Office of Economic and Statistical
Research (OESR)
Queensland Treasury

• OESR Statistical Information Systems (SIS)
• What is COMSIS?
• Demonstration
• How is COMSIS being used?
• Three take home messages

• OESR developing SIS since 1992 (QRSIS – public)
• Three SIS components:
Data
− social, demographic and economic indicators
− usually freq counts or rates (not unit record)
− 488 collections, 47,000 unique series
Time series
− where possible data collected over time
Geography
− Small-area (SLA/LGA) based on ASGC (2006)
• Website: www.oesr.qld.gov.au

• In 2005, Qld Dept of Communities (DoC) developed an evidence-based planning framework – NBPRAF.
• Concept – use data (quant & qual) as evidence to ensure best allocation of resources to priority need.
• Small area data from QRSIS excellent starting point, but DoC needed.….
1. Data presented on DoC regions and
2. Specific administrative data from other agencies

1. Data presented on DoC regions

2. Specific administrative data from other agencies
• Exisitng data + DoC ‘wish list’ of admin data
• OESR acted as data broker
Examples:
COMSIS admin collection
Births to teenage mothers (15-19 yrs)
Substantiated notifications - child abuse
Crim convictions - custodial sentences
Yr1 students did not attend preschool
Source agency
Qld Health
Department of Child Safety
Justice & Attorney-General
Department of Education

Define data and concordance
Gather (broker) data
Load Data
COMSIS -
Database query tool
COMSIS -
Regional profiles
Shared SIS database
COMSIS -
Thematic maps

COMSIS – Database query tool
Scenario: DoC Officer in Cairns working on an Indigenous adolescents program would like to determine target pop.
– Screenshots
Benefits
– Easy-to-use
– New data automatically concorded to DoC regions
– DoC access to previously inaccessible Qld Govt admin data (and load own)
– Ability to ‘drill down’ to small-area geographies
– Print, or export data tables for further anlysis

COMSIS - Regional profiles
Scenario: DoC Officer in Noosa would like a quick demographic profile Sunshine Coast to use in a planning report.
– Screenshots
Benefits
– Easy-to-use
– Provides a quick informative snapshot of region
– Tables, charts and analysis automatically updated with latest statistics from database – always current
– Consistency in reporting across agency
– Significant time and cost savings

COMSIS - Thematic maps
Scenario: DoC Officer in Bris working on migrant support services would like to identify communities with high proportion of o/s born persons.
– Screenshots
Benefits
– Easy-to-use
– Presents spatial distribution of indicators
– Quick visual identification of clusters or ‘hotspots’

DoC examples
– Development of needs scores to identify SLAs of greatest risk/need
– Modelling need using synthetic estimation (matching
SLA variables with CD level predictors)
– Regional offices using for funding proposals
– Input to Govt Regional Plans (Blueprint for the Bush)
– DoC Evidence Groups – program strategies
– Mapping services against need (supply/demand)
– For research projects (Impact of Poverty report)

Other Agencies using SIS’s
– Disability Services Queensland
– Department of Tourism, Regional Development and
Industry
– Office of Child Safety
– Parliamentary Library
– Department of Natural Resources and Water
– Department of Education Training and Arts (in development)
Hope to encourage other service delivery agencies

1. Govt agencies can/will make evidence-based decisions
– data accessible and relevant
2. Govt agencies can/will share admin (statistical) data – need for trusted broker
3. Small-area data crucial - building blocks for customisation