1. Data Availability, Accessibility and Quality
Inter-Regional Workshop on the Production of Gender Statistics NASC Complex New Delhi, India 6-10 August 2007
Data Availability, Accessibility
and Quality    By
Dr. Grace Bediako
Government Statistician
Ghana Statistical Service
Proposed title change: UNSD’s work programme for social statistics and the UN Demographic Yearbook
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2. Some key concerns with regards to gender statistics
Poor cooperation between users and producers of gender statistics
Under-utilization of existing data
Inadequate or biased concepts, definitions and measures
Data gaps on many critical areas of concern
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3. Dealing with inadequacies in data
Beijing Platform for action requires that Governments:
Ensure that producers and users of statistics in each country regularly review the adequacy of the official statistical system and its coverage of gender issues, and prepare a plan for needed improvements, where necessary. (Para. 210(b))
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4. Focus of the presentation
What are the issues with respect to:
Data availability
Accessibility of the data
Quality
How do they influence the production of gender statistics?
How can these be improved?
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5. Data availability
Questions of data availability at the fore of the production of data
Having considered problems and goals with respect to gender in society
And identified statistics and indicators required to plan, programme and monitor change
There needs to be a review of national sources to determine what data are available and what need to be collected anew.
Has direct bearing on the responsibilities of the national statistics office
Relate to whether and how data are used
How relevant the data are to a target audience
What further plans are to be made for data collection
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6. Major steps in the gender statistics production process
Defining data requirements
Statistics required from various fields
Defining issues
Relevant statistics/indicators
Problems and questions on gender issues in society
Dissemination
Assembling data
Statistics to be analysed
Available statistics
Data gaps
Analysis
Required improvements in the situation of women and men
Determine data sources
Presentation
Review quality
Other sources
Dissemination
Goals for equal opportunity
Assess adequacy of concepts, methods, classifications, etc.
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Collect new data

7. Promoting the utilization of available data
Identify available data
Review sources of data
Generate
statistics
to be analysed
Assess quality of data
relative to need
Identify new
data needs
Need for improvements in content, concepts,
measurement, classifications
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8. Required statistics reflect the several dimensions
Subject matter (topics)
Unit of analysis (individual, household, institution, enterprise, etc.)
Reference period
Classified by other characteristics
Geographical coverage
Periodicity
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9. Sources of available statistics
National censuses of population, housing, industry, agriculture, distributive trade, etc.
Sample surveys of households, economic units
Registration and administrative records
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10. Considerations in reviewing existing sources of data
How closely the original purpose for the data matches the present needs
If data were collected without regard for gender, it would be necessary to consider that there is:
Sex dissagregation
Topics of interest are covered at the broad level, as well as at a level of detailed relating to specific gender issues
Concepts and definitions are relevant
Dissaggregations with respect to age, socio-economic characteristics, geographic locations, etc.
Time reference
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11. Accessibility: Data may be characterized by the following:
Required data were collected:
Tabulated and published in at least one form (including yearbooks, booklets, diskettes and compact discs)
Tabulated but not published (such data can only be obtained from the responsible office by request)
May not have been tabulated (data are available in the form of individual records on computer media, such as magnetic tapes, compact discs, or computer diskettes) and can only be obtained by submitting a specific request to the responsible office
Data are collected but not processed (i.e., although the relevant questions were asked in surveys/censuses, responses are not coded or extracted from the questionnaires)
Data are not collected at all or are not collected by sex
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12. Quality considerations further limit use of available data
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13. Components in data quality assessments
Validity
Reliability
Relevance to policy
Potential for disaggregation
Currency
Punctuality
Coherence across different sources
Clarity and transparency (regarding limitations)
Accessibility and affordability
Comparability (conformity to international standards)
Consistency over time and space
Efficiency in the use of resources.
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14. The combination of these components use to determine the quality of any particular set of data may vary from one purpose to another. Data that are acceptable for one purpose might be inadequate for next.
Since use of data for gender-specific analysis differs from other purposes, the process of determining `fitness for purpose' requires wide consultation.
The trade-offs to balance the different components of quality cannot satisfy all users simultaneously, but the needs of users may be addressed through flexible presentations of the data.
Denise Lievesley
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, Paris
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15. Basic considerations in data quality for gender statistics
Relevance of concepts
Comparability of data over time
Consistency and comparability among sources
Applicability of the classifications and disaggregations
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16. Quality concerns with respect to data available on gender issues
Is the concept/definition used in data collection consistent with the definition required for the gender issue?
Do the definitions change from one source to another or between periods?
Is the classification for the gender issues appropriate?
Have changes occurred in measurements over time or between sources?
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17. General quality issues
Introduction of errors at various stages of data collection stemming from practices
Problems with concepts and definitions
Problems with measurements
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18. Errors may occur at different stages in the data collection process
Planning and designing the survey
Advertising the survey
Defining the coverage and target
Defining the sampling frame and design
Formulating concepts and definitions
Designing the questionnaire
Defining the reference period
Selecting and training the enumerators
Selecting the respondents
Final checking and coding of the results
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19. Difficulties with concepts and definition
Family/household
Household headship
Marital status
Economic activities
Population economically active
Status in employment
Unemployment
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20. Measurement problems for still many topic/variables
Household composition
Infant mortality
Maternal mortality
Access to safe water
Internal and international migration
Economic and non-economic activities
School enrolment
Time-use
Agricultural labour
Access to resources
Access to credit
Individual & household income
Violence
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21. Thank You
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