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STATIN
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About STATIN
Governance & Management Structure
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About Us
The Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) was established under the Statistics (Amendment) Act 1984 on April 9, 1984. The Institute has been invested with all the powers formerly vested in the Department of Statistics and previously the Bureau of Statistics (which came into existence in 1946). The Statistical Institute of Jamaica is an agency of the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service.

The main functions of the Institute are:
  • to collect, compile, analyse, abstract and publish statistical information relating to the commercial, industrial, social, economic and general activities and condition of the people;
  • to collaborate with public agencies in the collection, compilation and publication of statistical information including statistical information derived from the activities of such agencies;
  • to take any census in Jamaica; and generally to promote and develop integrated social and economic statistics pertaining to Jamaica and to co-ordinate programmes for the integration of such statistics, in accordance with the provisions of the Statistics Act.
Our Vision
In 2030 STATIN is an innovative, customer-responsive agency providing accurate, timely and quality statistics, enabling Jamaica to achieve its National Development Goals.
Our Mission
To contribute to national development through the provision of quality statistics to enable effective planning and decision-making.
Core Values
  1. Integrity – adherence to ethical and professional standards to ensure that transparency and methodological soundness guide the policies and practices of producing and disseminating official statistics.
  2. Confidentiality – as stipulated in the Statistics Act, the privacy of data providers and the information collected must be guaranteed.
  3. Professional Independence – the absence of interference or pressure from government agencies or policy, regulatory or administrative department and bodies, the private sector or other person or entity of influence.
  4. Accountability – accepting responsibility and ownership for information produced according to scientific standards on the sources, methods, and procedures of the statistics.
  5. Teamwork – working together to achieve the goals of the Institute.
  6. Customer-Focused – ensure customer satisfaction by the development of new statistical products and improving existing programmes.
Governance and Management Structure

The Office of the Director General (ODG)

The organization is headed by the Director General who has overall responsibility for the operations of the Institute. The Director General is assisted by the Deputy Director General who has responsibility for the technical divisions. The responsibilities of the ODG include monitoring of the Institute’s efficiency in carrying out its functions and ensuring that the Institute operates within various legislations and governing policies.


Divisions


The Administrative Statistics Division

The primary responsibility of the Division is to provide detailed statistical data and analyses in economic activities such as International Merchandise trade, and Indices and Price Analyses.
The Division currently has two units:-

  • Indices and Price Analyses
    The Unit is responsible for the compilation of the monthly indices for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the Producer Price Index (PPI). Annual Reports are also produced for these indicators.


    The indices are a significant input into the system of National Accounting and are used for the deflation of some current price estimates. Additionally, the CPI and PPI are used by government agencies responsible for overall planning, policy determination and monitoring. These indicators are also used by the private sector, researchers and international organizations.


  • International Merchandise Trade
    The Unit is responsible for the collection, compilation and analysis of data relating to imports, domestic exports and re-exports of merchandise goods by types of commodities, volume and value, as well as, by partner country. Monthly bulletins and an Annual Report are published. Data on trade are used for economic planning, market analysis and monitoring, GDP compilation and balance of payment compilation. The trade statistics are used extensively by government, the private sector, researchers and international agencies.



Research, Design and Evaluation Division

The Research, Design and Evaluation (RD&E) Division has primary responsibility for improving the quality and technical soundness of the Institute’s statistical output. The major functions of the RD&E Division include:
  • determining and implementing the research agenda of the Institute;
  • ensuring the application of appropriate standards and methods to statistical work;
  • overseeing the development and maintenance of classification systems;
  • the development and maintenance of frames for social and economic surveys;
  • overseeing the development and maintenance of robust sample designs and statistical methodologies;
  • the design and development of new statistical products; and
  • implementing and managing the data quality framework for the Institute.

Surveys Division

The Surveys Division is responsible for compiling Labour Market indicators as well as undertaking all household surveys. The Division consists of three (3) Units:-

  • Household Unit
  • Establishment Unit
  • Special Projects Unit

Household Unit
The Household Unit is responsible for the delivery of two major surveys:

  • The Jamaica Labour Force Survey
    The Jamaica Labour Force Survey is a quarterly survey that provides detailed information on a variety of issues related to the labour market such as the level and pattern of employment and unemployment. This survey targets members of the civilian, non-institutional households who are 14 years old and over in all the parishes of Jamaica.

  • Jamaica Survey of Living Conditions
    The Jamaica Survey of Living Conditions is a household survey which is conducted annually since its inception in1988. It provides data on demographic characteristics of households, household consumption, health, education, housing, social protection and other social indicators for tracking Jamaica’s social development.

