1344.8.55.002 - ABStract, Statistics News, Australian Capital Territory, Mar 2008  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 12/03/2008   
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8 April 2008 - the pdf file has been released today and is now available from the Details Tab




A Message From The Regional Director
Knowledge channels at work
Shutter closes on ACT in Focus and focuses on the future
Over 100 years of data on the ABS website with all issues of Year Book Australia now available
The 2006 Census Social Atlas Series
Statistical Liaison Officers ACT Regional office
Socio-economic Indexes for Areas released this month
Recent Releases
Agriculture and Environment statistics releases
Statistical Training Courses Available In Canberra 2008
Expected Major Annual & Irregular Releases

    Graphic: ABStract

      A Message From The Regional Director

      GET TO KNOW THE PEOPLE WHO CAN ASSIST YOU IN THE ACT OFFICE

      Welcome to the March 2008 edition – the new year brings a new approach – the ACT office, located in Civic, has established a government client relations team to coordinate work with ACT government agencies on progressing activities in the Cabinet endorsed partnership Agreed Statistical Priorities for the ACT Government: Information Development Plan, 2007-2010 (IDP). The IDP provides a high level framework for a whole of government approach to improve the management and development of statistical resources for the ACT.

      This issue features photos and background about ACT office staff contacts for ACT government and business. Our statistical liaison officers support key activities in the IDP, can assist you with statistical and Australian Bureau of Statistics website training; and more complex queries about the ABS. An article on the current ABS outposting to ACT Health and the Department of Education and Training to map the health, education and workforce pipeline is an illustration of the collaboration between ACT government and the ABS. For general information on ABS statistics you can still contact our National Information Referral Service on 1300 135 070.

      We are having our current round of meetings with ACT government agencies in the lead up to the annual State Statistical Forum on March 11. The forum brings together representatives from state and territory governments and the ABS to discuss issues that we can all collaborate on thereby improving statistical information to support the planning and policy decisions of state/territory governments.

      The four main priorities to be discussed are:
        - demographic information at the local level
        - children and youth
        - Indigenous population, with a focus on improving the remote community and urban census count-
        - increasing the development and improvement of local level economic data.

      Other areas for discussion at the forum include water statistics, housing affordability and engagement with ABS user groups.

      A number of cross-jurisdictional projects are proposed for each priority, for example the ACT office is developing a proposal for a research project on service populations and projections for regional centres.

      In 2008 we will be launching a new look electronic publication which will include statistical indicators about the ACT and feature articles on topics of interest to our community. More information will be in the next issue of ABStract.

      We are in the process of briefing agencies about current challenges in matching our work program to available funding. Due to 2008-09 financial constraints, ABS is reducing activity on a variety of statistical collections and processes. The ABS is currently exploring the options for achieving substantial savings while maintaining the most value for clients.


      Karen Macdonald
      ACT Regional Director

      Knowledge channels at work...

      Health, Education and Workforce Pipeline – A collaborative project with the ACT government

      The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) has recognised that there is a labour supply imbalance with health workforce requirements and work is progressing nationally to better align education and training with health sector needs. To inform this workforce planning process and redress this imbalance we need a clear understanding of the supply and demand ‘pipeline’ for identified health occupations: from entry into an education program, through to entry into the labour force, and then to exit from the labour force.

      ACT Health, ACT Department of Education and Training (ACT DET) and the Australian Bureau of Statistics, through its 2007-08 ACT Annual Statistical Consultancy Fund, are jointly funding an outposted officer, Rhonda de Vos, to start scoping a project to map the health education and workforce pipeline. Rhonda is located in ACT Health for the next three months.

      The Health and Education Workforce Pipelines project commenced on 14 January 2008 and will continue for the next 3-6 months. The first phase of the project will be a feasibility assessment (including a detailed scoping exercise and quality assessments of identified data sources) to determine if it would be feasible to develop a methodology to map the supply/demand pipeline for particular health occupations. If the decision is made to proceed with development of a methodology, the project will aim to produce a sample system and recommendations for future methodological work.

      We look forward to keeping you informed about this important workforce project.


