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Description - Evaluation of the Census of Agriculture and Innovation in the Agriculture Statistics Program
Evaluation of the Census of Agriculture and Innovation in the Agriculture Statistics Program
About the evaluation
Statistics Canada evaluates programs like the Agriculture Statistics Program (ASP) to ensure that products align with user needs and that related internal processes are effective and efficient. The evaluation was conducted in accordance with the Treasury Board Secretariat’s Policy on Results (2016).
The main objective of the evaluation was to provide a neutral, evidence-based assessment of the 2016 Census of Agriculture (CEAG) dissemination strategy, the design and delivery of the CEAG migration to the Integrated Business Statistics Program (IBSP), and ASP projects supporting Statistics Canada’s modernization initiative.
A magnifying glass appears with the text: 85% of informants said the CEAG covered the issues important to their organization.
About the ASP
The mandate of the ASP is to provide economic and social statistics pertaining to the characteristics and performance of the Canadian agriculture sector and its people.
Areas covered:
- Crop and livestock surveys
- Farm economic statistics
- Agri-environmental statistics
- Taxes and other admin data
- Research and analysis
- Remote Sensing
- Census of Agriculture
What we learned
- The majority of users considered the 2016 CEAG dissemination an improvement compared to the 2011 CEAG and were satisfied with the overall approach taken.
- CEAG data were used for multiple purposes with data tables being the product of choice.
- CEAG migration to the IBSP is expected to improve efficiency and has been well managed to date. However, unresolved issues pose a risk.
- ASP projects were aligned with the modernization pillars and expected results.
- Overall, governance structures were in place for the ASP projects reviewed, however, some elements of project management and the sharing of best practices could be strengthened.
How can we improve the CEAG and ASP innovation projects?
- For the 2021 CEAG, the Agriculture Division explore ways to improve the timeliness of the last two sets of data tables (historical data, and socio-economic data) and increase cross-analysis with non-agricultural sectors.
- Web tools include guidance on how to use them and how to interpret data from them. A proactive approach to launching new tools should be taken.
- Unresolved issues for the migration to the IBSP, including incompatibilities between the IBSP and the CMP as well as the IBSP processing capacity, are addressed prior to the production phase.
- Significant risks during the production phase, particularly with regard to data quality assessments and the exercising of roles and responsibilities, are monitored and mitigated.
- Planning processes for future projects falling outside the scope of the Departmental Project Management Framework include an initial assessment that takes into account elements such as risk, materiality, public visibility and interdependencies. The assessment should then be used to determine the appropriate level of oversight and project management.
- Processes and tools for documenting and sharing of best practices are implemented and lessons learned from other organizations (internal and external) are leveraged.
User satisfaction
| How satisfied are CEAG users with: | Satisfied | Somewhat satisfied | Not satisfied | Unsure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Types and formats of products and publications | 19 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Time lapse between Census Day and first release | 15 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| Types of agricultural operations covered | 15 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Number of topics or themes covered in each release | 15 | 5 | 0 | 4 |
| Time lapse between each release | 13 | 5 | 2 | 4 |
| Level of detail of products and publications | 10 | 12 | 1 | 1 |
| Cross-analysis with other topics and agricultural surveys | 10 | 7 | 2 | 5 |
| Time lapse between Census Day and release of all data | 6 | 11 | 4 | 3 |