The General Data Dissemination System

(GDDS) as a Framework for Improving

Data Quality and Dissemination

IMF’s Statistics Department

Ms. Wipada Soonthornsima
Beijing, China
May 2004

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The plan of presentation
Origin of Data Standards
An Overview of the GDDS
GDDS: a framework for development of the
statistical system
What are the essences of GDDS?
What roles can GDDS play?
Key Features
The SDDS and GDDS
Related initiatives

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Origin: Where Did It Come From?
Stimulus : 1994-95 international financial crisis: The
crisis led to increased recognition that timely, reliable,
comprehensive, and accessible data...

Facilitate formulation and implementation of sound

macroeconomic policies and investment decisions
and, as a result.
Reduce turbulence in financial markets.

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Origin: Where Did It Come From?

More broadly, globalization brought challenges for

data producers and users:

Statistical interdependence-- countries have an interest

in one another’s statistical systems

Data users’ needs change more frequently and less

predictably

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Origin: Where Did It Come From?
Response: IMF’s Data Standards Initiative –Two tiers:

The Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS)–

launched in 1996 to guide IMF members that have, or might
seek, access to international capital markets in the provision of
their economic and financial data to the public.

The General Data Dissemination System (GDDS) – launched

in 1997 as a development tool to enhance the availability of
timely and comprehensive economic, financial and socio-
demographic data in all IMF member countries.

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Overview: What is the GDDS?
Provides a framework for participating countries to
improve their statistical systems—quality and data
dissemination practices

Fosters:
The application of sound methodology and good
compilation
The adoption of good dissemination practices
The observance of procedures ensuring professionalism

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GDDS Framework
GDDS provides for development of the statistical system
in a structured way. The system...
(a) Sets out objectives to promote orderly development of the
statistical system
(b) Provides tools to diagnose areas of the statistical system
that require priority attention
(c) Establishes processes to aid in the formulation and
implementation of development plans, permitting
dynamic adaptation to changing circumstances

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The essences of the GDDS
Improving statistical quality
Inter-agency coordination
Participant’s ownership
• Recognizes that countries differ in their stages of statistical
development and capacity to improve statistical system.
• Calls for national authorities to set their own priorities and timing to
achieve the objectives over time.
Attention to data users
Improvement of data dissemination
Transparency

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What roles can the GDDS play?
Facilitate the development of national statistical
systems by helping to...

Provide focus on objectives across agencies

Assess data quality and dissemination practices
as a basis for...
• Plans for improvement systematically—priority and
timeframe
• Make explicit prerequisites to improve the statistical
system
• Facilitate the evaluation of progress under plans for
improvement

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What roles can GDDS play?
Provide a framework for harnessing resources
Seek explicitly external assistance for both TA and
related resources
Provide a framework for channeling TA resources in
an optimal fashion especially as complementary to
national initiatives
Promote closer contact among officials in
participating countries—within and across countries

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What roles can GDDS play?
Promote transparency: GDDS metadata on the IMF
Dissemination Standards Bulletin Board (DSBB) at
www.dsbb.imf.org describe statistical practices and
development plans
• Provides valuable information to data users
• Helps channel TA resources

GDDS now gives explicit recognition to

Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Indicators (
http://dsbb.imf.org/vgn/images/pdfs/gdds_oct_2003.pdf)

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Key Features
The GDDS sets out objectives for data
production and dissemination grouped into 4
“dimensions”:

Data: coverage, periodicity, and timeliness

Quality
Integrity
Access by the public
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Data Dimension
The data dimension is defined in terms of three
elements:

Coverage: data to be produced and disseminated,

grouped into –

• Economic and financial data: Real, Fiscal, Financial,

External sectors

• Socio-demographic data: Population, Health, Education,

Poverty

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Data Dimension
In each of the four sectors, the GDDS identifies economic
and financial data that are considered most important in
evaluating performance and policy across the economy:
A comprehensive framework, in part A
Real: national accounts
Fiscal: government operations
Financial: depository corporations survey
External: balance of payments
Data categories and indicators, in part B
Where frameworks and categories/indicators that are
identified as “core” are usually highest priority.
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Data Dimension
For socio-demographic data, the GDDS
Recognizes that it is necessary to complement
economic and financial data with socio-demographic
data.
Notes that an internationally agreed-upon framework
does not exist and so provides guidance on basic
components for population, health, education, and
poverty.

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Data Dimension
Periodicity: Frequency of dissemination

Timeliness: Lapse of time between the end of

the reference period and the dissemination of the
data

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Quality Dimension
A basic objective of the GDDS is to work towards
the improvement of data quality

Metadata provide information helpful for data users

to assess quality, namely:
Publicly available statements of methodologies
Reference to published details, cross-checks with other
data sets

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Access and Integrity Dimensions
A statistical system engages in data production and
dissemination.

The data and quality dimensions primarily address data

production.

The access and integrity dimensions are more directly

concerned with data dissemination.