      Shutter closes on ACT in Focus and focuses on the future

      For 14 years the publication, Australian Capital Territory in Focus, has given us fascinating insights into the ACT and its people. This flagship publication, first launched in 1993, informs us, among other things, that territorians, on average, live longer, have less children, earn more money, pay the highest rents, play more sport and participate in more cultural activities, than their fellow countrymen. The 2007 and final edition, launched on 29 November 2007, by the ACT Chief Minister, Jon Stanhope, brings this era to a close.

      Around 50 people attended the launch, including MLAs, Jon Stanhope, Deb Foskey, Karin MacDonald, Bill Stefaniak (Leader of the Opposition), the Mayor of Cooma-Monaro Shire Council, Roger Norton. All ACT Government agencies were represented by senior members of staff including the Chief Executive of Chief Minister's Department, Andrew Cappie-Wood and our Australian Statistical Advisory Council representative, Pam Davoren.

      The Chief Minister took the opportunity to promote the new whole-of-government IDP, developed in partnership with the ABS. Mr Stanhope said 'The plan, which was formally adopted by the Government recently, would help agencies produce better and more useful data, which in turn would help the Government carry out evidence-based research and better evaluate and report on programs'. The ACT is the first jurisdiction in Australia to develop a whole-of-government IDP.

      Ms Karen Macdonald spoke on the importance of statistics, citing the Istanbul declaration at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Forum on Measuring and Fostering the Progress of Society and the IDP partnership as recent examples. She highlighted that Australian Capital Territory in Focus painted a picture of a well-off and culturally advanced community, although she did acknowledge some areas of concern. Karen also talked about the importance of bringing ABS and non-ABS data together, saying that 41% of the tables in the publication are sourced from non-ABS data.


      Electronic ... the way ahead

      Big changes are afoot for the three ACT Office publications!
      Last December, The ACT Regional Office held a Publication Planning Day where ACT Regional Director, Karen Macdonald, in her opening address, acknowledged the progress and achievements made to its publications by the publishing team.

      Karen highlighted that to meet changing client needs and expectations we must review our content and utilise the electronic environment more fully. The Internet will be the key dissemination vehicle for ACT office publications in the future, focusing on National Statistical Service and State and Territory Statistical Service requirements.

      Vital elements from three publications: Australian Capital Territory in Focus; ACT Stats; and ACT and Region... A Statistical Atlas, will be combined into one quality electronic publication - a one-stop-shop for ACT statistics and facts.


      Over 100 years of data on the ABS website with all issues of Year Book Australia now available

      What was the annual rainfall in Adelaide in 1840?
      What was the annual population of Australia from the time of settlement in 1788 until 1906?
      Where can you read an article about the early history of primary education in Australia?
      How early was the possible move to decimal coinage in Australia being discussed?

      The answers to these questions can be found in the first volume of the Year Book of the Commonwealth of Australia, 1901-1907, which is now available free of charge in full-text on the ABS Website. Celebrating a century of publishing by the ABS, all 90 year books from the earliest edition published in 1908, to the latest edition in 2008 are now available online.

      The historic Year Book Australia Online was launched at ABS House on February 7 by His Excellency, the Governor-General of Australia at the same time as he launched the 2008 edition of Year Book Australia.

      Year Book Australia is the principal reference work produced by the ABS. It provides a comprehensive and detailed statistical review of various aspects of the economy and social conditions in Australia. In addition to the broad range of statistics, with contributions from many government and private organisations outside the ABS, most issues also include a number of special articles written on topics relevant to the time.

      The year books have been scanned from the paper version and use character recognition software which provides a full-text searching capability once downloaded from the Website at <https://www.abs.gov.au>.

      The historic year books Digitisation project was initiated and managed by Library Services National. It was a project culminating in the publication of more than 90,000 pages of information on the ABS Website and involved almost four years in planning and implementation. It is hoped that this will be the start of many historical statistics being digitised and made freely available on the ABS Website for the benefit of researchers, the community.

