Dissemination

Importance of energy statistics dissemination

The first of the United Nations Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics states, inter alia, that “official statistics that meet the test of practical utility are to be compiled and made available on an impartial basis by official statistical agencies to honour citizens’ entitlement to public information.” Dissemination is the activity that fulfils this responsibility — it refers to the provision to the public of statistical outputs containing data and related metadata. Energy data are usually disseminated by the agencies responsible for energy statistics in the form of statistical tables or by providing access to relevant databases; country practices differ significantly in effectiveness, and further improvements are necessary [IRES, Ch. X, para. 10.1, PDF p. 142, 2018]. See Official Statistics for the full Box 1.1 statement of the Fundamental Principles.

Dissemination policy

Recommendation (tracker row X/10.2): a country’s dissemination policy should cover (a) the scope of data for public dissemination, (b) reference period and data dissemination timetable, (c) data revision policy, (d) dissemination formats, and (e) dissemination of metadata and data quality reports. The policy should be user-oriented, reaching and serving all user groups — central government, public organizations and territorial authorities, research institutions and universities, the private sector, media, the general public, and international users — and provide quality information. While each user group has different needs and preferred data formats, the goal should be to reach all kinds of users rather than target specific audiences; both publications and websites should therefore be designed as clearly as possible for the general public as well as for researchers and the media [IRES, Ch. X, para. 10.2, PDF p. 142, 2018].

Users and their needs

Recommendation (tracker row X/10.3): with the rapid development of communication technologies, information has become a strategic resource for public and private sectors, and improving the dissemination and accessibility of energy statistics is critical to user satisfaction. Effective data dissemination is not possible without a good understanding of user needs, since this predetermines what data should be disseminated and in which formats. Countries are encouraged to work closely with the user community through vigorous outreach campaigns — building stable, productive relationships with users and key stakeholders (e.g., inviting interested users to become standing customers, actively helping users find the statistical information they need, and assisting them in understanding the role of energy statistics in sound decision-making). Understanding user needs and data requirements also helps maintain the relevance of the statistics produced [IRES, Ch. X, para. 10.3, PDF p. 142, 2018].

User-satisfaction surveys

Recommendation (tracker row X/10.4): user-satisfaction surveys are an important tool for detecting user needs and profiles, and user feedback should be integrated into the planning process of official energy statistics to improve its effectiveness. It is recommended that countries conduct such surveys with a periodicity established by the responsible national agency [IRES, Ch. X, para. 10.4, PDF p. 142, 2018].

Reference period and dissemination timetable

Reference period

Recommendation (tracker row X/10.16): countries should make energy data available on a calendar-period basis compatible with the practice adopted by the statistical authority in other areas of statistics, preferably according to the Gregorian calendar and consistent with the recommendations set out in IRES. For international comparability, countries that use a fiscal year should undertake efforts to report annual data according to the Gregorian calendar as well [IRES, Ch. X, para. 10.16, PDF p. 145, 2018].

Data dissemination timetable

In producing statistical information there is usually a trade-off between the timeliness with which information is prepared and the accuracy and level of detail of the published data — see the accuracy–timeliness trade-off discussed on Data Quality. A crucial factor in maintaining good relations between producers of energy statistics and the user community is developing and adhering to an appropriate release schedule. Recommendation (tracker row X/10.17): countries should announce in advance the precise dates on which various series of energy statistics will be released; this advance release schedule should be posted at the beginning of each year on the website of the national agency responsible for disseminating official energy statistics [IRES, Ch. X, para. 10.17, PDF p. 145, 2018].

The most important elements to take into account when determining the compilation and release schedule of energy statistics are: (a) the timing of collection of initial data by various source agencies; (b) the extent to which data derived from the major data sources are subject to revisions; (c) the timing of preparation of important national economic policy documents that need energy statistics as inputs; and (d) the mode(s) of data dissemination (press release, online access, or hard copy) [IRES, Ch. X, para. 10.18, PDF p. 145, 2018].

Timeliness windows

Timeliness is the amount of time between the end of the reference period to which data pertain and the date on which the data are released (see also the timeliness/punctuality quality dimension on Data Quality). It varies greatly across countries, reflecting different perspectives on timeliness, reliability, accuracy and the trade-offs among them, as well as differences in resources and in the efficiency of the statistical production process. From the user’s perspective, the value of energy data increases significantly the sooner it is released, and countries should undertake systematic efforts to comply with this demand. Recommendation (tracker row X/10.19): taking into account both policy needs and prevailing compilation practices, countries are encouraged to:

(a) Release monthly data (e.g., totals of energy production, stocks and stock changes) within two calendar months after the end of the reference month, at least at the most aggregated level;

(b) Release quarterly data within three calendar months after the end of the reference quarter; and

(c) Release annual data within fifteen calendar months after the end of the reference year

[IRES, Ch. X, para. 10.19, PDF pp. 145–146, 2018].

Early and provisional release

Recommendation (tracker row X/10.20): the early release of provisional estimates is encouraged — within one calendar month for monthly data on specific flows and products, and within nine to twelve calendar months for annual data — provided countries are capable of doing this [IRES, Ch. X, para. 10.20, PDF p. 146, 2018].

Independent fourth-quarter/twelfth-month compilation

If countries use additional information for compiling annual energy statistics, the data for the fourth quarter (or the twelfth calendar month) should be compiled and disseminated in their own right, and not derived as the difference between annual totals and the sum for the first three quarters (or eleven calendar months), so as to provide undistorted data for all months and quarters [IRES, Ch. X, para. 10.21, PDF p. 146, 2018].

Dissemination formats

Recommendation (tracker row X/10.26): a key to the usefulness of energy statistics is the availability of data and hence their broad dissemination. Data can be disseminated both electronically and in paper publications; it is recommended that energy statistics be made available electronically, but countries are encouraged to choose the dissemination format that best suits their users’ needs — for example, press releases must be disseminated in ways that facilitate re-dissemination by mass media, while more comprehensive or detailed statistics need electronic and/or paper formats. Regular data dissemination should satisfy most, if not all, user needs, with customized data sets provided only in exceptional cases; countries should ensure users are clearly made aware of the procedures and options for obtaining the required data [IRES, Ch. X, para. 10.26, PDF p. 147, 2018].

Dissemination of metadata

Recommendation (tracker row X/10.27): the provision of adequate metadata and quality assessments of energy statistics is as important to users as the provision of data itself — see Metadata and Quality Measurement and Reporting for the underlying Chapter IX framework. Countries are encouraged to harmonize their data with international standards, follow the Chapter IX recommendations on data quality assurance and metadata, and develop and disseminate metadata accordingly; countries might wish to consider developing different levels of metadata detail to facilitate access and use [IRES, Ch. X, para. 10.27, PDF p. 147, 2018].

Related

• Official Statistics — the Fundamental Principle that dissemination fulfils, and the broader official-statistics framing
• Data Quality — the timeliness/punctuality dimension and the accuracy–timeliness trade-off underlying the release schedule
• Metadata and Quality Measurement and Reporting — the metadata and quality-report content that dissemination policy must cover
• Statistical Confidentiality — the scope-of-data question (Section B) that a dissemination policy must resolve before release
• Data Revision — the revision policy that dissemination policy must also cover
• Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange — the recommended format for international data/metadata exchange (Section F)
• IRES Chapter X — Dissemination — the Chapter X digest this page supports