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Access and Integrity Dimensions
Dissemination is given a wide interpretation: all the
means by which data are made available to the public
by the national authorities, including
Formal hardcopy publications
Electronic media
Data provided on request
Access and integrity dimensions relate to agencies
that disseminate data covered by the GDDS.

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Integrity Dimension
Objective:
… official statistics must have the confidence of their
users. In turn, confidence in the statistics ultimately
becomes a matter of confidence in the objectivity and
professionalism of the agency…

Transparency of the agency’s practices and

procedures is a key factor in creating
this confidence.

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Integrity Dimension
The GDDS identifies 4 practices that represent
transparency:
Dissemination of the terms and conditions (laws etc.)
under which official statistics are produced.
Identification of internal government access before
release.
Identification of ministerial commentary accompanying
the data releases.
Provision of information about revisions and advance
notice of major changes in methodology.

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Access Dimension
Objective:
Dissemination of official statistics is an essential feature
of statistics as a public good. Ready and equal access are
principal requirements for the public.

The GDDS identifies 2 practices that promote ready

and equal access to the data:
Advance dissemination of release calendars
Simultaneous release of data to all interested parties

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Access Dimension
Release calendars are schedules showing
when data are to be made available to the
public.

These calendars play several roles:

• They highlight sound management and transparency

of statistical compilation.
• They provide information that data users need to
schedule their own work.

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Graduation from GDDS to SDDS

Countries that participate in the GDDS may see it as a

bridge to subscription to the more demanding Special
Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS)

To date, four countries Armenia, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan,

and Kyrgyz Republic have used the GDDS framework
to strengthen their system to meet SDDS requirements

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Comparison of the SDDS and GDDS

SDDS GDDS
Both the SDDS and GDDS aim to guide countries in providing the public
with comprehensive, timely, accessible, and reliable data.

Subscription focused on Participation for all

international capital member countries
market participants
The dimensions The dimensions
• Data • Data
• • Access by the public
Access by the public
• Integrity
• Integrity
• Quality
• Quality
 SDDS
A standard
Precise, specific requirements for
coverage, periodicity, and timeliness of
data
Primary focus: dissemination of
frequent and timely data (subscribers
generally already meet high data
quality standards)
Subscribers must meet all requirements
immediately (exceptional transition
periods)
Covers Macroeconomic data
GDDS
A system
Less prescriptive emphasis on
improvement over time
Primary focus: improvement in data
quality by providing a process for
evaluating needs for data improvements
and setting priorities
No set future date by which
improvements in present practices must
be completed.
Covers macroeconomic and
socio-demographic data
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GDDS and Related initiatives
Data ROSC – DQAF

Terms:

Data ROSC—Data Module for Report on the

Observance of Standards and Codes

DQAF —Data Quality Assessment Framework

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GDDS and Related initiatives
SDDS and to a lesser degree GDDS left users
on their own to make judgments about quality

The DQAF of “quality”...

Came after SDDS/GDDS
Was brought into line with the emerging consensus
that quality is a multidimensional concept.

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GDDS and Related initiatives
DQAF: a broad view of quality. Five dimensions of
quality
1. Assurances of integrity—Adherence to the principle
of objectivity in the collection, compilation, and
dissemination of statistics.
2. Methodological soundness—Adherence to international
standards, guidelines, and agreed practices.
3. Accuracy and reliability—Soundness of compilation
techniques, and extent to which disseminated data
sufficiently portray reality.

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GDDS and Related initiatives
Serviceability—Data relevance, consistency, timeliness,
and predictability of the revisions policy.
Accessibility—Ready availability of clear data and
methodological notes (metadata), and adequacy of
assistance to users.

Prerequisites of quality—Adequacy of legal and institutional

basis for collecting and disseminating data, as well as of
the resources devoted to these activities, and degree of
transparency of the process.

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GDDS and Related initiatives

Summary: The Data ROSC--DQAF

complements the GDDS

All of the elements of the SDDS/GDDS are also found

within the DQAF

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GDDS and Related initiatives
The Statistical Capacity Building
GDDS plays a central role in capacity building
process by:

Demonstrating commitment to sustainable

improvement
Facilitating the identification of stakeholders
Facilitating assessment of strengths and weaknesses of
statistical system
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GDDS and Related initiatives
The Statistical Capacity Building Process (con’t)

Developing a vision and strategy

Facilitating plans for improvement
Facilitating mobilization of resources
Monitoring progress
Evaluating strategy

Example: Integration of GDDS in StatCap program of

the World Bank
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 Awareness raising

Develop constituency, focus

on data dissemination
and quality

Monitoring & Metadata Metadata and Strategic

evaluation updates GDDS plans for planning
improvement

Updating and
disseminating
metadata

Implementation

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The capacity building process
Awareness Strategic Sustainable
Raising and Planning Statistical
Advocacy Capacity
Preparing Building
Building consensus strategic statistical
for change, development/ Investment by
developing a master plans governments,
constituency for leading to specific bilateral and
statistics, creating a programs and multilateral
vision with a focus on projects for donors, including
the national national and the WB’s
statistical system donor funding STATCAP

Feedback

Monitoring and Evaluation

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