      The 2006 Census Social Atlas Series

      Canberra A Social Atlas is one of a series of publications that uses maps to highlight key characteristics of the population. This social atlas includes maps for Canberra (including Queanbeyan). A separate atlas is available for each state and territory. The maps depict social, economic and housing characteristics based on data collected in the 2006 Census of Population and Housing. The information provides some insight into the composition and structure of Australian society. The collection highlights geographic distribution of the data and the diversity that exists within the nation's cities and regional centres. The topics in the atlas are categorised into broad themes covering Population, Cultural diversity, Education, Labour force, Income, Families and households, and Dwellings. Main features are briefly summarised in the commentary that accompanies each map. The social atlas series displays only a small selection of the wide variety of information available from the 2006 Census.

      The Census of Population and Housing provides a wealth of information about the Australian community and, in particular, provides detailed information about the Australian population for small geographic areas. This information can not be readily obtained from any other source and is vital to supporting the planning, administration, policy development and evaluation activities of all levels of government, business, researchers and the general community.

      Image: Statistical Liaison Officers ACT Regional Office



      Australian Bureau of Statistics
      ACT office
      33-35 Ainslie Place
      Civic

      Your first point of contact

      The ABS ACT office aims to provide a flexible and responsive service to meet the priority statistical needs of the ACT government, business and the community. The ACT office and the ACT government have developed the Agreed Statistical Priorities for the ACT Government: Information Development Plan 2007-2010 (the IDP). To support the IDP the ACT office has established a Government Client Services team and a Statistical Liaison Officer (SLO) for each ACT government department. We have also established SLO roles for priority areas such as Indigenous and Registrar-General’s and key business associations. Our Statistical Liaison Officers are here to assist and collaborate with you to:

      · Increase the availability of good quality ACT data from ABS and non-ABS sources that meets high priority ACT statistical needs, as far as possible within national standards and frameworks.
      · Input territory views to ABS program reviews, research, and other specific work program activities.
      · Increase the awareness and use of ACT data from ABS and non-ABS sources.
      · Improve application of statistical practice and data sharing across agencies.
      · Assist the department with more complex statistical enquiries.

      Photo: Karen Macdonald - ACT Regional Director
      Karen Macdonald – ACT Regional Director
      Tel: 6252 8914

      Chief Minister’s Department

      Karen has worked in the ABS for almost ten years and has been the ACT Regional Director since 2005. Her background is in libraries, information management and training. In her current role Karen is responsible for leading and managing the operations of the ACT office and has primary responsibility for the delivery of statistical services to ACT Government departments, business, educational institutions and the local community. Her main role is to work on the partnership with ACT government on key activities to improve both ABS and non-ABS statistics for the ACT as listed in the IDP. She is the ABS representative on the ACT government Information Development Steering Committee.


      Photo: Brent Perkins - Assistant Regional Director, Information and Publications Team
      Brent Perkins – Assistant Regional Director, Information and Publications Team
      Tel: 6252 8911

      Department of Treasury

      Brent has extensive experience in the ABS, particularly in the areas of Prices, and International Accounts and has spent a number of years in a divisional coordination role. He joined the ACT office in 2004 and oversees customised statistical services, publications and training.


      Photo: Gemma Wood - Assistant Regional Director, Government Client Services (Acting)
      Gemma Wood – Assistant Regional Director, Government Client Services (Acting)
      Tel: 6252 8903

      ACT Health,
      Office of the Commissioner for the Environment

      Gemma has a background in environmental statistics and statistical experience in a range of private enterprises. Her most recent experience was with the Insurance Australia Group. She commenced in the ABS ACT office in 2007. In her current role her main responsibility is to oversee the Statistical Liaison Officer program and to coordinate activities for ACT government clients to support the IDP particularly collaborative projects involving work with ACT government administrative data.

      Photo: Tim Power - Administrative Data Consultant
      Tim Power – Administrative Data Consultant
      Tel: 6252 8922

      ACT Planning and Land Authority
      Department of Justice and Community Safety
      Indigenous services

      Tim has extensive ABS experience in economic and social statistics and has worked in three ABS offices including the Central Office (Belconnen), Northern Territory office and the ACT office in Civic. Tim is in the Government Client Services team. His role is to support the ACT government statistical development needs and information management priorities. He undertakes a range of collaborative project work to source and examine administrative data sets and advises on how their quality and statistical usefulness can be improved. Over the period February to June 2007, he was outposted to ACT Courts and Tribunals to provide advice on their statistical and management reporting systems.


