| Description | Scottish Executive Statistics Plan Overview and Annual Report 2004-05 |
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| ISBN | (Web Only) |
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| Official Print Publication Date | |
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| Website Publication Date | April 22, 2005 |
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ANNUAL REPORT ON PAST PERFORMANCE
77. The key elements of past performance which we report
on here are
- Achievement of 2003/04 plans
- Compliance with the National Statistics Code of
Practice
- Feedback and complaints
Achievement of 2003/04 plans
78. Detailed information on progress in topic areas is
contained in the topic plans referred to in Appendix A.
Progress against general plans was as follows:
| Action | Progress in 2003/04 |
|---|
| Development of the Scottish Executive
Statistics web site to give users easier access
to the range of statistical information | New site was launched in summer 2004, a few
months late. We planned to further develop
the web site to significantly improve the
functionality and information accessing
capabilities of the site by end March 2004.
This work was postponed but will be
re-considered in the next few months. |
| National Statistics Code of Practice | The remaining Protocols were finalised at UK
level. The timetable for adoption and
implementation in devolved administrations has
slipped and is now scheduled for February
2005. Monitoring of implementation of the
principles of the Code and the agreed Protocol
on release practices has taken place as planned
and is covered in para. 80 and Appendix B of
this report. |
| Development of a more strategic approach to
population and household surveys in
Scotland | The Scottish Population Survey
Co-ordinating Committee has met on a number of
occasions and agreed a strategy last year. |
| Developments in computer systems | We have reviewed software
requirements. |
| Development of the Statistician Group
Intranet site to help improve communications
between members of the Statistics group | The Statistics Group Intranet site was
reviewed as planned by and re-launched in
October 2003 ahead of schedule. |
| Internal training and development | Improving diversity. We increased efforts to
recruit from under-represented groups. As yet
this has not had an impact, though our gender
balance is already good. Detailed consideration has been given to a
range of action aimed at improving the position
of administrative staff in statistics units.
This is still being finalised. A development
programme for experienced staff to help develop
the skills they need to meet changing
requirements was deferred to the current year
due to broader developments within the
Executive. |
| Working with users and providers through
SCOTSTAT | The ScotStat Board continued to meet twice a
year and worked on the priority areas
identified in 2002/3. New Committees were set up on Labour Market
and Agriculture Statistics. Other gaps are
being addressed. A review of the ScotStat web-site was
carried out and action is under way. The
Board has looked in some detail at the work of
each Committee. |
| Working with the UK Government and other
devolved administrations | We continued to contribute to National
Statistics planning at the UK level and update
our overall strategy. A new liaison meeting
with ONS was set up and 4 Nations arrangements
on the new population systems and population
Census were established. |
Contribute to the development and
co-ordination of analytical services in the
Executive | The new internet site has created more links
between the outputs of the Analytical Services
in the Executive. Development of more
strategic approach to planning and provision of
joined up analytical services continued.
Specific areas of liaison included demography,
the Spending Review and monitoring of the
Partnership Agreement |
Compliance with the National Statistics Code of
Practice
79. Details of breaches and exceptions to the Code of
Practice are now provided to the independent Statistics
Commission via the National Statistician as soon as
possible after they occur.
80. A number of breaches and exceptions occurred in the
last year. These have been the subject of correspondence
with the Commission and have been noted in the Commission's
annual report. Further information is given in Appendix
B.
Feedback and complaints
81. No formal complaints were received. As always users
and providers continue to comment, sometimes critically, on
aspects of what we are doing or not doing. We welcome such
feedback.
82. Examples of positive feedback include:
- There was a lot of positive reaction to the
revision to
GDP estimates,
although this was a major disruption to the
series.
- The new statistics website, whilst still
work-in-progress, was well received and the Statistics
Topic Page remains amongst the most visited in the
Scottish Executive website.