Establishment Unit

The Establishment Unit has responsibility for the following:
  • Employment, and Earnings Survey which collects data quarterly from establishments employing 10 or more persons.
  • Production Statistics Survey which compile statistics on the nature and values of production in Jamaica.

Special Project Unit
The Special Projects Unit manages surveys that are undertaken by STATIN on a contractual basis. It conducts surveys on behalf of the government of Jamaica, including Ministries, Agencies and Departments, international organizations such as the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), International Development Bank (IDB), International Labour Organization (ILO) and other private institutions.


Information and Technology Division

The Information and Technology Division is responsible for all information systems and technology within the Institute. The Division has special responsibilities for:

  • managing the organization's hardware, software, network and communication infrastructure
  • Providing technical support
  • Designing and developing information systems
  • Offering advice and making recommendations regarding IT investment decisions

The Information and Technology Division consists of two units:-

  • The Network, Communications & Technical Support Services Unit which manages the ICT infrastructure which supports employees at head office and in the field offices.
  • The Systems Development Unit which oversees the communication and networking environment of the organization.

Field Services Division

The Field Services Division is a support division within the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN). The division consists of three units: Data Collection, Survey Services and Geographic Services.

The Data Collection Unit (DCU) has responsibility for the collection of data through the use of two methods:

  • Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) method
  • Paper and Pencil Interviewing (PAPI) method used:
    • with some ad hoc surveys
    • when the CAPI method is not recommended for use in a particular ED

The Survey Services Unit has responsibility for:

  • Preparation of assignments for all household surveys
  • Electronic editing and coding of these surveys.
  • Verification of data.
  • Preparation of reports for the use in other units that are needed in the calculation of weights.
  • Preparation of the sample (second stage).

The Geographic Services Unit (GSU) has responsibility for:

  • Creating and maintaining a hierarchy of statistical divisions (Enumeration Districts/EDs and Special Areas).
  • Census and survey mapping.
  • Maintaining and updating Enumeration Districts (EDs) network through the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and supporting systems and software such as GPS, Google Earth and other Imagery sources.

Corporate Services Division

The Corporate Services Division provides support services to the core areas of the Institute. The role of the Division is to provide a high standard of corporate support and leadership in the areas of strategic, financial and human resource management; communications and marketing; library services; office maintenance and general services to assist all divisions in achieving the Institute’s mission and goals.


The Division is comprised of five (5) functional areas, namely:

  • Corporate Planning which has responsibility for Strategic Planning, Corporate Reporting – Corporate and Operational Plans, Annual, Quarterly and Monthly Reports.
  • Human Resource Management which has responsibility for Staffing, Orientation, Benefits Administration, Performance Management, Training and Development, Personnel Records Management, Discipline Administration, Compensation Management.
  • Finance and Accounting which is responsible for the preparation of financial statements, Inventory Management, Fixed Asset Management, Budget Management, Payroll, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Project Accounting, Procurement Administration.
  • Communications and Marketing responsible for the Internal/External Communication, Website Information Management, Library Services, Printing Services, Event Planning, Sales of Publications and Public Relations matters.
  • General Services Unit which is in charge of Office Administration, Vehicle Management, Telephone Services, Photocopying Services, Records Management, Disaster & Safety Management.

Economic Accounting Division

The Economic Accounting Division is responsible for developing and analysing national accounts statistics relating to the economic life of Jamaica. The single most widely used indicator of economic performance, Gross Domestic Product or GDP, is compiled by the Division. The GDP of a country is the total unduplicated value of the goods and services produced in the country during a given period e.g. monthly, quarterly or annually.

The Economic Accounting Division has responsibility for the following programmes:

  • Annual National Accounts
  • Quarterly National Accounts
  • Supply & Use Tables (SUT)
  • Tourism Satellite Account (TSA)

National accounts statistics are used for:

  • Monitoring the performance of the economy
  • International comparison of economic performance
  • Formulation of economic policies and assessment of these policies
  • Market research and business analysis

Statistics published by the Division are used by the private sector, government agencies, international agencies, researchers and students.


Censuses, Demographic and Social Statistics Division

This division is responsible for the planning, implementation and management of all censuses undertaken by the Institute and also for research and analysis on demographic, social and environment statistics.

The two units within the division are:

  • Population Studies
  • Environment Statistics

Population Studies
This unit calculates the annual data on estimated population in the Demographic Statistics reports and also has the main responsibility for producing annual social statistics reports.

Environment Statistics

The unit has responsibility for the collection, compilation and analysis of environment statistics and indicators as well as publishing an annual report.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Corporate Governance plays a very important role in the operations of the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN).

In advancing its mandate, STATIN relies on its governance framework through which corporate objectives are set and plans for achieving those objectives and monitoring performance are determined. The Board of Directors of STATIN have been charged with the statutory responsibility of safeguarding maintaining this governance framework to ensure currency and relevance.


