How to fulfil user needs – from industrial production of statistics to production of knowledge

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Thygesen, Lars | Nielsen, Mogens Grosen

Affiliations: Statistics Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark

Note: [] Corresponding author: Lars Thygesen, Statistics Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark. E-mail: LTH@dst.dk

Abstract: Statistical organisations disseminate statistics to an extent never seen before. We have developed tools that handle increasing amounts of data. However, in the production of statistics we tend to look inward; our primary focus is on whether macro figures are reasonable and published in time. We don't take the user`s situation sufficiently into account. According to an in-depth user-consultation, we have found that it is an urgent task to uncover needs and to give end-users better assistance when they use statistics or wish to find relevant statistics. Is it just a question of improving our services towards users or are we facing more fundamental problems due to political, social and technological changes for users and producers of statistics? Our hypothesis is that the growing political, social and technological complexity should be reflected in the way we work and in the choices of statistics we produce in order to fulfil needs in a knowledge-based society. The paper first presents user-consultations conducted at Statistics Denmark. Hereafter follow four themes that the authors find relevant for the fulfilment of user needs in a society where knowledge plays an important role. The four themes are: 1) dynamic use of registers, 2) from silos to dynamic processes, 3) quality and user needs, and 4) metadata and user needs. Finally the insight from user-consultations and related reflections under the four themes are put together. Business Process Management is suggested as an "umbrella-perspective" uniting the various disciplines that need to be put into play in order to reach a situation, where the production of statistics can be organised in way that moves toward a fulfilment of needs identified in the user-consultations. The insights have been put into practice in a pilot project at Statistics Denmark. A description of the project and lessons learned is provided. The paper concludes that user-consultations and subsequent reflections call for continuously investigating user needs, enhancement of the use of registers, better organisation of processes and more focus on quality and metadata.

Keywords: Statistics, dissemination, user needs

DOI: 10.3233/SJI-130784

Journal: Statistical Journal of the IAOS, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 301-313, 2013