The Italian Statistical System

88th DGINSThe future of the European Statistical System

Palermo, ItalyPalazzo dei Normanni

19th-20th September 2002

88th DGINSThe future of the European Statistical System

First part:

The National Statistical System

SISTAN

Milestones in Official Statistics

Central Institute for Statistics of the Kingdom of Italy

Division of General Statistics within the Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Internal Trade

Legislative Decree 322 (Statistical Act): • National Statistical System - Sistan • National Institute of Statistics - Istat

1861

1926

1989

To ensure uniform policy, homogeneous organisation and rationalised information flows at central and local levels

To provide Italian and international bodies with official statistical information

Mission

To regulate the activities carried out by public statistical bodies and agencies for the collection, compilation, analysis, dissemination and storage of data

L.D. 322/1989 objective

Sistan

A decentralised system

• National Statistical Institute – Istat

• Statistical offices of central and local government administrations

• Other bodies and organisations dealing with statistical information

Structure

Main Actors

Focus on:

Commission for Guaranteeing Statistical Information (CGIS)

Committee for Directing and Co–ordinatingStatistical Information (COMSTAT)

Org

anis

atio

nal

str

uct

ure

Addresses and co–ordinates central and local statistical offices

Deliberates on the National Statistical Programme

Ruling bodies

COMMITTEE FOR DIRECTING AND CO-ORDINATING STATISTICAL INFORMATION - COMSTAT

Is a three–year programme, annually updated

Defines the statistical surveys of public interest to be assigned to the National Statistical System and identifies their objectives

Drawn up by Istat upon decision of the Committee for Directing and Co-ordinating Statistical Information; supervised by the Commission for Guaranteeing Statistical Information and Authority for Privacy; comes into forcewith a Prime Minister’s Decree

The National Statistical Programme

Supervises impartiality and completeness of statistical information

Safeguards confidentiality of the data collected

Controls the quality of statistical methodologies and techniques

Supervises compliance of data collections with EU and international recommendations

Ruling bodies

COMMISSION FOR GUARANTEEING STATISTICAL INFORMATION - CGIS

Strengths (set)

CoherencyNon-state-run

national system

Statistical cultureinside the PublicAdministration

Functionality withreference to

National StatisticalProgramme

Network of operators,Quality Groups,

cohesion-oriented initiatives

Weaknesses (assessed)

Not completeexploitation ofadministrative

sources

Difficulty ofinteraction

betweenstatistical andother offices

Not well-rootednetwork attitude

Uneven development of

Information Systems

Weak productionof statistics

for territorial needs

Strengthening of the system identity

Development of statistical culture and consent

Quality improvement

Internal and external authoritativeness

Economies of scale

A vision for the future

88th DGINSThe future of the European Statistical System

Second part:

National Statistical Institute

Istat

Istat is the core of public statistical information supply

Its role is supported by:

• long-term strategic vision• ability to integrate information into a system

Istat

The mission

To supply quality informationto interpret social, economic, environmental phenomena and their dynamics, and to guarantee the compliance with the principles of independence, impartiality, reliability and transparency

The vision

Improving user-oriented quality

Promoting information systems

Growing the statistical function at the international level

Growing the statistical function at the national level

Improving Istat’s organisation

Org

anis

atio

nal

str

uct

ure

Council

Board of Auditors

Evaluation andStrategic Control

Directorate General

President

SISTAN Central Secretariat Department

Directorate for Regional Offices Co-ordination

Economic Statistics Department

Directorate for Structural Statistics

Directorate for Short-Term Statistics

Directorate for Archives and Censuses of Economic Units

Personnel and Administration Department

Directorate for Personnel and General Services

Directorate for Contracts and Assets

Social Statistics Department

Directorate for Population Censuses and Territory

Directorate for Surveys on Social Institutions

Directorate for Surveys on Living Conditions and Quality of Life

Integration and Technical Standards Department

Directorate for National Accounts

Directorate for Information Technology and Telecommunications

Directorate for Dissemination of Statistical Information and Culture

Directorate for Budget, Accounting and Treasury

Direct Collaboration Offices Cabinet

International relations

Communication and press

Reg

ion

al O

ffic

es Number of Regional Offices: 18

Total staff: 313

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Basic principles of organisation

Separation between ruling and managing responsibilities

Departments autonomy and decentralised functions (administrative, IT, methodological, dissemination)

Integration between departments and promotion of technical standards

Strategic planning and control

Ruling bodies

COUNCIL

Plans, directs and evaluates Istat’s activity

Checks the validity of administrative and accounting activities

BOARD OF AUDITORS

PRESIDENT

Is Istat’s legal representative, is responsible for technical and scientific co-ordination and for institutional relationships at national and international level