      Photo: Mariette O'Connell - Census Liaison Officer
      Mariette O’Connell – Census Liaison Officer
      Tel: 6252 8924

      Department of Education and Training
      Business Associations

      Mariette has over six years ABS experience working in population surveys, developing and processing surveys, as well as training interviewers and state/territory office staff in implementing surveys. She transferred to the ACT office in January 2008 and manages the information services team. She is responsible for conducting information sessions on the census and the ABS Website and acts as a contact point for key clients wanting to attend ABS statistical training.


      Photo: Barbara Hill - Manager, Publication Services
      Barbara Hill - Manager, Publication Services
      Tel: 6252 8901

      Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services

      Barbara has extensive background in the publishing industry and has worked for the ABS publishing team most notably as coordinator of Year Book Australia. She transferred to the ACT office in January 2008. Barbara has overall responsibility for publications including our new quarterly electronic publication on the ABS website.


      Photo: Antony Perera
      Antony Perera
      Tel: 6252 8917

      Department of Territory & Municipal Services
      Office of Regulatory Services – Registrar-General

      Antony joined the Public Service in 1995 with the Australian Government Publishing Service. He has extensive experience in procurement and contracts and his role includes a number of corporate support services. He has worked in the ACT office since 2001 and has been a liaison officer in a number of areas including health and Indigenous.


      Photo: Jennie Dunn - Information Consultancies Coordinator
      Jennie Dunn – Information Consultancies Coordinator
      Tel: 6252 8902

      Department of Education and Training (support)
      Business Associations (support)

      Jen commenced in the ACT office in January 2007 as Executive Assistant to the Regional Director. She has experience in a range of fields in the private sector including tourism, hospitality and marketing. As Information Consultancies Coordinator her main role is to customise data for government, business, education and other clients which assists with development of policy, business solutions and their specific information needs.


      Photo: Clare Miller
      Clare Miller
      Tel: 6252 8907

      Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services (support)
      Indigenous services (support)

      Clare has worked in two ABS offices - Northern Territory and ACT. She joined the ABS in NT as a graduate in August 2007 and transferred to the ACT office in January 2008. She has a Bachelor of Arts (Asian Studies)(Hons) at Sydney University, and has spent a year in Japan as part of the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program. She has also been a member of the Australian Army Reserves for five years, as a specialist communicator.


      Socio-economic Indexes for Areas released this month

      SEIFA is a key census product that assists in determining Australia's social and economic conditions, assisting governments, businesses and community organisations in research, planning and analysis.

      The four Socio-economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) will be released to the ABS Website on 26 March. A preliminary version of the Index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage (IRSD) was released on 18 February, due to strong demand for IRSD data. We strongly advise users, especially those with no prior experience of SEIFA indexes, to wait for the full release with complete accompanying documentation.

      SEIFA is developed by combining multiple 2006 census topics such as income, occupation and educational attainment to determine affluent, disadvantaged and highly skilled and educated areas based on their social and economic status. Data can be obtained for all census geographic areas from capital cities down to the Collection District (CD) level.

      SEIFA features four indexes, allowing you to rank socio-economic data for CDs, suburbs, towns or cities relevant to your needs. Each index summarises the different aspects of SEIFA, being:
        · Index of Advantage/Disadvantage
        · Index of Disadvantage (preliminary release on 18 February)
        · Index of Economic Resources
        · Index of Education and Occupation

      This data can be applied by many users for a number of purposes. This may include:
        · determining infrastructure requirements and subsequent planning
        · distributing funds and grants appropriately
        · determining new business opportunities for commercial and not-for-profit enterprise
        · identifying areas requiring community assistance programmes and
        · researching and evaluating existing government and community initiatives.

      You can download the SEIFA 2006 and other 2006 census products FREE at <http://www.abs.gov.au/census>.

      Recent Releases



      Australians embrace life-long learning

      Over one-third (4.2 million or 38%) of Australians aged 25 to 64 years participated in formal or non-formal learning in the year to June 2007, according to Learning, Australia, 2006–07 (cat. no. 4229.0) .

