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2. A CLEARLY ARTICULATED STRATEGY TO GUIDE FUTURE INVESTMENT

The current Australian agricultural statistical system has evolved without a strong central plan or strategy. Development has occurred in a somewhat reactive manner, as stakeholders have stepped in at different times to produce statistics in response to emerging needs and in response to dissatisfaction with the availability of official statistics. This has resulted in some duplication and inefficiency and has limited the relevance of the data produced, as reflected by the stakeholder feedback in Chapter 3 relating to deficiencies in available datasets and data gaps.

Official statistics sources have faced challenges in meeting the demands of users for an ever-widening range of statistical data, produced at greater levels of accuracy and timeliness and at finer levels of spatial or other disaggregation, within existing resources. ABS and ABARES have managed these challenges by targeting their efforts at collecting the highest priority data from a national policy perspective, with other statistical activity undertaken on a fully cost-recovered basis (in line with Commonwealth Cost Recovery Guidelines⁶⁵). NASR feedback suggests that not all stakeholders understand how these priority data needs are defined, and there are differing views on what they should be. This is one driver behind the proliferation of survey activity by other organisations, including the RDCs.

This fragmented approach to data collection is unsustainable as both government and industry are increasingly unable to meet rising demand within current resources because of the rising cost of direct collection and increasing competition for resources as the number of issues of interest increases. There is a need for an overarching plan that articulates a clear strategy for achieving a best practice agricultural statistical system that is supported by enduring, sustainable funding. Investment across the system should be guided by this plan.

The plan should outline the core data requirements of all stakeholders, and the roles of government and industry bodies in meeting these requirements. The enduring goals (Figure 1) are a step towards establishing this whole-of-system view—these received strong support among stakeholders consulted through the NASR. The formulation of a foundational dataset would require the development of quality attributes of the data required to inform the enduring goals, and clearly articulate the stakeholders responsible for resourcing, producing and maintaining these data. The foundation dataset should include those data that are most important for informing strategic decision-making by government and industry. Stakeholders were strongly supportive of identifying a foundation dataset and the quality attributes of that data, as it will underpin the relevance of the statistical data produced, will improve coherence, and encourage the use of common standards and classifications. Strategies to address obvious data gaps should be developed immediately.

Both government and industry have a role to play in contributing statistical information, and it will not be possible for official statistics agencies to meet all needs, particularly in an environment of continuing fiscal constraint. The roles of government, industry and other stakeholders in contributing to the foundation dataset should be determined with regard to their responsibilities and capabilities.

FOOTNOTES

⁶⁵ For more information, see the Australian Government Department of Finance's Cost Recovery website.