<p> FAO SUB-REGIONAL WORKSHOP ON COUNTRYSTAT AND METADATA</p><p>Manila, the Philippines, 23-27 October 2006</p><p>Session 8 - FAO Initiative on Metadata Activities: Purposes and Objectives</p><p>X. Gong Wednesday, 25 October 2006</p><p>There are three topics in this presentation: </p><p>- Objectives: WHAT do we try to get? [Som] - Purposes: WHY do we want it? [Som] - How to make it? [Gong]</p><p>1. What do we try to get?</p><p> The answer is straightforward: a compendium of metadata on national agricultural statistics in Asia and the Pacific region.</p><p> It is a compendium but NOT encyclopedia. This is why the Outline requires that: “Country Reports on Metadata” should “cover the three main areas identified above in a systematic and consistent way so that the related information on each country is sufficient, comprehensive yet not encyclopedic, and comparable at the international level.” (Outline p. 4).</p><p> The total length of a Country Report for each country is expected to be around 20 to 25 pages. (Initiative p. 4).</p><p>2. Why do we want it or why do we need such a compendium?</p><p> We want it because it does not exist yet. While there may be many volumes related to metadata in some countries, there is no such a kind of document – the compendium as mentioned above – existing in the world at the current stage.</p><p> We want it because it is very useful.</p><p> o Such a compendium will provide succinct useful and comparable information about the achievements, and current stage of development of the agricultural statistical system of a particular country. </p><p> o The rest of the world will learn the national agricultural statistics in your country from your Country Report. Consistent and consolidated information and documentation are required for users to understand the specific functions, responsibilities, output, relationship, and methodologies of organizations involved in the production of food and agriculture statistics. </p><p> o For statisticians, by documenting concepts and definitions, classifications, methodology used in data collection, and description of major quality aspects of the data, it enables effective management of resources by statisticians and </p><p>1 statistical organizations. Through highlighting strengths and weaknesses of national systems, more effective cooperation programs can be designed and implemented. As well as, national statistical offices will have an important advocacy tool at disposal.</p><p> o It will also be a valuable official reference for assessing data quality, identifying areas of further development, and planning and coordinating national and regional statistical capacity building activities.</p><p> o The process of construction of metadata is more than just an exercise of documentation; some initial country experience has shown that, using properly, it can actually serve as a means to improve the statistical system on agriculture and food in a country. During the preparation, to review, understand, and analyze all the details and aspects of the metadata is, at the same time, to review, understand, and analyze the national agricultural statistical system. </p><p> o By the same token, to exchange the metadata among countries is also a process to share and exchange the good experiences and practice with national agricultural statistical system, major agricultural domains and indicators, as well as data collection and survey and census methodology.</p><p> o Thus, the exercise of compiling a compendium itself is to promote and assist countries in the provision and dissemination to the public of comprehensive, timely, accessible, and reliable food, agriculture and related economic, social, and socio-demographic statistics.</p><p>3. How to make it?</p><p> The most common definition of metadata is the literal translation, “metadata is data on data.” Metadata is a primary tool in describing and managing information resources. For the purpose of this national agricultural statistical metadata initiative, we adopt the concept of metadata in a broad sense that metadata describe all aspects of the national agricultural statistical systems – on how, when, where, why, and by whom the data are collected, that is, data, activities, people, and organizations involved, locations of data and processes, access methods, limitations, timing and events, as well as motivation and rules, the structure and workings of an organization’s use as well as management of information.