[okfn-za] Open Data Evaluation of Government Departments

Fri Sep 12 08:24:26 UTC 2014

DHET is deader! :)

You are right that the StatsSA framework is weak ito interoperability. But not that the framework applies to them only. If any gov dept. wants their data to be considered as national statistics, they must comply with the SASQF. DHET has already gone through a mini audit process with StatSA and DHET certainly expressed a desire for their HEMIS data to qualify as national statistics. And I think that SASQF sets out many useful parameters wrt (open) data supply: relevance, accuracy, accessibility, coherence, interpretability, etc. The fact that organisations like the OECD don't have stats on SA's tertiary education gross enrolment ratio, for example, is ridiculous given that all the data is sitting in HEMIS -- but they can't access it. 

For interest from SASQF:

[T]he current state of national statistics is still characterised by:

•	an information gap in terms of relevant statistics to meet the needs of users;
•	a quality gap in terms of common standards, including concepts, definitions, classifications, methodologies and sampling frames; and
•	a capacity gap in terms of both human resources and infrastructure.

Stats SA has used its statutory mandate for statistical leadership to develop various strategies aimed at closing these gaps. One of the most important of these involves implementation of a National Statistics System (NSS) to align the use and production of statistics, particularly those collected within the various institutions and organisations of national, provincial and local government, and other organs of state. Statistics are also produced by other institutions and organisations, in the private sector, research bodies and non- governmental organisations. Where these statistics are in the public domain, and where they might have an influence on the development of government policy, or on the measurement and monitoring of government programmes; they too can be evaluated within the framework of the NSS using the South African Statistical Quality Framework (SASQAF).

Alignment and evaluation of statistics requires a rational, transparent and sustainable framework for assessing the quality of those statistics. SASQAF has been developed for this purpose: it provides the framework and criteria used for evaluating and certifying statistics produced by government departments and other organs of state and, in some circumstances, by non- governmental institutions and organisations.

-----Original Message-----
From: Karl Fischer [mailto:kmf at fischer.org.za] 
Sent: 12 September 2014 10:01 AM
To: Francois van Schalkwyk
Cc: okfn-za at lists.okfn.org
Subject: Re: [okfn-za] Open Data Evaluation of Government Departments

On Fri, Sep 12, 2014 at 9:47 AM, Francois van Schalkwyk <francois at compressdsl.com> wrote:
>
> Hi Karl
>
>
>
> When I interviewed DHET they had never heard of the MIOS. They kept referring to StatSA’s SASQAF as their “gold standard”.
>
> Also, the latest of version (Revision 5.0 of Nov 2011) of the MIOS that I could track down (with much effort) was yet to be signed by the relevant minister.
>
>
>
> DHET and DST are starting to talk to one another so there might be some interesting developments in the near future.
>
>
>

MIOS 4 is in play and approved :)
Page 2 of the Doc cleary says what is supposed to happen.

StatsSA must adhere to gov policy, their standard is for them and not interoperability between citizens and other gov departments.

DST is dead in the water.

-------------------
Karl Fischer
https://google.com/+KarlFischer

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