The Power of Numbers - Part 2

Ernie S. BoykoDirector

Library and Information Centre

April 23, 2004

Presented to the:

Data Liberation Initiative Atlantic Training Workshop

Or

The Power (and the Politics)

of Numbers

Ernie S. BoykoDirector

Library and Information Centre

April 23, 2004

Presented to the:

Data Liberation Initiative Atlantic Training Workshop

Outline Power of numbers The theory The practice Some realities

And a few things your mother never told you

Statistics Canada (Not the only source of data but…)

Central Agency to serve all levels of government and public in general

Its job is to help Canadians better understand their country Population Resources Economy Society Culture

Statistics Canada (cont’d)

360 statistical programs

1000+ products per year

$533 million – authorized expenditure

$110 million – voted netted expenditure

$423 million - net

92% of entire budget is allocated to statistical programs dictated by statutes, regulatory instruments and contractual obligations

Statistics Canada (cont’d)

Refer to ‘Statistics Canada’s Quality Assurance Framework

Catalogue number 12-586-XIE (free) We will take a quick look at the

stakeholder/client feedback process later

But first, a few schematics

How Does STC Manage the Statistical Process?

THE big reason for data and statistics How do we get from information

about Canada to decision making? Let’s look at how we get from data to

decision making

Let’s talk about Decision making

Decision Making

Data S

ystem

Info

rmatio

n S

ystem

Inq

uiry S

ystem

Information for Decision Makers

Interpretation and Analysis

Theoretical Concepts

Reality

Data Output Specification and Testing of AnalyticalFrameworkMeasurement

Operationalization Concepts

Public versus private? The political process?

Who are the Decision Makers?

Representative Government

Norman Ward(1) has said that perhaps the best definition of Canadian representative democracy comes from John Stuart Mill, for whom representative democracy meant:

“…that the whole people, or some numerous portion of them, exercise through deputies

periodically elected by themselves the ultimate controlling power, which, in every constitution,

must reside somewhere.”(2)

1 Norman Ward, The Canadian House of Commons: Representation, University of Toronto Press, Toronto, 1950, p. 4.2 John Stuart Mill, Considerations on Representative Government, first published 1861, new edition, R.B. McCallum, ed., Basil Blackwell, Oxford, 1946.

Three Case StudiesHow STC makes program

decisionsHow DLI was establishedFarm Net Income concepts

Decision making

National Statistics Council 15 Professional advisory committees Bilateral arrangements with key Fed

depts Chief Statistician working with DMs Fed-Prov Council Special liaison in areas of prov

jurisdictions Business associations and labour

unions

STC Program Decisions

International Organizations Feed back from Advisory

Services/users Bilateral/multilateral discussions

about cost-recovery projects (remember the $110m?!)

Biennial/quadrennial program reviews

Annual planning process

STC Program Decisions Cont’d

DLI Orientation, Queen’s University April, 2004

Data Liberation in 2004:

How Did We Get Here?

Data Liberation in 2004:

How Did We Get Here?

Ernie Boyko, Statistics CanadaWendy Watkins, Carleton University

Ernie BoykoWendy Watkins

DLI Orientation, Queen’s University April, 2004

Background: The Environment of the

1980's

Background: The Environment of the

1980's Growing expenditure deficits Statistics Canada undergoing

managerial transitions Paper publications Technology: mainframes, minis, tapes,

datapac CANSIM and flat ASCII files on tape Public Use Microdata Files

DLI Orientation, Queen’s University April, 2004

1984!!! Brave New World

1984!!! Brave New World

New government in September 1984 Major program review Budget and program cuts 1986 Census cut Census users informed Reinstatement of Census in return for

$100M

DLI Orientation, Queen’s University April, 2004

Birth of CAPDU (Canadian Association of Public Data

Users)

Birth of CAPDU (Canadian Association of Public Data

Users)

$tatistics Canada data out of reach CAPDU born in Washington, 1988 Began as lobby group, but …

no lobbying experience only 8 members

Required another approach

DLI Orientation, Queen’s University April, 2004

Fall Out From Expensive DataFall Out From

Expensive Data One-sided research

well-funded think tanks could afford data alternative views not heard

Data use dropped graduate students most affected

Grant money spent on data, not research US data used in place of Canadian

DLI Orientation, Queen’s University April, 2004

Data Liberation: Making it Fly

Data Liberation: Making it Fly

Working group led by SSFC members from:

• research community• Statistics Canada• CAPDU• research libraries• Depository Services Programme

DLI Orientation, Queen’s University April, 2004

Data Liberation: Making it Fly

Data Liberation: Making it Fly

Activities: lobbying politicians presentations to the bureaucracy co-option of Treasury Board

After two years, a pilot project

see http://www.ssc.uwo.ca/assoc/capdu/dli-training/2004_ontario.html

Case Study # 3 Net Farm Income

Cash Receipts Income-in-kind Supplementary payments Realized gross income (1 + 2+ 3) Operating and depreciation charges Realized net income (4 – 5) Value of inventory changes

Total gross income ( 4 + 7) Total net income (8 – 5)

1976 1981

1 Cash receipts 104,869 189,247

2 Income-in-kind 8,425 3,485

3 Supplementary payments - -

4 Realized gross income (1 + 2 + 3) 113,294 192,732

5 Operating and depreciation charges 69,968 129,566

6 Realized net income (4 – 5) 43,326 63,166

7 Value of inventory changes 16,973 28,915

8 Total gross income (4 + 7) 130,267 221,647

9 Total net income (8 – 5) 60,299 92,081

Farm Net IncomeFarm Net Income ($ ‘000)PEI

Source: Statistics Canada, Farm Net Income, 21-202, 1976, 1984

Income in kind ($ ‘000)PEI

2 Income-in-kind 1976 1981

Dairy products 342 460

Poultry and eggs 95 75

Meat 414 1,246

Fruits and vegetables (2) 846 846

Honey and maple products 11 16

Forest products 716 842

Wool 0 -

House rent *** 6,001 n/a

Total 8,425 3,485

Source: Statistics Canada, Farm Net Income, 21-202, 1976, 1984

***Income-in-kindThis item consists of the value of

consumption of home grown products… The imputed house rent values that used to be included in income-in-kind are no longer included in the farm accounts.

What happened to house rent? Who decided?

****

Income in kind ($ ‘000)PEI

2 Income-in-kind 1976 1981

Dairy products 342 460

Poultry and eggs 95 75

Meat 414 1,246

Fruits and vegetables (2) 846 846

Honey and maple products 11 16

Forest products 716 842

Wool 0 -

House rent *** 6,001 n/a

Total 8,425 3,485

Source: Statistics Canada, Farm Net Income, 21-202, 1976, 1984

Data ARE used for decision making but there are a lot of other factors involved

Decisions can be made at many different levels

It is often harder to get permission than it is to get forgiveness

Conclusions?