</p><p> Country Reports should provide metadata on all of these three aspects and levels:</p><p> o General descriptions of the national food and agricultural statistical system within the national statistical system;</p><p> o Detailed information on the major statistical domains and related indicators/time series (e.g. crop and livestock production, trade, price statistics, etc.);</p><p> o List of main data sources with detailed descriptions, including and starting with the most recent surveys, censuses, and administrative records.</p><p>2  Chapter structure:</p><p>T entative title: </p><p>METADATA FOR NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS IN XXX (Here: xxx is to be replaced by the name of the country)</p><p>Chapter 1: National System of Agricultural Statistics 1.1Legal framework and statistical advisory bodies 1.2Structure and organization of major agricultural statistical agencies 1.3Outputs and dissemination of agricultural statistics 1.4Dialogue with data users and co-operation with international organizations 1.5Strategic framework</p><p>Chapter 2: Major Domains and Selected Indicators of Agricultural Statistics 2.1List of major domains and selected indicators 2.2Metadata for each of the major domains 2.2.1 Domain 1: Production 2.2.1.1 Concepts, definitions, and classifications 2.2.1.2 Coverage and availability 2.2.1.3 Data source and collection methodology 2.2.1.4 Data processing, estimation, and revision methodology 2.2.1.5 Other reference information 2.2.2 Domain 2: Trade 2.2.2.1 Concepts, definitions, and classifications 2.2.2.2 Coverage and availability 2.2.2.3 Data source and collection methodology 2.2.2.4 Data processing, estimation, and revision methodology 2.2.2.5 Other reference information 2.2.3 Domain 3: Consumption 2.2.3.1 Concepts, definitions, and classifications 2.2.3.2 Coverage and availability 2.2.3.3 Data source and collection methodology 2.2.3.4 Data processing, estimation, and revision methodology 2.2.3.5 Other reference information 2.2.4 Domain 4: (etc. & etc. if necessary.)</p><p>Chapter 3: Major Data Sources for Agricultural Statistics 3.1 List of Censuses, Surveys and A.R. 3.2 Metadata for Censuses</p><p>3.2.1 Census 1 3.2.1.1 Overview 3.2.1.2 Design 3.2.1.3 Conduct, operations, and data quality control 3.2.1.4 Statistical Report (Link to domain) 3.2.2 Census 2 3.2.3 Census 3 etc. etc. 3.3 Metadata for Surveys</p><p>3.3.1 Survey 1</p><p>3 3.3.1.1 Overview 3.3.1.2 Design 3.3.1.3 Conduct operation 3.3.1.4 Statistical Report (Link to domain) 3.3.2 Survey 2 3.3.3 Survey 3 etc. etc. 3.4. Administrative records 3.4.1 A.R1 3.4.1.1 Sources / responsible agencies 3.4.1.2 Description of contained information 3.4.1.3 Data sources / units providing information for the records 3.4.2 A.R2 etc. etc.</p><p> Next Step (revision and deadline)</p><p> o When to stop? - “the fifth draft” o Deadline 1: 20 November 2006 – the 4th draft due o Deadline 2: 15 December 2006 – the 5th draft due</p><p> SELECTED REFERENCE MATERIALS</p><p>FAO (2004). Questionnaires for APCAS New Delhi, 2004, which have also been used in other continents. <http://www.fao.org/es/ESS/meetings/download/afcas2005/survey_EN.htm>;</p><p>FAO. The “Agricultural Bulletin Board on Data Collection, Dissemination and Quality of Statistics project (ABCDQ)” <http://faostat.fao.org/abcdq/about.htmx>;</p><p>FAO. “Questionnaires used for ABCDQ” (Manuscript).</p><p>FAO. “CountrySTAT Statistical Methodology Metadata Project – A Proposal on National Agricultural Statistics: Metadata on Statistical Methodology and National Statistical Organizations.” (Manuscript).</p><p>FAO. “Statistical Metadata Framework for Agricultural Censuses and Surveys.” (Manuscript).</p><p>UNSD. Country Profiles of Statistical Systems <http://unstats.un.org/unsd/nsoprofiles/default.aspx></p><p>FAO. “General Status of the Food and Agriculture Statistics” prepared by Bhutan, Cambodia, Iran, Lao PDR, Nepal, and Viet Nam <http://www.faorap-apcas.org/></p><p>Statistics Canada. "Definitions, data sources and methods: survey numbers, including related surveys" <http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/051221/d051221e.htm></p><p>IMF. “SDDS, GDDS, and DQRS” in the IMF Dissemination Standards Bulletin Board website <http://dsbb.imf.org/Applications/web/dsbbhome/>.</p><p>4 EUROSTAT, “Enlarging the EU Statistical Network.” </p><p>Previous FAO documents on the National Methods of Collecting Agricultural Statistics.</p><p>5</p>