External Statistical Data: Understanding Users and Improving Access

Every year, government agencies, financial institutions, and other businesses spend millions of dollars gathering and publishing statistical data, presumably intended for use by other organizations in planning. From the point of view of the end user, these data are external statistical data (ESD) because they are provided by external sources over which the end user has little control. Typical sources of ESD include national statistical agencies, such as the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), regional information services, and various state and national government departments.