Products and Services for Sistan

Products and services
Section for Coordination and Development of the National Statistical System (Sistan) supplies a series of products and services aimed at supporting high-quality standards in official statistics, enhancing its functions in Italy and increasing general government awareness of Sistan role when using statistics for decision-making. Moreover, it fosters training and information exchange.

Web site
www.sistan.it
The Internet is one of the most important tools as it allows real-time information flows. Most of the publications, including Italian and European statistical legislation and the National Statistical Programme, can be browsed on the web site.

Sistan News
It gives information about events, legislation, editorial news, training activities, new methodologies and best practices. Where possible, links to other sites provide the user with complete texts and further information. News has been on line since October 2001. The site is composed of a main page where issues are ranked chronologically - htpp://www.sistan.it/news.html - with links to organisation and thematic pages. Organisation pages deal with international organisations, central administrations and bodies, Regions, territorial and functional administrations, Municipalities, consortia of Municipalities in mountain areas and other organisations. On the other hand, thematic pages deal with legislation, institutional activities, dissemination, innovation and methodologies, events and training. Sistan news allows Sistan bodies to promote their initiatives, safeguarding at the same time, their own identity by providing links to the original sites.

Sistan Magazine
It is a four-monthly review which deals with statistical information and where interested users can share their experiences and build stronger synergies. The target population is ever growing: statistical operators, academicians, public administrators, students, citizens. An evidence of that is the rising number of printed issues, which has passed from 10.000 to 30.000. The task of the editorial staff is to offer updated products, though maintaining elements of continuity. Newspaper issues are also available on Sistan web site.

Publications

National Statistical Programme
It is made up of two parts. The first one, published in the Italian Official Journal, contains the guidelines ruling Sistan activity; the objectives to be achieved and the tasks to be carried out, broken down by statistical area and over a three-year period. The second part contains useful work and/or project profiles. The publication is also available on the Internet and on CD.

Sistan Catalogue
It collects all the publications issued by Sistan bodies. Since 1994 it has been published every two years and widely spread among all Sistan bodies, thus becoming a useful reference tool for insiders and outsiders. It contains both abstracts and bibliographical references of the outstanding statistical publications produced by Sistan central and local bodies.

Official Statistical Codes
It is about four books on Italian and European statistical activity and organisation. The codes systematise legal provisions issued by competent bodies, thus facilitating reference and search. In 2000, due to the institutional changes, the first book dealing with the System organisation was updated. The constant revision of the books is a chance to improve their consultation.

Guidelines for statistical publications of Municipalities
The handbook, which is the outcome of a test carried out in some sample Municipalities, contains directives on how to draw up a booklet for the general public (families, institutions, societies) and a yearbook for specific users (professionals, social and economical workers, decision-makers in the public sector). The guidelines show how to retrieve statistical data, draw up contracts with print shops and how to disseminate products. The handbook is first published as a hard copy. Updating and improvements, stemming from the Municipalities using the guidelines, are then published on the web site.

Address book
It is constantly updated and contains the addresses of statistical offices representatives.