PARIS21 supports NSOs to visually represent data
Disseminating data is an integral part of the work of national statistical offices (NSO). With exponential growth in demand of data (volume, frequency and disaggregation), NSOs are trying their best to respond. Still, evidence of data use -- especially among the public -- remains weak. In some cases, however, the use of new technologies and innovative practices are proving to be useful. Data visualization, in combination with other practices, used to communicate findings is gaining tremendous ground, and NSOs are starting to adapt their outputs.
The NSDS Guidelines chapter on Data Dissemination notes: "When data is communicated well, it is easy to appreciate its positive influence on its consumption and therefore development impact driven by it. NSOs may realise this, by supplying to the right audience the right data in the right format. In order to increase the likelihood that a target audience will pay attention and use data made available, one must consider the appropriate timing and channels for delivery and distribution of the data."
PARIS21 has been conducting various training and workshops for NSO staff and journalists on the topic of data visualization. These trainings aim to promote better communication of statistics through effective data storytelling and data visualization. They serve as a venue for collaboration between statisticians and users to adopt data visualization tools and to ensure their wider use in the statistical system.
Based on the experiences of these trainings, PARIS21 documented the recommendations in the form of a toolkit to help data producers better understand how to effectively use data visualization in their work.
Data Visualization Toolkit
The key concepts/competencies considered useful for successful data visualization and communication can be broken down into the following four sets of domain expertise.
Data storytelling:
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Narrative
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Depth
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Interactivity
Graphic design:
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Design principles
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Art elements
Statistical Literacy:
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Data awareness
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Statistical concepts
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Interpretation skills
Software Skills:
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Obtaining data
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Understanding data
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Delivering data
These competencies can be acquired through four training tracks tailored for specific target audiences, summarised below.
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Training track overview
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Course Levels and Audiences
The following figure maps the four tracks along two dimensions of “participant background” and “group composition.”
The Foundations track is designed for a generalist audience with participants from heterogeneous backgrounds, ranging from journalists to graphic designers and statisticians/ empirical researchers.
The Communication and Infographic tracks require a higher level of specialisation, and they bring together participants from multiple expert areas to establish a dialogue and mutual learning experiences.
Finally, the Analytics track is focused exclusively on statisticians and empirical researchers wishing to deepen their knowledge of data visualization, report writing and workflow of statistical data analysis.
