continue with the construction of additional functions on
the world wide web (access to concordance, search by items of classifications, etc.). It will
also explore the possibilities on introducing common rules and tools that would enable the so
called “mutual categorization” (as in case of COBISS) or respectively the mutual
“registration” of classifications to all the institutions authorized by the Programme of
Statistical Surveys for statistical data collection and publishing.
26
Until 2007, SURS will:
Rationalize and shorten the preparation and releasing of publications also by modified
organizational instructions and by the use of templates created in Word;
Link the documentation with the production process, with the formal system of
metadata, which can be read by software and by experts;
SORS has set up a common database of classifications (KLASJE). Until 2007, this
database will contain sets of permissible values for all statistical variables which are
published by SORS.
Structure the output database as a reference base, via which the entire dissemination
process will be implemented;
Use the family of software modules PCAXIS as the central tool, for electronic
dissemination of data;
Develop availability of GIS data, accessible in the network, and thus stimulate future
development.
27
20. Conclusion
In Slovenia, the longterm objective focuses on development of the dissemination policy of
official statistics, which are useroriented. With registeroriented statistics and with further
development of databases, users are invited to transfer data to their own PCs where they can
make their own recalculations. Metadata should be a component part of statistical production.
In this view, data warehouses are an important tool for warehousing, reuse and dissemination
of statistical data and metadata. Technical and organizational functions must run smoothly
and efficiently. SORS has already started to implement vocational training of the SORS staff
and training for users. Satisfaction of certain categories of users 16 has been measured (17) and
statistics on users is being collected.
The survey on users’ satisfaction revealed that users are an important link in the chain in
quality development of the Slovenian national statistics. Especially the legal regulation and
the organisation of active cooperation with various formal and informal bodies are well in
place. Despite this, data on at least the observed population illustrate that in the understanding
of the importance and satisfaction there still exists a certain gap between SORS and its users.
This can be observed especially in relations to users of the public sector and of science &
research. Enterprises are certainly the second group of users who need data in order to make
comparisons of the situation on the market.
Among the key issues in total quality management in SORS and within the entire activity of
national statistics, SORS will continue to treat and segment users according to demands and
will keep increasing the understanding and anticipation of user needs. SORS will develop
systematic monitoring of the proposals, remarks and opinions of its users and of rapid
reactions. A comprehensive approach to the user data provider is required, as this is search
for synergy between both roles. Even data providers themselves, especially enterprises, fail to
see the relations between both roles. In future, the documentation on various segments of
users will be continuously elaborated and will facilitate quality frames for user surveys.
Measurements and analyses of user satisfaction will be incorporated among the regular tasks
of SORS. The range (characteristics) and analysis of quantitative data on users (by user
groups, types of media, manners of access). It is of prime importance to elaborate a system of
reacting to opinions, viewpoints and proposals, made on the part of the users, including feed
back information.
16
See: Irena Križman, The role of data users in total quality management of the services rendered by the national
statistics, Faculty for Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, June 2002.
28

Statistical Dissemination Policy and Strategy

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10. The legal framewor k for deter mining the needs of users 10

14.1. The currently used segmentation of users 13

Users who “ reorganize” (” transform” ) data for their members

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