Regional Statisticians in England

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Regional Statisticians in England

• Dev Virdee
• SCORUS Europe, 15-17 October 2007

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Presentation will cover

• The Office for National Statistics our role
• ONS current threats and opportunities
• Improving regional economic statistics
• Allsopp Review recommendations
• The new regional statistical teams
• The ONS teams in the regions
• North West as an example
• Improving ONS regional data and processes
• Collaborative projects examples.

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The Office for National Statistics our role

• To improve understanding of life in the UK
  enable informed decisions through trusted,
  relevant and independent statistics analysis.
• Work with colleagues in policy departments to
  pull together data sources and statistical
  pictures of a wide range of areas, e.g. Labour
  market, Economy, Population, Health.
• Used by local and national government and others
  to guide policy and monitor impact.
• Make statistics widely accessible on paper and
  the internet to enable the public, communities,
  academia and other bodies to understand
  statistics about the UK.

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Threats and opportunities national

• Threats
• Tightening resources / efficiency targets
• Relocation programme.
• Opportunities
• Increasing demands from users
• Statistical independence from April 2008
• New Governing Board
• Revised arrangements for pre-release access
• New publication hub
• Better access to administrative data.

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Threats and opportunities regional

• Threats
• Competing demands on limited resources
• Reductions in some survey sample sizes.
• Opportunities
• Increasing demands from regional users (e.g. the
  recent Sub-National Review)
• Partnerships with key stakeholders (e.g. RDAs)
• Additional analyses of existing data
• Programme to develop the statistical
  infrastructure.

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Allsopp Review

• Review of Statistics for Economic Policymaking
  commissioned by the Chancellor, the Governor of
  Bank of England and the National Statistician
  final report March 2004.
• Total of 62 recommendations, including
• Good quality baseline GVA estimates for NUTS1
  regions
• A statistical system that is not skewed towards
  particular sectors of the economy and evolves
  alongside future change in the economy
• A coherent and efficient suite of registers,
  surveys and estimation procedures
• A significant ONS or Government Statistical
  Service presence in each English region.

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New ONS regional teams

• Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) funding 1m,
  annually, from 2007/08.
• Equates initially to 2 staff in each of the 9
  English Regions
• ONS central support and development from 1 April
  2007
• Service Level Agreement (SLA) in place between
  ONS and the RDAs covering delivery, staffing,
  governance, funding, etc.
• Evaluation during year 1 initial results
  encouraging.

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Where they are

• Some based in RDA offices
• Others in Regional Observatories
• Line management from ONS London
• Regular get-togethers and visits by line
  managers

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Regional Statisticians Central support

• Central co-ordinating role across 9 regions
• Providing a connection with other ONS business
  areas
• Providing platform for regional issues to be
  progressed within ONS and GSS
• Managing SLA (for RDA funding) and evaluation
• Identify cross regional issues eg Women in
  Enterprise, Ethnicity/Diversity, Innovation,
  Productivity,
• Coordinating activities of Regional Statisticians
• Skill sharing across team with diverse experience
• Supporting the Independence of Regional
  Statisticians

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Example of central analytical support for
regions Deprivation Ethnicity

• Data Sources
• 2001 Census - Question on Ethnicity gives
  information on Ethnic Mix of an area.
• Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD)
• Aim of Analysis
• To look at variations between regions of the
  spread of ethnic groups across the different
  levels of deprivation

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Deprivation Ethnicity Whole population
Relative Proportions compared with baseline
500.0
England
400.0
300.0
Relative Proportion (baseline 100)
200.0
100.0
0.0
Most
Least
deprived
deprived
Level of Deprivation

• England deciles (10 per cent groupings)

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Deprivation Ethnicity Indian Group

• England Tendency to live in more deprived areas

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Deprivation Ethnicity Indian Group

• Largest proportions of Indians in London.
• Contrasting with national pattern - more spread
  across deprivation scale, most living in medium
  deprivation areas.

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Deprivation Ethnicity Indian Group

• West Midlands Generally lower proportions than
  in London, although above national average
  overall.
• Highest proportions in more deprived areas.

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Deprivation Ethnicity Indian Group

• Yorkshire the Humber Below national baseline
  in all areas, with higher concentrations in more
  deprived areas.

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Deprivation Ethnicity Indian Group

• South East Below national average proportions,
  concentrated in medium deprivation areas.

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Deprivation Ethnicity Bangladeshi Group
London over 17 times England
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Deprivation Ethnicity Chinese Group
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ONS regional teams core functions (1)

• to gather intelligence to help improve the
  quality of ONS data and processes, keeping ONS
  up to date with changes in the regions
• to quality assure final estimates of regional
  GVA
• to help improve the quality of IDBR (Business
  Register) and business survey data, which will
  feed through to regional GVA
• to provide access to IDBR data for RDAs
• to act as focus to feed views through from
  regional bodies, assisting ONS in its
  decision-making

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ONS regional teams core functions (2)

• to provide a first point of ONS contact for key
  regional bodies
• to provide independent advice to regional users
  on the use of ONS/GSS statistics, including
  technical issues such as use of statistics in
  monitoring performance against targets
• to work with regional partners on collaborative
  projects
• to facilitate provision of training to regional
  partners on, for instance, economic statistics
  and
• to assess, or assist in the assessment of locally
  commissioned/locally held data.