      The Northern Territory had the highest proportion of people participating in formal or non-formal learning (51%) followed by the Australian Capital Territory (50%). The Australian Capital Territory had the highest proportion of people participating in informal learning (84%) followed by Western Australia (79%). Almost three-quarters (74%) of Australians aged 25 to 64 years participated in informal learning.

      In the 2006-07 survey on people undertaking formal learning (e.g. degree/certificate qualification), non-formal learning (e.g. typing course) and informal learning (e.g. reading reference manuals) the ABS found that management and commerce were the most popular formal (28%) and non-formal (25%) learning areas.

      The main reason Australians take up formal learning is ‘to get a better job or promotion’ (28%), and the main reason Australians take up non-formal learning is because’ it was a requirement of their job’ (36%).

      Full-time workers were more likely to have participated in some form of learning than persons not in the labour force (84% compared to 62%).

      Other survey findings include:
        · Employed people who participated in formal or non-formal learning were more likely to be professionals (29%), clerical and administrative workers (15%) and managers (14%).
        · Younger people (25–29 years) were more likely to participate in formal learning (25% compared to 3% for 60–64 year olds).
        · A Certificate lll or IV was the most common (26%) course level for people participating in formal learning.
        · More women participated in formal learning (13% of women compared to 11% of men). However more men participated in non-formal learning (32% compared to 29%) and informal learning (76% compared to 73%).




      Environment snapshot: Australians confront big dry


      Despite Australia having the highest per person water storage capacity in the world, the big dry has seen water consumption fall, according to the latest national snapshot from Environmental Issues and Trends, 2007 (cat. no. 4613.0).

      As many Australians confronted the recent drought conditions, total water consumption was down 14% in 2004–05 from 2000–01, even though the country has the highest per capita water storage capacity in the world at more than 4 million litres per person.

      Agricultural water use accounts for about two-thirds of total water consumption, and was down nearly one-fifth (19%) in 2004–05 compared with 2000–01. The drought conditions affecting eastern Australia in 2004–05 were especially evident in New South Wales and Queensland where nearly three-quarters (73%) of farmers reported surface water availability as a major issue.

      The publication Australia's Environment: Issues and Trends 2007 presents a range of statistics from both ABS and other sources, allowing readers to form their own conclusions about how the environment is faring.

      A feature article explores the implications of water scarcity, such as degradation of the country's rivers and wetlands, desalination and water trading. For example, more than 95% of the river length assessed in the Murray-Darling Basin had an environmental condition that was degraded.

      Other snippets from the publication include:
        · Black and brown coal accounted for 41.6% of energy consumption in 2005–06, while renewable energy sources such as wind, hydroelectricity and solar energy represented about 5%.
        · In the nine years to 2005–06, hydroelectricity output fell by nearly 7%.
        · Although Australia's greenhouse gas emissions in 2005 were 2.2% more than the 1990 base year level, emissions per person have reduced over the period 1990 to 2005 by 14%.
        · Farmers reported spending more than $3.3 billion on Natural Resource Management in 2004–05, one-third of which was spent on weeds management.
        · More than one-fifth (20.6%) of all households reported that their dwelling had a rainwater tank in 2007.

      Your copy of Adult Learning, Australia, 2006–07 (cat. no. 4229.0) and Australia's Environment: Issues and Trends 2007 (cat. no. 4613.0) are available on-line from the ABS Website www.abs.gov.au.

      Agriculture and Environment statistics releases

      Final estimates from the 2005–06 Agricultural Census are now being released. Products include:

      Principal Agricultural Commodities, Australia, 2005–06 (cat. no. 7121.0); released on 3 March 2008. This publication contains final estimates from the agricultural census at state and national levels and for the Murray Darling Basin.

      Agricultural Commodities: Small Area Data, Australia, 2005–06 (cat. no. 7125.0); released on 7 March 2008. These spreadsheets contain all data collected in the agricultural census (excluding water) for state, Statistical Division (SD) and Natural Resource Management (NRM) regions. Major data items for Statistical Local Area (SLA) levels are also included.

