Appendix C1 - Benchmark Index by Function - Knowledge Management

Executive Group Benchmark - Number: 9-K-1

POSITION TITLE: Assistant Chief Statistician, Methodology and Informatics

GENERAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Is accountable for agency-wide leadership to ensure that the statistical methodology used by all surveys is sound, statistically efficient and follows accepted standards; to provide leadership for and management of information processing in the agency; and to maintain the professional and technical reputation of the agency and its products.

ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE

This is one of seven positions at the first managerial level reporting to the Chief Statistician. The others are Assistant Chief Statistician, National Accounts and Analytical Studies; Assistant Chief Statistician, Business and Trade Statistics; Assistant Chief Statistician, Communications and Operations Branch; Assistant Chief Statistician, Social, Institutions and Labour Statistics; Assistant Chief Statistician, Management Services; and Assistant Chief Statistician, Analysis and Development.

Specific functions of the three positions reporting to the Assistant Chief Statistician, Methodology and Informatics, are as follows:

Director General, Informatics, (staff of 350) is accountable for the development and implementation of informatics strategies, plans and policies for the agency; the economic and efficient management of a large data processing centre and an extensive electronic communication network; the provision of informatics services to the agency, including regional offices; the establishment, development and maintenance of a high level of informatics technology serving as the cornerstone of the agency's technical infrastructure.

Director General, Methodology, (staff of 355) is accountable for planning, organizing and directing the development, implementation, analysis and evaluation of the statistical methodology underlying all agency programs; the integrity of the statistical methods and procedures used throughout the agency's broad program of household, institutional, business and agricultural surveys, including the 10-year and 5-year censuses; and the agency's program of development and dissemination of sub-provincial data from administrative records.

Director General, Classification Systems, (staff of 382) is accountable for the development and promulgation of classification systems; the standardization of economic, social and geographic concepts; the development, enhancement, and maintenance of the business register as a major integration instrument of survey-taking; the exploitation of taxation and other administrative data; the development and marketing of geographical products; and the agency's meta data system.

NATURE AND SCOPE

The agency provides statistics that help Canadians better understand their country-its population, resources, economy, society and culture. Objective statistical information provides a solid foundation for informed decisions by elected representatives, businesses, unions, non-profit organizations and individual Canadians.

The branch provides leadership for survey methodology and design, questionnaire design, standards, classification systems, business registers, quality control methods, development of administrative records as alternative data sources, computer systems development and maintenance, planning and management of data processing facilities, internal information processing services, office automation, information bank systems, geographical and mapping services and electronic dissemination technology development. The branch is of central importance to the execution of the agency's mandate. Since users can seldom directly assess the quality of statistics, they must rely on the reputation of the agency for meeting high technical standards.

The Assistant Chief Statistician (ACS) provides corporate leadership to ensure that the agency's statistical methodology for all surveys is sound, statistically efficient and follows accepted standards. The incumbent provides methodological leadership and know-how in the design of all surveys and in the measurement of their quality; and underpins household and business surveys and the development and calibration of alternative data sources to direct collection, typically involving administrative records. The incumbent provides authoritative advice and direction on a significant number of complex and concurrent surveys, such as business surveys that are the basis for all economic and financial statistics, including the System of National Accounts, as well as household and institutional surveys.

The ACS acts as an agent of change in the agency by designing and implementing innovative projects that increase operational efficiency and expand output. A major challenge facing the ACS is to provide innovative leadership in the agency's efforts to reduce respondent burden and program costs by using administrative data rather than direct data collection, wherever possible.

The ACS oversees the development and maintenance of the agency's classification systems, the standardization of economic and social concepts and the comprehensive documentation of agency surveys, in order to render coherent statistical outputs.