Terms of References (TORs) have also been established to provide the mechanisms for the execution of functions to be undertaken by the standing committees of the Institute. Summary descriptions of these standing committees are provided below.


BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Board of Directors is the ultimate decision-making and policy-setting body for the Institute. The Board in fulfilling its duties and responsibilities will rely on the information, advice and recommendations provided to it by Senior Management through the Director General, but will exercise independent judgment.


AUDIT COMMITTEE

The Audit Committee is an important governance mechanism to help within the Institute. The Financial Administration and Audit (Amendment) Act and the Public Bodies Management & Accountability Act stipulate that an Audit Committee be established. The Acts define the role and responsibilities of the Audit Committee.


SENIOR MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

The Senior Management Committee is the main committee in the Institute. This committee assists the Director General in the development and management of the Institute.


EDITORIAL COMMITTEE

The Editorial Committee of the Institute has been established to ensure that the publications of the Institute are properly edited before they are released. The Committee is intended to review all reports and other documents prepared for publication by the Institute.


TECHNICAL COMMITTEE

The Technical Committee shall be advisory and its scope shall comprise all matters pertaining to the standards and methodologies employed in the implementation of the work programme of the Institute. The Committee shall serve as a forum for discussions on matters pertaining to the core statistical processes.


FINANCE COMMITTEE

The Finance Committee is given the responsibility to monitor expenditures in the Institute, particularly as they relate to the allocation of funds by the Government. The Committee will also advise on expenditures from funds earned by the Institute.


PROCUREMENT COMMITTEE

The Procurement Committee’s purpose is, inter alia, to review the Institute’s tendering and procurement policies and practices to ensure that the operating policies and procedures relating to tendering and procurement as stipulated by the Government of Jamaica Procurement Policy are adhered to and that all tenders are conducted in a fair and ethical manner and that no conflict of interest exists with any staff member connected to the tendering and procurement process.


HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELPOPMENT (HRD) COMMITTEE

The Human Resource Development (HRD) Committee of the Institute has been established to provide advice to the Director General through the Senior Management Committee with respect to the development of Human Resources (HR) of the Statistical Institute of Jamaica in tandem with its strategic direction.


PROJECT MONITORING COMMITTEE

The Project Monitoring Committee provides strategic direction, oversight, expert knowledge, approval at key milestones and guidance on all aspects of the delivery of significant capital projects undertaken by the Institute. This includes all approved and potential projects delivered through sole funding from the Government of Jamaica, through partnership with International Agencies as well as through private clients.

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Quality Commitment
Technical Cooperation and Capacity Building
Quality Commitment
"QUALITY" is the extent to which a product or service of STATIN is fit for users’ intended purposes. It defines our behaviour on the job, ensuring that our products and services are of the highest standard, integrity and credibility.
STATIN’s Quality Assurance Framework (SQAF) is the overarching framework of the Institute for managing the production of official statistics and related services. It outlines the context of quality management to assure all stakeholders of the integrity with which the statistical business process is handled in producing official statistics as inputs for informed decision-making. Click here to read more...
STATIN is bound by law and the Statistics (Amendment) Act 1984. Click to View The data STATIN collects, compiles, processes, analyses and disseminates is for statistical purposes ONLY. Pursuant to this, all employees of the Institute, temporary and permanent, are required to sign an Oath of Confidentiality and a Declaration of Secrecy as part of the employment process. Any breaches are punishable by law. The information disseminated by STATIN is presented in a manner that promotes the protection of confidential information. This information is presented in an aggregated or anonymized format to prevent the identification of any individual, household or establishment. By using data provided by STATIN you agree to these Terms and Condition of Data Use.
This is STATIN's formal statement about its commitment to producing high quality official statistics. It includes what quality means for the Institute, as well as the legal framework, codes of practice and quality management principles that guide the Institute's work. It outlines the standards to which the Institute is held accountable.
In endeavouring to operate on a level that is comparable to national statistics offices (NSOs) around the world, STATIN observes principles from several codes of good practice in producing official statistics. These help to ensure that the Institute is operating at regionally and internationally accepted scientific, professional and ethical standards.

Code of Good Practice in Statistics for Latin America & the Caribbean
CARCOM'S Statistics Code of Practice
The United Nations has articulated a core set of principles that underpin the production of official statistics. As a member of the international statistical community, STATIN subscribes to these principles.

UN Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics
STATIN recognizes the need to observe and comply with professional ethics in the production of official statistics. The Institute has therefore adopted principles articulated by the International Statistical Institute (ISI) to promote and guide ethical conduct in the statistical production process.

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