      Water Use on Australian Farms, 2005–06 (cat. no. 4618.0); released on 13 March 2008. This publication contains final estimates from the agricultural census on water use by agriculture. Estimates will be published for key pastures and crops irrigated at the national and state levels, and for the Murray Darling Basin. A summary of irrigation activity will also be published at the national, state, Statistical Division (SD), Drainage Division and Natural Resource Management (NRM) region levels. Sources of water for agricultural use will be published nationally and by state. Additional information will be released as datacubes in late March for key pastures and crops irrigated at the Drainage Division and NRM region levels. A summary of irrigation activity will also be released at the Statistical Local Area (SLA) and River Basin levels.
      The ABS also plans to release other sub-state geographic level data from the 2005-06 Agricultural Census in the coming months. These will include data for the Murray Darling Basin by state.

      Publications from the 2006–07 Agricultural Survey include:

      Principal Agricultural Commodities, Australia, Preliminary, 2006–07 (cat. no. 7111.0); released on 20 December 2007. This first release from the agricultural survey for the year ending 30 June 2007 included area and production for principal agricultural commodities, and livestock numbers, at the state level.

      Agricultural Commodities, 2006–07 (cat. no. 7121.0); to be released on 28 May 2008. This publication will contain final estimates from the agricultural survey. It will be supported by the release of spreadsheets in Agricultural Commodities: Small Area Data, Australia, 2006-07 (cat. no. 7125.0), which will contain all data collected in the survey (excluding water) for state, Statistical Division (SD) and Natural Resource Management (NRM) regions.

      Two value of agricultural production publications will also be released:

      Value of Principal Agricultural Commodities Produced, Australia, Preliminary, 2006–07 (cat. no. 7501.0); released on 12 February 2008. It contains first estimates of the gross value of production of selected crops, livestock slaughterings and livestock products at the state level

      Value of Agricultural Commodities Produced, 2005–06 (cat. no. 7503.0); to be released on 8 May 2008, will contain final value of production estimates at the state level.

      Customised services

      The ABS can customise a product to meet your specific policy, planning, research and commercial analysis needs. ABS consultants are experts in producing customised tables. For further information, call the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070.

      Statistical Training Courses Avaialble In Canberra 2008

      Each ABS office offers practical, informative and relevant training to help you develop your statistical skills. These courses may also be tailored to suit your needs or additional programs can be developed as required. The ABS is pleased to offer the following courses in Canberra in 2008:

      Analysing Survey Data Made Simple

      Overview
      This two-day computer-based course develops practical skills in basic statistical and graphical data analysis techniques using Microsoft Excel. It aims to equip participants with the skills to:
      · identify the steps involved in data analysis;
      · summarise and display survey data in graphical and tabular form;
      · find simple relationships in survey data; and
      · test for statistically significant differences between survey results.

      Is this course for me?
      This course is designed for people with limited training and exposure to statistical analysis who need to learn how to analyse and describe data that have been collected in surveys. A mathematical background is beneficial but not essential. Previous experience using spreadsheets is recommended.
      Dates
      · 28 – 29 May 2008
      · 7 – 8 August 2008
      · 20 – 21 October 2008
      Cost
      $750 (inc. GST) per person

      Basic Survey Design

      Overview
      This two-day course aims to provide a grounding in all facets of sample survey development. Topics include developing survey objectives, advantages and disadvantages of various collection methodologies, questionnaire design, data processing and reporting of results. Participants will learn how to:
      · formulate survey objectives and prepare project briefs;
      · identify issues associated with survey management and design;
      · identify appropriate survey techniques for data collection; and
      · understand the overall survey process.
      · Note that this course does not cover questionnaire design in any depth. Please see Principles of Questionnaire Design instead.

      Is this course for me?
      This course would be useful for anyone who conducts their own surveys, or who needs a broad understanding of the issues associated with the survey process.
      Dates
      · 19 – 20 June 2008
      Cost
      $750 (inc. GST) per person




      Making Quality Informed Decisions

      Overview
      Need to introduce some quality into your statistical decision making? This one-day course introduces the concept of 'holistic quality' through the use of a data quality framework. The framework ensures that users of statistics are able to assess whether the statistics are fit for their intended use. This course will provide participants with an increased understanding of:
      · how to set up a quality framework;
      · risk management in making statistical decisions;
      · how to assess datasets in the context of data need; and
      · using information on data quality to make better informed decisions.