Another challenge facing the ACS is to develop and maintain the agency's information technology infrastructure. The incumbent must ensure that the agency can manage information gathering and processing activities, which involve several hundred dissimilar systems, ranging from very large applications-the population census, which is at the root of the formulae underlying the federal equalization payments and cost-sharing arrangements-to sophisticated interactive data modelling applications. The incumbent must also ensure the provision of secure and reliable employee access to the agency's network, as well as public access to databases and Web sites for dissemination purposes. The ACS oversees storage and accessible maintenance of the data holdings of Canada's central statistical office; development of general processing systems, based on advanced statistical methodology for sampling and estimation; data editing and correction; confidentiality protection; and management of software for the agency's operations, planning and management of information technology hardware, communications systems and security, which can process confidential information securely while allowing public access to released data.

The ACS provides advice and recommendations to the Chief Statistician on statistical methodology and the use of informatics to support the achievement of agency objectives. As a member of the agency management team, the incumbent participates in operational and corporate policy and management decision making. The incumbent represents the agency's interests in discussions with central agencies, other government departments, non-governmental organizations and industry representatives to resolve issues related to methodologies, standards, data quality and access to databases and Web sites.

DIMENSIONS (Constant Dollars)

FTEs:	1,100
Operating budget:	$13.3 million
Agency FTEs:	6,000

SPECIFIC ACCOUNTABILITIES

Develops and maintains the agency's informatics infrastructure to ensure that the agency can manage information gathering, processing and distribution.
Provides corporate leadership to ensure that the statistical programs use common standards, common frames and consistent methodology to produce coherent output and to reflect the agency's high professional and technical standards.
Leads the design and implementation of innovative projects and approaches aimed at increasing operational efficiency or expanding output.
Provides professional, technical and administrative advice and support to the Chief Statistician to support the business operations and management of the agency.
Represents the agency in discussions with clients to ensure satisfaction with accessibility, statistical integrity and product quality.

EVALUATION RATIONALE

Assistant Chief Statistician, Methodology and Informatics

KNOW-HOW

G	Specialized mastery of statistical methodology, including both theoretical and applied dimensions. Seasoned competence in informatics, including systems design and data processing. Broad mastery of both national and international economic and geographical classification systems.
IV	Coordination at the policy level and establishment of specific long-range goals for statistical methodology and informatics; development and promulgation of agency-wide methodology standards; and establishment of policies and strategic plans for all aspects of informatics.
3	Successful achievement of objectives requires motivating a large professional staff; and interfacing with senior departmental officials on essential centralized support functions that are imperative to the success of all agency programs, in terms of data quality, timeliness and cost.
920	Mid-range number reflects the depth of specialized knowledge in two diverse areas and the breadth of management skills required to perform work supporting the agency's operations.

PROBLEM SOLVING / THINKING

G	Thinking within general policies, principles, goals and plans. Coordinates, sets objectives and priorities, formulates policies for data services and evaluates effectiveness and efficiency of services. Ensures quality and integrity of statistical survey methods, including design and processing systems, measurement of data quality and evaluation of methods used in all statistical programs.
4	Evaluative and constructive thinking is required to meet the challenges of decentralized data capture and of the impact of interactive environments on development and production, which have a major impact on the mode of operation and resource allocation; and to ensure that the statistical methodology supporting all programs is of the highest quality in all aspects.
(66) 608	Higher percentage reflects the complexity of the environment and the degree of original thought required to establish systems capable of supporting all departmental programs.

ACCOUNTABILITY / DECISION MAKING

G	Reports to the Chief Statistician, from whom general managerial guidance is received, and is responsible for agency-wide leadership, service and support that covers all aspects of methodological and information handling.
4P	The position has a primary impact on the Department's methodology and data activities. The proxy selected to represent these activities is an operating budget of $13.3 million (constant) with a staff of 1,100.
700	Low number reflects the size of the proxy selected and the contribution of the function to ensuring that the agency has the appropriate methodologies and information tools to achieve its mandate.

SUMMARY

GIV3

920

G4(66)

608

G4P

700

2228

ASSISTANT CHIEF STATISTICIAN METHODOLOGY AND INFORMATICS
NUMBER: 9 - K - 1

assistant chief statistician