Chapter 1.4: Understanding users' needs and maintaining relationships

1. The National Statistics Council

The formal mandate of the National Statistics Council (NSC) is to "advise the Chief Statistician in setting priorities and rationalizing Statistics Canada programs." Members of the NSC are appointed for a period of three years, subject to renewal. The NSC comprises about 40 members.

Originally members were appointed by the Minister from a list of persons recommended by the Chief Statistician. In 2010 the Minister delegated this to the Chief Statistician, and since that time all members are now appointed by the Chief Statistician.

Members of the NSC act on an individual basis; they do not act as representatives of particular interests.

The factors that optimize the NSC's impact are the following:

• diverse representation and interests;
• experience in a broad range of sectors from across the country ;
• recognition of members in their field.

As a result of these measures, the NSC is a very knowledgeable, diverse, and representative group.

The NSC normally meets twice a year. Included among regular agenda items are "Statements by Members," in which NSC members may raise questions or concerns either for immediate response or subsequent discussions, and an in-depth report by the Chief Statistician on recent developments at Statistics Canada (including new substantive initiatives, analytical insights, forward planning and budgetary expectations). Other agenda items usually deal with major program updates—such as the censuses, environment statistics, longitudinal data, issues in social statistics, National Accounts, dissemination practices, pricing policy, privacy and record linkage, contingency planning in the face of expected budget cuts, and significant statistical information gaps.

The meeting agenda is composed of items raised by members and issues identified by Statistics Canada in discussion with the Chairperson. From time to time, a subgroup of the NSC is formed to address particular issues (e.g., access to historical censuses).

The NSC generally provides feedback to the Chief Statistician through discussion among its members. Consensus is usually (though not always) achieved. Resolutions and formal recommendations are rare, although the Chairperson has been authorized by the NSC, on a few occasions, to write to the responsible Minister, on topics such as securing funding for testing the 1991 Census and the impact of potential additional budget reductions on the outputs of Statistics Canada.

The Chief Statistician considers the NSC's advice as substantially beneficial. In addition, through the recognition of its members and on the basis of precedent, the NSC has evolved into an additional and—should the need arise—undoubtedly very influential bulwark in the defense of the objectivity, professional integrity and independence of Canada's national statistical system.

2. Committees and official meetings with major federal government users

Statistics Canada interacts with all federal departments and agencies. Consultation mechanisms are in place, particularly for the major federal government users listed in the text box 1.4.1.

These government departments and agencies are Statistics Canada's primary stakeholders: their programs and policies are the main drivers of much of the agency's statistical programs, and they finance the vast majority of the cost-recovery work carried out by Statistics Canada.

It is thus crucial to maintain strong relationships with these departments and agencies. This is done through both horizontal and bilateral relationships, at every level of the government hierarchy, from the Deputy Minister to working analysts. These relationships have developed through regular meetings (horizontal and vertical), the creation of committees, and data sharing agreements.

The Chief Statistician is a member of the Deputy Minister community. This group meets weekly and the current and forward-looking issues on which the government is focusing are discussed. He also meets, usually on an annual basis, with the Clerk of the Privy Council, who is the head of the federal public service, to discuss the performance of, and issues facing, Statistics Canada.

The Chief Statistician also participates in several horizontal Deputy Minister-level committees on the economy, social trends and public-sector administration (the list of the major committees and their mandates is provided in Table 1.4.1).

A statistical agency must also take full advantage of meeting with the heads of key user organizations. For example, an annual meeting with the Governor of the Bank of Canada and his most senior officials is a key opportunity for the Chief Statistician and his assistant chief statisticians to discuss important issues regarding the data produced by Statistics Canada.

At different levels of the organization, assistant chief statisticians, directors general, and directors participate in horizontal-level committees on strategic directions for developing statistical information. They meet with their counterparts of policy departments once or twice a year, according to the nature of their programs. These committees are key to governing relations and discussing priorities with key policy departments. It is important to clarify that these meetings are not taking place at the same time but, rather, department by department to focus on specific issues and topics and maintain high-level involvement and interest.

