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STATE AND TERRITORY STATISTICAL SERVICES

OBJECTIVES

The ABS contributes to the development of well-informed policy and decision making in the states and territories through statistical leadership, representation and promotion. This role is set out in ABS legislation and is supported by formal agreements with state and territory governments. The State and Territory Statistical Services (STSS) Program supports the ABS objective of an expanded and improved National Statistical Service (NSS) within each state and territory through collaboration on statistical priorities and emerging issues.

The role of the STSS is to work with the state and territory governments and communities, and to support other areas of the ABS who are engaging with these stakeholders, to:

• progress the National Statistical Service
• advocate for state and territory statistical priorities
• develop statistical capability and infrastructure
• improve the quality, visibility, utility and use of administrative data
• coordinate jurisdictional activities for ABS programs, such as Demography, Census and community engagement.

• advancement of National Statistical Service objectives in each state and territory
• to progress key statistical initiatives in collaboration with state and territory governments, based on priorities determined by the State Statistical Forum
• provision of advice and intelligence to ABS national programs on relevant state and territory statistical priorities and emerging issues including where states and territories are key data providers
• collaboration on statistical projects designed to meet high priority needs of individual state and territory governments
• intelligence about emerging state and territory demographic issues
• promotion of the importance of the Census, and input into planning for operations of the Census in intercensal years
• coordination of the Indigenous Community Engagement Strategy leading to improved statistical literacy and statistical outcomes
• support for external statistical governance and data development forums.

• progress the statistical priorities endorsed by the State Statistical Forum in collaboration with state and territory governments - ongoing
• work with state and territory data custodians and users to determine quality measures for the underlying datasets which have been identified in the Essential Statistical Assets for Australia initiative - due 2013-14
• develop statistical infrastructure and the capability of state and territory governments - ongoing
• support the widest possible use by governments and the community of 2011 Census data and assist in ABS preparation for the upcoming 2016 Census - ongoing until 2016.