CountryData Development

1
CountryData Development Improving the collation,
availability and dissemination of development
indicators (including the MDGs) Nairobi, 27
November 2013
2
National Systems
3
National Database

• Implemented in all project countries
• Store and expose national development indicators
• Provide a searchable Web interface over the data
• Most project countries use the DevInfo software
  as the platform
• Thailand and Morocco use native systems
  (StatXChange and BDS)

4
SDMX Registry

• Facilitates pull model for efficient data
  dissemination
• Sends update notifications to subscribers
• Enables automated data and metadata transfers
• Implemented in 10 project countries
• Most project countries use DevInfo 7 Registry
• Thailand uses Metadata Technologys Fusion
  Registry

5
DevInfo 7

• Released by DevInfo Support Group in November
  2012.
• Much improved over di 6 better user interface,
  visualizations, search
• A number of tools developed for the project
  facilitate SDMX exchange
• SDMX Registry
• MDG DSD Mapping Tool

6
DevInfo 7 Recent Developments

• A number of improvements recently implemented for
  the project by DSG
• Advanced mappings (many-to-one and one-to-many)
• Advanced publication filters
• Simplified and improved menu structure
• Improved SDMX functionality

7
Thailand StatXChange to CountryData

• StatXChange is an advanced data sharing system
  developed by the Thailand NSO
• Relies on Web services that supply data in an XML
  format (StatXML)
• Application was developed with UNSD assistance
  that converts StatXML to MDG SDMX.

8
Thailand SDMX Registry

• Once converted, SDMX data is placed on a Web
  server and registered with Fusion Registry,
  installed with UNSD assistance.
• Fusion Registry is an advanced implementation of
  the SDMX Registry specification, developed by
  Metadata Technology.

9
Morocco SDMX Export

• Morocco uses its own indicator database, BDS,
  developed in-house.
• Morocco NSO built SDMX export module, which
  produced SDMX data that has been published at
  CountryData.
• Fusion Registry to be installed in December 2013
  to complete the data exchange system.

10
CountryData
11
CountryData Platform

• Developed by UNSD for the project
• Automatically receives development data
  indicators from project countries
• Enables comparisons between national data and
  those obtained from international agencies
• Provides re-dissemination and data visualization
• Part of, and linked to, UNdata

12
CountryData SDMX Data Exchange
National Statistical Office
National Repository DB
CountryData Web Site
1. Publish
6. Publish and Visualize
SDMX Dissemination Site
CountryData DB
International MDG DB
2. Register
5. Upload
4. Download
3. Notify
CountryData Web Service
13
Discrepancy Analysis

• Once in the CountryData database, national
  development indicators are matched with
  international MDG series.
• Any discrepancies are investigated and reported
  on the Web site.
• Metadata crucial in explaining discrepancies.

14
Visualization and Re-dissemination

• National and international development indicators
  are presented at CountryData in charts as well as
  a tabular format.
• Data transferred to CountryData can be downloaded
  in a variety of formats including CSV, Excel, and
  SDMX.

15
Application Programming Interface

• API was developed for CountryData and some other
  UNdata datasets in 2012
• Based Eurostats SDMX Reference Infrastructure
  software
• Uses SDMX to query for structures and data, and
  to receive results
• Support for SDMX 2.1, as well as REST Web
  service, to be introduced soon

16
API How It Works
www.mydataportal.com
1. Request chart on a Web page
6. Create and return chart
2. Call SDMX Web Service
5. Return SDMX data
3. Query database
4. Retrieve data
17
Plans for the Future
18
Further DevInfo Development

• Work is underway on new di features
• Installer for the di 7 software
• Further improvements to SDMX publishing

19
Expansion of Data Exchange

• Mexico has supplied MDG indicators in the SDMX
  format, which has been published at CountryData.
• Other countries have expressed interest in
  joining data exchange.

20
Migration of Legacy Data

• Plans are in place to migrate the MDG Labs
  database into CountryData
• MDG Labs was developed for the pilot phase of the
  UNSD-DfID project.
• Shows discrepancy analysis for several dozen
  countries.
• Does not support SDMX or data exchange. After
  migration, all its data will be downloadable as
  SDMX.

21
CountryData Development

• New home page to accommodate non-project
  countries
• New visualizations as part of UNdata redesign

22
DSD Development

• MDG DSD constantly updated, primarily with
  geographical information.
• CountryData DSD v 0.9 in sync with latest MDG DSD
• CountryData DSD to be updated with new indicators
  requested by countries.
• Both DSDs to be updated for improved maintenance
  and compatibility with SDMX Reference
  Infrastructure.

23
Links

• MDG Labs (current version)
• http//unstats.un.org/unsd/mdglabs
• UNdata Web Service
• http//data.un.org/WS
• UNdata SDMX Browser
• http//data.un.org/SdmxBrowser