PHASE 3 - ESSENTIAL STATISTICAL INFRASTRUCTURE (ESI)
The purpose of Phase 3 is to identify the Essential Statistical Infrastructure owned, developed and used by governments to produce, disseminate and access essential statistical assets. The scope of ESI focuses on statistical infrastructure used by government departments and agencies.
ESI represents a critical component of Australia’s statistical system, and a potential area for government investment in order to improve the overall quality of the statistics produced within it. In including this phase as part of the overall initiative, the significant investment required to maintain these infrastructure assets, which is often unrecognised and/or undervalued, is also able to be highlighted for decision makers. Advances in technology provide opportunities to reinvest in infrastructure to improve the productivity, cost, timeliness and access to statistical services.
The objectives sought from this phase include:
- Identification of those public infrastructure assets that are essential for supporting Australia’s statistical system, and an assessment of their fitness for purpose (including current gaps),
- A continued focus on whole of government approaches to official standards and classifications which would optimise the statistical coordination of the essential statistical evidence base utilising common statistical infrastructure, enhancing productivity across the public sector, and
- A broader understanding and recognition that investment in statistical information extends beyond those activities directly related to the production and use of data, and the need for ongoing ESI investment.
In order to achieve these objectives, consultation with external stakeholders has commenced to identify a draft list and ensure agreed understanding of concepts. A process to assess their fitness for purpose will be undertaken to support the objectives for optimising the use of these assets in the statistical system.
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