Public Accounts Committee on Oct. 30th, 2014

[Wayne Smith]

This is actually proceeding jointly with the job vacancy survey. As it is for the job vacancy survey, the intention is to be able to publish data by occupation for small areas, below the provincial level.

We're trying to develop the survey so it's integrated with the job vacancy survey. We're focusing on the job vacancy survey as the first priority, so we haven't actually set a probable timeline for the first collection of the wage data though some wage data will be collected in the job vacancy survey as I understand it.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Could we expect it in 2015 at some point?

[Wayne Smith]

We could certainly expect collection some time in 2015. Publication may not come in 2015.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Thank you.

Mr. Ferguson, I'd like to resume something I started way back in this meeting about the issue of quality assurance for the agency's performance.

Are you satisfied that Statistics Canada has in place appropriate measures to ensure the accuracy of its data, and is it using those measures in fact to produce accurate data?

[Michael Ferguson]

I think in terms of what we looked at with the quality assurance framework, the conclusion we came to was that Statistics Canada does apply its quality assurance framework to ensure the quality of the statistical programs, and I think in particular on accuracy—I'm just going to....

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

I was looking at paragraph 8.14.

[Michael Ferguson]

Right. They completed all of the steps to ensure the accuracy, so in that particular area we were satisfied. Again, we indicate as well that there were the changes to the national household survey, and that caused Statistics Canada to take some other measures.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

We have sort of chewed over that quite a bit in this meeting, so I just want to catch some of the other high points if I can put it that way.

Another area in which your audit was focused was timeliness. I'd like to know if at the end of your audit you were satisfied that in fact Statistics Canada has measures in place to ensure the timely release of its data, and that in fact it does do that and release its data in a timely fashion.

[Michael Ferguson]

We were satisfied with the time limits aspect of their quality framework. The one item we identified was that one release date was missed, but it was by only four weeks.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Very good.

Then there is also the issue of accessibility. Did you find that in fact Statistics Canada does make the data, from the products you examined, accessible in an appropriate manner to the public?

[Michael Ferguson]

We found that they did make the data accessible. They were using the Internet more. They had centres for researchers. They stopped charging for some products. But, again, this is the area we talked about in which some users said the website was challenging to navigate.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Overall, as I read your report, you concluded that, “Statistics Canada makes data from the selected products accessible”.

Is that right or wrong?

[Michael Ferguson]

Yes, they make it accessible and they are planning further improvements.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Very good.

On that note, Mr. Smith, what measures are being taken to improve...? Let's start with the website. What's being done in that area?

[Wayne Smith]

We're actually involved in a complete redesign of our website. We're working with an external panel of people to guide us, experts in the area, and we're doing a lot of user research. We're rebuilding the website. We're consolidating. Right at the moment we have several different databases that people have to consult distinctly. The idea is to merge them into one; to have one simple, straightforward interface; and to make the search engine more responsive to people's needs.

What they really want us to do is to get them to the data they want as quickly as possible.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Right. By now you should expect the next question. What is the timeline on that work?

[Wayne Smith]

We're looking to start the rollout, as I recall, over the course of the next year.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Thank you very much to everyone.

[The Chair, NDP, David Christopherson]

Sorry, Mr. Woodworth, time has expired. Thank you.

Colleagues, that wraps up the rotation of questions we have.

I thank our guests for being here. I don't believe there were any outstanding issues for follow-up information. There are no loose ends that I'm aware of. I think the committee has what it needs to consider a draft report.

Mr. Ferguson and your staff, and Mr. Smith and yours, we thank you both for being here. You gave full and complete answers, and we appreciate that very much.

With that, I will dismiss you and tell you that we look forward to seeing you next time.

Colleagues, I'm proposing that we suspend for a moment, go in camera, and then do some committee business. If we're in agreement on that, we now stand suspended.

[Proceedings continue in camera]