Presidency

President

Direct Collaboration Offices

Evaluation and Strategic Control

Cabinet

International Relations

Communication and Press

Organisational Innovation and Internal Auditing

Administrative Co-ordination

Directorate for Budget, Accounting and Treasury

Directorate General

Director General

Personnel and Administration Department

Directorate for Personneland General Services

Directorate for Contractsand Assets

Personnel and AdministrationDepartment

National Statistical System Development

National Statistical Programme

Directorate for Regional Offices Co–ordination

Sistan Central Secretariat Department

Sistan Central Secretariat Department

Economic Statistics Department

Directorate forStructural Statistics

Directorate forShort–Term Statistic

Directorate for Archives and Censuses

of Economic Units

Economic Statistics Department

Social Statistics Department

Directorate forPopulation Censuses

and Territory

Directorate forSurveys on Living

Conditions andQuality of Life

Co–ordinationand Integration

Social StatisticsDepartment

Directorate forSurveys on

Social Institutions

Integration and Technical

Standards Department

Methodology for Statistical Production

Integration and TechnicalStandards Department

Directorate forDissemination of

Statistical Informationand Culture

Co–ordination,Integration and Quality

Directorate forInformation

Technology and Telecommunication

Directorate forNational Accounts

Educational level

Female55%

Male45%

1138 1147

378

Universitygraduates

high schoolleavers

other

GenderK

ey f

igu

res

on

per

son

nel

Total staff: 2663

Vocational profile

Type of employme

nt

Key

fig

ure

s o

n p

erso

nn

el

Total staff: 2663

Officers27%

Clerical staff63%

Other servants10%

5070

275

Researchers

Level ILevel II

Level III

30

77

217

Technical staff

Level I

Level II

Level III

Permanent staff84%

Temporary staff16%

Training Policy

USERS• Istat’s and Sistan’s employees

(Directors, Executives and other Civil Servants)

MAIN TOPICS•Statistics•Technology for statistics•Management

AIMS•To learn how to use statistical data for decision-making purposes•To correctly understand and analyse data•To collect, enter and process data

METHODS•To identify needs through highlighting the professional identity

Funding sources

State funds (92%)

Grants by European Commission, other national or international entities (4,5%)

Revenue from selling data and publications (3,5%)

International organisations

4,5%

Sales of data 3,5%

State funds92%

Financial and operational management

Exp

end

itu

re (

year

200

1)Personnel 97,00 Goods and services 25,00 Data collection and dissemination 19,00 Durable goods 2,00 Other 7,00 Total (censuses not included) 150,00 Population and economic activities censuses 155,00

ITEMS Million Euro

Goods and services17%

Data collection and dissemination

13%

Durable goods1%

Other 5%

Personnel64%

Exp

end

itu

re (

1997

-200

1)

Censuses included0,00

40,00

80,00

120,00

160,00

200,00

240,00

280,00

320,00

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Personnel

Goods andservices

Data collection-Dissemination

Durable goods

Other

Total (Million Euro)

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001Personnel 60,0 58,2 55,2 55,8 64,8Goods and services 15,8 15,7 16,6 18,4 16,4Data collection-Dissemination 13,0 20,2 20,6 12,3 12,9Durable goods 1,0 1,5 3,4 9,2 1,2Other 10,2 4,4 4,2 4,3 4,7Total 100,0 100,0 100,0 100,0 100,0Total (Million Euro) - censuses not included 135,00 145,00 161,00 168,00 150,00

Agriculture census 100,00 Population and economic activities censuses 155,00

Percentage values per yearITEMS

Istat’s activityAlmost half of the production deals with economic information

The importance of social statistics is growing: new surveyson households, citizens and institutions are foreseen

The value of integration is recognised and pursued

Innovation in survey techniques is promoted

Growth of Istat’s role as supplier of statistical information for public institutions

Demographic Statistics

5%

Censuses3%Methodology

4%

Environmental Statistics

5%Health

Statistics 4%

Social Statistics

34%

Economic Statistics

45%

Planned projectsper area

Year 2002

Planning

Guidelines defined by the Council

Strategic objectives

Internal auditing

Evaluation and strategic control

Operational programme

and budgetingProjects and activities

Future perspectives for Istat and Sistan

Integration of Information Systems

Dissemination of statistical culture, especially for Public Administration’s staff, through ad-hoc widespread tools and training

Enhancement of e-statistics: a growing use of Internet for data collection and dissemination

Users’ empowerment: development of greater access to data, particularly inside Sistan and for research purposes

Increase in territorial statistics for regional and local policy