Lucia Buzzigoli, Ph.D. and Cristina Martelli, Ph.D. Department of Statistics, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni, 59, Firenze, 50134, Italy
Abstract
In Italy the law provides for the use of statistical information systems in support of local governance
The statistical use of administrative data is strategic to generate these statistical information systems. Italian official statistics endorses the statistical usage of administrative data sets: starting from original experiences (for Italy at the end of the years ’80), the actual approach is oriented to promote the coordinated treatment of administrative sources. Italian legislation, following European regulation (CEE Directive n. 322/97; CEE Directive n. 2186/93 and CEE Directive n.58/97) obliges Public Administrations to fulfil the link between their informative systems with the national statistical system in the prospective of a more diffused usage of statistical archives.
The heterogeneity of semantic, coding and naming policies of administrative concepts represents a major obstacle to a full statistical re-use of administrative data sets; moreover administrative data are generated and handled out of any coherence framework with the statistical coding standards.
The paper presents the critical issues stemming from some recent research experiences in the field of statistical re-use of administrative data and explores possible solutions for the main methodological problems. In particular, experiences will be discussed about the way of generating consistent documentation systems and protected environments in which administrative data consistent with statistical standards can be generated.