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ONS regional teams initial priority

• Regional Economic Strategies
• Developed by Regional Development Agencies
  (RDAs) and partners
• Need to be underpinned by evidence base
• Subsequent need for monitoring and evaluation
• Regional Statisticians work alongside RDAs and
  Regional Observatories in supporting this work

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Comprehensive Spending Review 2007

• Published in October 2007
• Implications for regional and sub-regional policy
• Follows on from Sub National Review published
  earlier in 2007
• Subsequent implications for regional and local
  statistics

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CSR 2007 confirms continuation of Regional
Statisticians
Improve the economic performance of all English
regions and reduce the gap in growth rates
between regions
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ExampleThe ONS team in the North West
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The ONS North West team

• Why they are there
• How they work
• What they do
• Where to find them.

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Why they are there
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How they work with ONS

• Part of Regional Economic Analysis and Allsopp
  Division, also responsible for broader
  improvements in regional statistics.
• Close links with other regional statisticians
  especially in Northern Way (North East, North
  West Yorkshire the Humber regions).
• Other contacts in ONS and wider Government
  Statistical Service, keeping up to date with
  releases and developments.
• Access to ONS systems website (including
  Neighbourhood Statistics), plus IDBR, ABI,
  LFS/APS.

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and with regional / sub-regional partners
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and with regional / sub-regional partners
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What they do

• Support regional statistical needs, including the
  core functions. Regional context

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Sub-regional variation (1)
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Sub-regional variation (1)
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Sub-regional variation (2)
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Sub-regional variation (2)
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Sub-regional variation (2)
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Sub-regional variation (2)
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Sub-regional variation (2)
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Sub-regional variation (2)
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What they do

• Improve ONS data and processes
• Collaborative projects with regional partners

Improving the evidence base for the North West
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What they do improve ONS data/processes

• Gather intelligence on the region / sub-regions
• Quality assure estimates of regional GVA,
  business register (IDBR) and survey data
• Act as focus to feed views through from regional
  bodies
• Assist in assessment of locally held data.

Improving the evidence base for the North West
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Improving ONS data/processes example (1)

• Quality Assure estimates of regional GVA
• What
• Input to QA process run by ONS Regional Accounts
  team.
• Similar to Scotland, Wales, N Ireland in the
  past.
• How
• Bring local knowledge to bear on emerging GVA
  estimates for the NW.
• Also QA the inputs to the process ONS surveys
  of employment and earnings, and the business
  register.
• Benefits to the NW
• More reliable estimates, less prone to revision
  (c.f. RES baseline).
• Problems picked up before publication not
  afterwards (c.f. recent issue for some NUTS3
  estimates).

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Improving ONS data/processes example (2)

• Feedback on ABI employment survey
• What
• Concerns over ABI/1 data raised by some regional
  / sub-regional contacts (especially for 2005
  estimates).
• How
• Liaison with ONS ABI/1 team, including visit to
  Newport (NW taking the lead for all Regional
  Statisticians).
• Participation in LA validation exercise for 2006
  data.
• Benefits to the NW
• Greater understanding by ONS centre of regional
  concerns.
• Better appreciation by NW users of survey methods
  and limitations.

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and collaborative projects with partners

• Provide a first point of ONS contact for key
  stakeholders within regions
• Provide independent advice to regional users on
  use of ONS and GSS statistics
• Provide access to IDBR data for RDAs
• Facilitate provision of training to regional
  partners.

Improving the evidence base for the North West
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Collaborative projects example (1)

• Data for NWDA priority sectors
• What
• Access to IDBR and GVA data for bespoke RES
  sectors.
• Data for 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005.
• How
• Definition of bespoke RES sectors using 4 digit
  SIC codes.
• Data aggregation by central ONS teams in Newport.
• Benefits to the NW
• Greater understanding of the regions businesses
  and their contributions to the NW economy.
• Better informed future policies e.g. for new
  RES / Integrated Regional Strategy.

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Collaborative projects example (2)

• Respond to queries on local population estimates
• What
• Assist users understanding of new population
  estimates methodology.
• Answer ad hoc questions.
• How
• Explain the complexities associated with
  estimating population, especially migration.
• Help users to comprehend the nature of the new
  methods.
• Benefits to the NW
• More transparent, timely and extensive
  information.
• Two-way dialogue with central ONS division
  responsible for population estimates.

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Collaborative projects example (3)

• Co-ordinate response to Travel To Work Areas
  review
• What
• Co-ordinated local authorities responses to ONS
  2007 consultation on 2001-based Travel To Work
  Areas.
• How
• Used network of contacts identified by regional
  statisticians.
• Opportunity to establish dialogue with key
  regional contacts.
• Benefits to the NW
• Ability to inform national developments, helping
  to shape the new TTWA areas using local knowledge
  and expertise.
• Local feedback resulted in creation of additional
  TTWAs plus changes to TTWA names to be more
  representative of areas.

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Collaborative projects example (4)

• Training sessions on ONS surveys etc
• What and how
• Training/awareness sessions on Annual Business
  Inquiry held in Manchester and Preston.
• National/Regional Accounts training being
  organised in Leeds.
• Benefits to the NW
• Greater understanding of key ONS data sets,
  filling knowledge gaps.
• Ultimately, better informed analysis of areas in
  the NW.

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Monitoring and Evaluation

• Regional Statisticians steering group
  established, includes representatives of all
  RDAs and ONS HQ
• Quarterly evaluation through formal feedback from
  regional stakeholders
• RDAs to commission independent evaluation
• First years success/experience will determine
  future
• First quarter (April June 2007) very positive,
  second quarter feedback being collated

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• Any questions?