Statistics Canada: use of GSBPM

Statistics Canada approved the Generic Statistical Business Process Model version 4 (GSBPM) as a reference model in March 2010. The GSBPM has since been used to model several large projects as part of the modernization initiative.  For each of the top level phases of the GSBPM, there is a description of the core business phase and corresponding recommendations.[1] 

Metadata use is not uniform across all GSBPM phases.   IMDB metadata, consisting mostly of GSIM Concepts and Business objects, is used for survey design (phase 2) and dissemination (phase 7).  Survey managers use the IMDB to identify existing variables for reuse. New variables and related questions will be soon documented and stored during questionnaire design as well, which will then be used by collection processes across the Agency.  In the dissemination phase, the IMDB is the primary source of summary texts describing surveys, definitions of variables, related methodology, and data quality and questionnaire images.  Most products on the Statistics Canada website offer a link to the related IMDB survey records. 

The System of National Accounts (SNA) creates and uses metadata (classifications) for the data integration sub-process (5.1) of the GSBPM. In particular, the SNA creates the Input-Output Industry Codes (IOIC), Commodity Codes (IOCC) and Institutional Sectors classifications. They are mainly used for the GDP surveys (annual, quarterly and monthly). SNA classifications are being exported to the IMDB and integrated into data warehouses for analysis via a classification web service[1]). In addition, concordances to NAICS, NAPCS and other international classifications will be maintained in a Classification Management and Coding System (CMCS). 

The Social Survey Processing Environment (SSPE) has its own metadata repository (see Section IV-B) which is used from design through dissemination, including survey and questionnaire metadata, codesets and codebooks. The SSPE repository does not use the same metadata objects that are in the GSIM Business or Structures groups.

Underlying the GSBPM is the implicit need for common semantics which require some degree of harmonization and maintenance across all phases. Even common concepts like questionnaire, survey, or classification mean different things across the Agency.   Enterprise Architecture Services (EAS), Methodology and Subject Matter areas have worked collaboratively to make progress in semantics work for the IBSP on a number of topics, including:

• variables, defined by purpose type (identification, statistical, processing and design variables) and by value source[2] (collection, administrative/tax, edit and imputation, subject matter correction);
• distinction between derived variables (calculated value that leads to a change in statistical concept) and transformed variable (change in value but same concept, usually metadata driven);
• statistical activity concepts and their identifiers (activity, program, survey, instance and questionnaire);
• collection edits, defined by edit types, specifications (decision points) and actions;
• sample design, allocation, estimation and statistical units;
• quality indicators, measure of impact, paradata.

Statistics Canada’s involvement in the development of the GSIM has influenced both GSIM and the Agency’s internal semantic work. A case in point is the work done by EAS with IBSP and the Integrated Collection and Operation System (ICOS) on survey instrument and questionnaires, which helped identify the need for a flow decision object separated from flow action that was included in version 1.0 (submitted to the GSIM group for review). This semantic work has been the starting point for developing a canonical model for survey instrument and questionnaire for the SOA[3] .

IBSP has also developed a conceptual framework and naming convention for harmonized content. SSPE has developed standardized questionnaire modules for cross-cutting household survey variables. These modules contain standard concepts, definitions, classification and wording for multiple collection modes.

Several projects have been identified as potential content providers or consumers of the IMDB.  The IMDB now stores documentation for public use microdata files as part of the requirements for the Data Liberation Initiative (DLI) - an initiative between Statistics Canada and Canadian universities to share data for social science research. Statistics Canada makes available to universities and colleges, by subscription, all of its statistical products including microdata files using Data Documentation Initiative (DDI) specifications.  

Another initiative under development is the Research Data Centre (RDC) Metadata Project.  Rather than integrating with the IMDB on a case-by-case basis (point-to-point integration), authorized applications can gain access to content through IT industry standard web services in a standard based format (DDI).  This approach is expected to reduce development costs, allow for code and component reuse across projects and foster the adoption of global standards across the Agency.  It will also support the future establishment of standard-based data and a metadata management framework.