      Is this course for me?
      This course would be useful for anyone who uses statistics in decision making, or is involved in producing statistics and wants to ensure that statistics are used appropriately.
      Dates
      · 17 July 2008
      · 29 October 2008
      Cost
      $450 (inc. GST) per person

      Principles of Questionnaire Design

      Overview
      This two-day course aims to enable participants to understand and apply the basic techniques used in developing a survey questionnaire. The course will include facilitated exercises to give participants an understanding of how to design and evaluate a questionnaire. The course content covers:
      · defining survey objectives;
      · developing content based on survey objectives;
      · developing survey questions;
      · developing instructions to accompany questions;
      · arranging questions in a logical and orderly way;
      · testing the questionnaire; and
      · questionnaire layout.

      Is this course for me?
      This course would be useful for anyone who needs to design a questionnaire that will collect information accurately and concisely.
      Dates
      · 7 – 8 May 2008
      · 23 – 24 September 2008
      Cost
      $750 (inc. GST) per person

      Turning Data Into Information
      Overview
      This two-day course is intended to provide skills in interpreting, communicating and displaying data clearly and effectively. Participants will gain skills in transforming data into meaningful written information, particularly in respect to social policy issues. At the completion of this course participants will be able to:
      · understand how the collection and compilation of data affects their usefulness, quality and relevance;
      · communicate results and prepare written reports;
      · construct good tables and graphs; and
      · recognise possible pitfalls in analysis.

      Is this course for me?
      This course will be most beneficial to people who need to use data to produce reports or social commentary, or people who are involved with monitoring and evaluation in a social context.
      Dates
      · 14 – 15 May 2008
      · 12 – 13 August 2008
      · 17 – 18 November 2008
      Cost
      $750 (inc. GST) per person

      Further Information
      For more information about course content, available dates for these courses in other capital cities around Australia, or details of how we may be able to tailor or offer a course to meet your specific needs:

      Ph: 02) 6252 8900

      E-mail: training@abs.gov.au

      Or visit www.abs.gov.au under ‘Services we provide’ then ‘ABS Training’, for further information about external training with ABS.


      CANBERRA 2008 COURSE REGISTRATION FORM
      Please tick below the course(s) you wish to attend.

      Analysing Survey Data Made Simple
       28 – 29 May 2008
       7 – 8 August 2008
       20 – 21 October 2008

      Basic Survey Design
       19 – 20 June 2008


      Making Quality Informed Decisions
       17 July 2008
       29 October 2008

      Turning Data Into Information
       14 – 15 May 2008
       12 – 13 August 2008
       17 – 18 November 2008

      Principles of Questionnaire Design
       7 – 8 May 2008
       23 – 24 September 2008

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      Department/Organisation: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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      Please send invoice to:  Participant (details above)  Other (Please provide details below)

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      Payment Details
      All course attendance will be invoiced upon completion of the nominated course. Costs include all course materials, a light lunch as well as morning and afternoon teas.
      1 day course $450 (inc. GST)
      2 day course $750 (inc. GST)
      Cancellations, in writing, will be accepted 5 working days prior to the course. After this a cancellation fee of 50% of the course fee will be charged. Non-attendance without written notification of cancellation will result in the full fee being charged. Substitutions are allowed at any time.

      REGISTER TODAY by returning this completed form to:
      Post: External Training Coordinator
      Information & Publication Services
      Australian Bureau of Statistics
      PO Box 181
      Civic Square ACT 2608

      Fax: (02) 6247 2389
      E-mail: training@abs.gov.au
      Phone: (02) 6252 8900 for further information

      · Your booking will be confirmed upon receipt of your registration form. If you have not received confirmation of enrolment within 2 working days, please call 02) 6252 8900.



