Raising awareness about geospatial data in statistical production, use case from Statistics Norway

Keywords

awareness raising, governance, organisation

Statistics Norway participates actively and presents their geospatial statistics products in different forums, ranging from presentations for ministries, GIS-experts in county administrations, regional stakeholders in the Norwegian NSDI organisation Norway Digital, to national meetings for municipalities, as well as public and private institutions/companies in the geospatial sector. Statistics Norway has also regularly conducted guest lectures at a university educating land use planners.

To identify “hidden” needs for geospatial information internally, after years of recognising the potential, Statistics Norway established a project within the statistical institute to promote the potential of geospatial information (“GIS Resource Centre”). The goal is to ultimately make geospatial information management an integrated part of the statistics production.

Statistics Norway concluded there was a need to establish infrastructure for management of geospatial data, inform the statisticians by means of information seminars/workshops and internal courses. To identify concrete projects, an annual survey is sent to all heads of unit. The resulting projects, big and small, are being followed up by the resource centre. The projects lead to various outcomes, but even more important is the resulting capability building. The resource centre is well suited to support all aspects of the statistics production when it comes to geospatial information (from courses, information and advising to development of production lines involving geospatial data).