SDMX – AN OECD PERSPECTIVEPaul Schreyer OECD

CCSA Special Session, September 2014 Rome

• Why we think SDMX is important

• Key OECD Activities

• What Have We learned: Lessons and Challenges

• Looking Ahead

Outline

Why we think SDMX is important

• Standardisation of data transmission

• Speed

• Quality: accuracy, readability

• Consistency between international sources

Why we think SDMX is important

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Example: data differences between international sourcesExample: Government Deficit 2010 Differences between highest and lowest result, in %-points of GDP

• The Process itself is useful:• Detailed discussions with other IOs

and with countries concerning: – Data requirements– Templates– Data sharing

Why we think SDMX is important (2)

• Example Mexico

• SDMX is enabler of co-ordination of data production and dissemination at the national level

Why we think SDMX is important (3)

Key OECD Activities

• Already established:– National Accounts (SNA 2008)– Balance of Payments– FDI (OECD is maintenance agency)

• Forthcoming:– Education, R&D, Merchandise Trade Statistics

• Ongoing: Management of Global Registry in 2013-2014 with Eurostat– Administrative duties for users– Maintaining the registry content– Coordination with SDMX working groups

1. Definition and maintenance of Global Data Structure Definitions (DSDs)

• DSD for OECD-specific data transmission of short-term indicators (prices, real indicators, etc.)

• 8 countries providing STES SDMX data, 9 countries ongoing implementation work

• Goals:– For disseminators:

• An open format specification with which to transmit data • Avoids having to package and push the data to OECD

– For OECD:• Timeliness• One format and structure enables automated processing

and checking of collected data• Ease of validation of data structure (correct coding, file

format)

2a. Implementation: OECD Short Term Economic Statistics collection

• Pilot exercise under the IAG (see ECB presentation)– testing SDMX data exchanges (push mode)

– decreasing respondent burden of national data providers

– Minimising data differences between IOs

• First phase, since 2013: Key National Accounts and population data (annual and quarterly)

• Second phase, 2015: institutional sector accounts

• The first exchanges:– proved technical feasibility

– revealed problems in coding data available according to pre 2008 SNA

– helped clarifying formulation of SDMX messages

– were extremely useful in understanding other IOs’ data collection

2b. Implementation: Task Force on International Data Co-operation

• Implement SDMX IT Infrastructure for Global DSDs, both collection and dissemination– Focus on existing tools, reusability, generic tools

• Build SDMX capacity for IT and non-IT staff

• Align existing questionnaires with SDMX coding

2c. Implementation: OECD Preparations for regular data collection and dissemination

Announcement: SDMX Expert Group meeting  in Korea

• Co-organised with the KoStat, and SDMX Sponsor organisations

• Seoul, 27-30 October 2014

• Focus on– Experience with implementing Global DSDs

– SDMX Working Groups new guidelines and improvements to standards

– SDMX Technical solutions

• 2 days training– Using SDMX Reference Infrastructure

– Implementing Global DSDs

• Enquiries: Gyorgy.Gyomai@OECD.org

Lessons learned

What has OECD learned after over 10 years of SDMX?

• SDMX adoption is not simply a technological challenge

• Methodological and subject-matter knowledge and resources are key

• ‘Business process’ led by statisticians

• SDMX knowledge good in Ios

• Knowledge base in NSOs and central banks growing but still unevenly between countries

• The early focus was on developing the SDMX technical standard. Now the main focus is how to ease adoption and provide guidelines for common issues and use cases

Key Challenges

• Motivating statistical agencies to adopt SDMX– Make business case

– IO support to implement SDMX

• Motivating broader group of IOs to broaden subject matters (CCSA)

• Dealing with cost of adoption– Legacy systems and standards must be maintained until all providers have

phased out non-SDMX dissemination

– Building SDMX knowledge in NSOs

– Provide shared tools to ease the move from legacy systems (such as the SDMX Convertor)

• Governance structure may need to evolve with take-up of SDMX by more countries and IOs

Way Forward

The way forward – general considerations

• Near future should be consolidation phase• Demonstrate real-life workability• Involving more non-European countries and

other CCSA members

• Addresses practical implementation problems

• Provide practical guidance; revisit and consolidate existing guidelines where required

• Clearer prioritisation of tasks developments

• Seek closer co-ordination with related initiatives, in particular High Level Group on Modernisation of Statistics

The way forward – specific issues

• Complete global DSDs for major statistical domains – e.g. currently the SNA DSD can only code properly SNA

2008 data, and activity breakdowns with ISIC rev 4;

• Further integration with Statistical Information Collaboration Community (SIS-CC)

• OECD.Stat fully SDMX compatible

• Use SDMX for PGI

Thank you!