      Expected Major Annual & Irregular Releases

      GENERAL

      1234.0
      Australian Standard Offence Classification (ASOC), 2007 (March)

      1269.0
      Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC), 2008 (2008)

      1292.0
      Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 2008 (April)

      1295.0.55.001
      Information paper ANZSIC 2006 Implementation Australia, 2008 (April)

      1297.0
      Australian Standard Research Classification (ASRC), 2008 (March)

      1379.0.55.001
      National Regional Profile, 2006 (May)

      1379.0.55.002
      National Regional Profile - Data Cubes, 2002 to 2006 (May)

      1380.0.55.004
      Perspectives on Regional Australia: Wealth throughout Australia, 2005-06 (March)

      1383.0.55.001
      Measures of Australia's Progress: Summary Indicators, 2008 (April)

      1383.0.55.002
      Measures of Australia's Progress: At A Glance, 2008 (April)

      1390.0
      Classroom Datasets, 2008 (June)


      CENSUS OF POPULATION AND HOUSING

      2033.0.30.001
      Census of Population and Housing: Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), Australia, 2006 (March)

      2039.0
      Information Paper: Census of Population and Housing: Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas, Australia, 2006 (March)

      2064.0.55.001
      CDATA Online Manual, 2007 (June)

      2951.0
      2006 Census of population and Housing: Form design testing report, 2006 (April)


      DEMOGRAPHY

      3201.0
      Population by Age and Sex, Australian States and Territories, Jun 2002 to Jun 2007 (June)

      3218.0
      Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2006-07 (March)

      3303.0
      Causes of Death, Australia, 2006 (March)

      3412.0
      Migration, Australia, 2006-07 (March)


      SOCIAL STATISTICS

      4172.0
      Arts and Culture in Australia: A Statistical Overview, 2008 (May)

      4390.0
      Private Hospitals, Australia, 2006-07 (May)

      4510.0
      Recorded Crime - Victims, Australia, 2007 (May)

      4528.0
      Personal Fraud, 2007 (June)

      4602.0
      Natural Resource Management on Australian Farms, 2006-07 (June)

      4706.0.30.001
      Australian Indigenous Geographical Classification Maps and Census Profiles, 2006 (April)

      4713.0
      Population Characteristics, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, 2006 (March)

      4713.8.55.001
      Population Characteristics, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, Australian Capital Territory, 2006 (March)

      4442.0
      Family Characteristics, Australia, 2006-07 (April)

      4442.0.55.002
      Family Characteristics Survey, Australia: User Guide, 2006-07 (April)

      4704.0
      The Health and Welfare of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples,2008 (April)


      NATIONAL ACCOUNTS, INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND FINANCE

      5249.0
      Australian National Accounts: Tourism Satellite Account, 2006-07 (April)

      5506.0
      Taxation Revenue, Australia, 2006-07 (April)

      5512.0
      Government Finance Statistics, Australia, 2006-07 (April)

      5518.0.55.001
      Government Finance Statistics, Education, Australia, 2006-07 (April)

      5673.0.55.003
      Regional Wage and Salary Earner Statistics, Australia - Data Cubes, 2004-05 (April)


      LABOUR STATISTICS AND PRICES

      6104.0
      Labour Statistics in Brief, Australia, 2008 (May)

      6225.0
      Information Paper: Persons in Their Own Business, Experimental Estimates for Small Areas, 1996-97 to 2003-04 (March)

      6250.0
      Labour Force Status and Other Characteristics of Migrants, Australia, November 2007 (May)

      6310.0
      Employee Earnings, Benefits and Trade Union Membership, Australia, August 2007, (April)

      6359.0
      Forms of Employment, Australia, November 2007 (April)

      6525.0
      Experimental Estimates of Imputed Rent, Australia, 2003-04 and 2005-06 (May)


      AGRICULTURE

      7121.0
      Agricultural Commodities, Australia, 2006-07 (May)

      7125.0
      Agricultural Commodities: Small Area Data, Australia, 2006-07 (June)

      7503.0
      Value of Agricultural Commodities Produced, Australia, 2005-06 (May)


      SECONDARY INCOME AND DISTRIBUTION

      8101.0
      Innovation and Technology Update, 2008 (June)

      8111.0
      Research and Experimental Development, Higher Education Organisations, Australia, 2006 (May)

      8153.0
      Internet Activity, Australia, December 2007 (April)

      8151.0
      Digital Game Development Services, Australia, 2006-07 (April)

      8166.0
      Summary of IT Use and Innovation in Australian Business, 2006-07 (June)

      8695.0
      Accommodation Services, Australia, 2006-07 (June)

      8697.0
      Performing Arts, Australia, 2006-07 (May)