Resourcing

The resourcing dimension is composed of financial and capability components. Financial resourcing, or the dollar value assigned to various components of the statistical cycle is an area of concern for a number of stakeholders of the NASIS. However, the capability component of resourcing is also of concern for stakeholders of the system and may include six aspects, all of which have already been explored as part of earlier sections of the discussion:

· People

· Methods

· Processes

· Systems

· Standards/Frameworks

· Other resources

When this more complete picture of resourcing is considered, there are a number of opportunities for collaboration between stakeholders to utilise existing resources most effectively in meeting common information needs. In any collaboration, there may need to be compromise for each collaborator. For the NASIS, these compromises are likely to be reflected in one of the seven dimensions of data quality. For example, timeliness of release of statistics may be decreased because of the logistics of coordinating between agencies, but the accuracy, coherence and accessibility of the statistics may increase. For stakeholders of the NASIS, establishing the requirements of the information needs in regard to what is fit for purpose is important.

Innovation opportunities include the adoption of common frameworks, standards and classifications by stakeholders of the NASIS. Innovation and collaboration opportunities and the priority of these opportunities are in focus for the next phase of the NASR’s consultation for considering one of the NASR’s objectives to improve the effectiveness of the NASIS within the system’s existing resources. It is likely that these opportunities will fall into one of the following three streams for resource consideration:

· Opportunities that are relatively simple to realise, within a reasonable timeframe, with low or no financial resource required.

· Opportunities that are more complex and are likely to be realised in a medium timeframe, with financial resource already allocated or able to be reallocated.

· Opportunities that are in a conceptual phase where the organisations, timeframe and resource requirements are relatively unknown.

Addressing any resource gaps, specifically financial resource gaps, falls beyond the scope of the NASR, but does not fall beyond the role of NASIS stakeholders to progress following the NASR’s conclusion. This is because despite the NASR’s scope including non-official statistics, government cannot make resourcing decisions about statistical assets that are owned by non-government organisations.

The role of the NASR is to assist stakeholders in understanding the relative priority of these opportunities for the system’s future sustainability and effectiveness. From the next phase of NASR’s stakeholder consultation, it may arise that those opportunities described as being in a conceptual phase, are considered to be of highest priority for stakeholders of the NASIS to commit to exploring following the conclusion of the NASR.

A recommendation regarding coordination and governance of the NASIS and the roles/responsibilities of stakeholders in this system, will go some way to providing direction for stakeholders to discuss appropriate resourcing of particular agricultural information needs as they arise.