3. Committees and agreements with provincial, territorial and municipal government users

Canada is a confederation, where responsibility for government programs is shared across federal, provincial, territorial and municipal jurisdictions.

Statistics Canada, through the Statistics Act, is responsible for overseeing the national statistical system. This includes coordination of statistical activities across the provinces and territories. This also requires that Statistics Canada, to the maximum extent possible, cater to the statistical needs of all levels of government, as well as those of the private sector.

Provinces and territories have major jurisdiction in areas, such as administration of justice, health and education. The provincial and territorial programs and policies can and do differ across the thirteen jurisdictions. Thus, the determination of horizontal needs for statistical information access and use of data can become quite complex.

To support this role, Statistics Canada has put in place three mechanisms:

4. Advisory committees

In addition to the National Statistics Council, which sits at the pinnacle of a system of advisory committees, there are other advisory committees that bring together distinguished experts in a particular field (from business, government, non-governmental organizations, and academia) to provide more detailed guidance on program operation and implementation.

The role of these advisory committees is to provide advice and guidance to Statistics Canada and the Chief Statistician on all aspects of the agency's statistical and analytical programs, including advice on program priorities, survey design and content, dissemination of information, and statistical methods. These advisory committees fall under the authority of the agency's Executive Management Board.

Members of the various committees are appointed by the Chief Statistician on the recommendation of subject-matter areas. They are selected on the basis of their unique insights, abilities, and professional qualifications. They do not represent the views of their employer or those of any other group or body of which they might be a member. Appointments are for three-year terms, with the possibility of renewal.

The list of the various advisory committees is provided in Box 1.4.2.

5. Networking with businesses

Businesses are both respondents and data users. Statistics Canada considers that two issues are very important to businesses:

• The burden for respondents to complete Statistics Canada's surveys. Large businesses regularly receive more than one survey to complete.
• The need to safeguard confidentiality, to prevent the sharing of their confidential information with their competitors.

To address these concerns, Statistics Canada has made inroads to replace survey data with administrative data, for example, tax data. Temporary relief measures have also been implemented when certain respondent burden thresholds have been reached.

In fact, as part of Statistics Canada's efforts to reduce respondent burden, an ombudsman is available to help business survey respondents.

The ombudsman's role is to investigate complaints from business survey respondents who believe they are unduly burdened or have been treated unprofessionally by Statistics Canada. The ombudsman's services are impartial and free of charge.

6. Networking with academics and think tanks

For academics, Statistics Canada has created secure research data centres in universities across Canada, where students and professors can access social statistics microdata under tight security provisions that are meant to safeguard the confidentiality guarantee that Statistics Canada gives to its respondents. Statistics Canada allows limited access to business microdata from its headquarters, located in Ottawa, given the greater issues of confidentiality with business records. For more information, please refer to Chapter 4.4: Access to microdata.

Statistics Canada also participates in a certain number of conferences and events with the academic community.

7. The media and the general public

To maintain the trust of and collaboration with the general public, Statistics Canada has established ongoing relationships with the media and the general public through appropriate channels, including

• the media, through ongoing access to Statistics Canada spokespersons and experts in the field;
• social media platforms and interactive features accessible through the agency's website, such as blogs and online chat sessions with Statistics Canada experts;
• events and informal consultation sessions, such as the Talking Statistics series;
• the Statistical Information Service.

The public hears about Statistics Canada through the media. It is therefore crucial to maintain effective media relations. Chapter 4.2: External Communications and Outreach details the mechanisms used to inform, and to connect and engage with, the media and the general public.

8. Networking and partnerships with international organizations

Participating in activities of international organizations—such as the United Nations, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development—promotes coherence with international standards and methods, and with statistical definitions and concepts. Statistics Canada exchanges with its peers, who are mostly part of the international statistical methods community.

Contacts are established and maintained through exchanges of technical materials, visits, and attendance at international conferences in order to leverage best practices, which are key to ensuring professional relevance of the agency's methods.