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Raising the Capability of Producers and Users of Official Statistics

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Topics from Australian Conferences on Teaching Statistics

Part of the book series: Springer Proceedings in Mathematics & Statistics ((PROMS,volume 81))

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Abstract

In both Australia and New Zealand, the National Statistics Offices have developed strong partnerships with academics to raise statistical capability. Both offices recognise the importance of good methodology to underpin official statistics. However, the main target group for Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) has been external users of official statistics, but that for the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has been its own statistical methodologists (producers) and advancing research. This chapter outlines sets of initiatives from both agencies. SNZ has actively focussed on raising the statistical capability of key groups of users, including schools, small businesses, government, the media and Maori. It has established a network of academics in official statistics whose members are involved in the design, implementation, delivery and assessment of courses for qualification as well as presenting short (1- or 2-day) courses. The ABS places strong emphasis on the recruitment, training and grooming of young methodologists to become leaders in their chosen field of research, and their focus is on collaboration with the university sector and academics to help with this and to foster ABS research. Other initiatives undertaken in both organisations are also briefly mentioned, including the Census AtSchool project.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Statistics New Zealand and Victoria University of Wellington, Featherston, New Zealand

    S. D. Forbes

  2. University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

    J. A. Harraway

  3. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Belconnen, ACT, Australia

    James O. Chipperfield & Siu-Ming Tam

Authors
  1. S. D. Forbes
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  2. J. A. Harraway
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  3. James O. Chipperfield
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  4. Siu-Ming Tam
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. D. Forbes .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia

    Helen MacGillivray

  2. Faculty of Life and Social Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia

    Brian Phillips

  3. Actuarial Studies and Applied Statistics, Australian National University, Research, Canberra, Aust Capital Terr, Australia

    Michael A. Martin

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Forbes, S.D., Harraway, J.A., Chipperfield, J.O., Tam, SM. (2014). Raising the Capability of Producers and Users of Official Statistics. In: MacGillivray, H., Phillips, B., Martin, M. (eds) Topics from Australian Conferences on Teaching Statistics. Springer Proceedings in Mathematics & Statistics, vol 81. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0603-1_14

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