Virtual Statistical System (VSS)

The Virtual Statistical System (VSS) is an online resource developed by the World Bank for: national statistical offices, other data producing agencies, and data users, including policy makers, academics, students, or anyone who wants to know more about official statistics, including the elements of a publication and dissemination strategy. Users can access the information directly or through links to other resources. The VSS provides information on how effective statistical systems/organisations operate. The VSS also provides a knowledge exchange for users of statistics as well as access to multiple eLearning training modules.

The site's information is organised under "Activities" and "Themes". Activities encompass both general and specific aspects of statistical production processes, and are organised into nine groups according to a "value chain":

1. Institutional Issues: Outlines the development of an institutional framework.
   
2. Internal and Management Issues: Outlines the implementation of an internal organisational and management structure.
   
3. ICT (Information and Communication Technology): Identifies the ICT necessary for institutional data, programme data, and research data management.
4. Registers, Frames, Censuses: Identifies the statistical infrastructure such as business registers, sampling frames, censuses such as population and housing censuses, agricultural censuses and business censuses, as well as classification systems.
   
5. Surveys: Examines the use of surveys to collect information.
   
6. Methods: Describes statistical methods.
   
7. Integration Frameworks: Compiles outcomes of many different kinds of surveys and data sources to one consistent conceptual framework.
   
8. Dissemination: Outlines the elements of a publication and dissemination strategy.
   
9. Use of Statistics: Examines user needs and the uses of a statistical framework.
   
10. Data Quality: Describes credibility of statistics as dependent on data quality.
    

 

 

Themes are subject matter topics organised according to a standard classification of official statistical activities, developed by the United Nations Economic Commission, and are grouped into five areas:

1. Social and Demographic Statistics
   
2. Economic Statistics
   
3. Environment and Multi-Domain Statistics
   
4. Statistical Methods
   
5. Strategy and Managerial Issues of Official Statistics

For more information, contact: Mr. Ronald Luttikhuizen Virtual Statistical System (VSS) World Bankrluttikhuizen@worldbank.org