INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT
11.5 The institutional environment comprises the institutional and organisational factors which influence the effectiveness and credibility of the agency producing the statistics. It is an important consideration as the environment in which the statistics are produced may influence the validity, reliability or appropriateness of the statistics.
11.6 The ABS is Australia's official national statistical agency. Its vision is: unleashing the power of statistics for a better Australia.
11.7 The legislative framework, organisational structure, planning and quality management practices of a statistical agency all affect the ability of a statistical program to meet user needs efficiently and effectively. The ABS operates within a framework that includes the Australian Bureau of Statistics Act 1975 and the Census and Statistics Act 1905 (C&S Act).
11.8 The C&S Act provides the Australian Statistician, who heads the ABS, with the authority to conduct statistical collections and, when necessary, to direct a person to provide statistical information. The C&S Act imposes obligations on the Statistician to publish and disseminate compilations and analysis of statistical information and to maintain the confidentiality of information collected under the C&S Act (see Data confidentiality). The ABS Institutional Environment is further detailed in ABS Institutional Environment.
11.9 International merchandise trade statistics are produced using administrative by-product information from the DIBP. Exports and imports data are collected under the Customs Act 1901 (other than Part XVB and Part XVC), with exporters and importers having a legal obligation to provide documentation to the DIBP. The Australian Border Force Act 2015 allows the information to be passed to the ABS for statistical purposes.
11.10 The ABS and DIBP have been receiving customs declarations for statistical purposes for over 100 years. The relationship is governed by a Head Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two agencies, signed by the Australian Statistician and the Secretary of the DIBP. The provision of customs data from the DIBP to the ABS is documented in a Subsidiary Agreement to the Head MoU, with additional Schedules documenting the specifics. The arrangement for the supply of customs data from the DIBP to the ABS is reviewed annually at a Deputy Agency Heads meeting.
11.11 While the Agency Heads Agreement formalises the arrangements, informal contact between the agencies has existed for a much longer period. For example, staff at the ABS are in close, regular contact with the DIBP staff who have responsibility for delivering the daily data files to the ABS and maintaining the various classifications used in export and import declarations (e.g. HTISC, AHECC, country files).
11.12 Australian international merchandise trade statistics are compiled within an institutional environment which focusses on quality and emphasises objectivity and professionalism. The environment in which the DIBP operates is similarly underpinned by legislation to ensure the quality of customs declarations and the continued supply of these data to the ABS.
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