On and Off the Job Training - Danish ExperiencesBy Leon Østergaard, Statistics Denmark

UNECE/OECD Work Session on Statistical Dissemination and Communication

14-15 February 2005Henley-on-Thames, UK

Introduction

• We have to become better at telling the story behind the figures

• Statisticians are not well equipped to do just that

• We cannot let journalists take over this task entirely

• Hence, we have to train statisticians to conduct (part of) the task

Principle of Equal Professional Rights

• ”In the dissemination of statistical products - with particular reference to News from Statistics Denmark - statistical professionalism and communication expertise are regarded as equally important”

• Statistics Denmark Strategy 2006

News from Statistics Denmark

News from Statistics Denmark

• 550 issues each year

• 2 issues on an average working day

• 250 different statistics

• The media are the primary target group

• Revised guidelines issued recently

News from Statistics Denmark

• Statistical Division writes first draft manuscript

• Must have news focus, headline and one comprehensible graph

• Forwarded to Dissemination Centre 10 a.m. on the day before publication

1st Strategy: Daily dialogue

• Communication professional suggests improvements

• Dialogue via e-mail, telephone or face-to-face

• Communication professional may re-write parts of the text

• Dialogue continues until agreement is reached (by noon at the latest)

• Both parties learn from the process, provided they argue their points

Procedure in case of disagreement

• If disagreement is a matter of principle…• …Head of Communication meets Head

of Statistical Division• If disagreement can’t be settled…• …the version of the Statistical Division is

printed…• … and the involved parties are

summoned on a later date to find a solution

Disadvantages

• The short deadline (10 a.m. to noon) is not well suited for major changes in format, focus etc.

• The short deadline makes it difficult to produce new graphs etc.

2nd Strategy: Recurrent workshops

• Recurrent offer to all Statistical Divisions• Not compulsory…• 8-10 publications discussed in 3 hours• Heads of divisions participate• Qualitative criticism as well as…• …quantitative facts on the use of the

publications• Written report on agreements• If necessary, two or more workshops

Disadvantages

• Time-consuming• Demands meticulous preparation• Capacity 8-10 workshops a year…• …corresponding to 3-4 Statistical

Divisions a year• 3 years necessary to cover all Statistical

Divisions

3rd Strategy: Internal Courses

• Introduction to dissemination (half day) - compulsory for new staff members

• Press course (one day) - compulsory for staff dealing with the media

• Efficient written communication (two days) - compulsory for all staff members

• To tell with statistics (two days) - compulsory for statisticians

• External courses is used only for communication professionals

4th Strategy: Recruiting

• In recruiting statisticians, communication skills might be regarded as an additional qualification…

• …or even be required!• A suggestion is put forward in our draft

language policy...• …and favourably received

To tell with internal statistics…

• Managing change by making it quantitatively visible

• Measuring media coverage• Relating media coverage directly to each

publication and each Statistical Division• Improving media coverage year by year -

in each Statistical Division• Progress monitored by internal statistics