10 January 2024 11:30 - 12:30
1. Opening and adoption of agenda
2. Minutes of meeting of 21 September 2023 and Actions
3. Update to Governance Framework Document
4. Work programme
5. Cross - cohort matters
6. AOB
7. Close
Attendees:
Mr McMahon opened and welcomed everyone to the meeting.
The agenda was adopted without amendment.
Minutes of the GUI Bilateral Steering Group meeting on 21 September 2023 were approved.
Review of Actions from the 21 September meeting:
| Action | Owner | Update |
|---|---|---|
| Observations from interim REC to be sent to CSO | Ms Pidgeon | Completed |
| Governance Framework Document to be updated for next Bilateral Steering Group meeting. | Ms Pidgeon | Update appendix 3 of Governance Framework Document to include the business plan timeline for 2024. See item 3 in this document. |
|
Offer of assistance from DCEDIY regarding:
CSO and DCEDIY to review options. |
CSO and DCEDIY |
NGO stakeholders consultation was facilitated and a number of meetings were held. Details of planned promotional events will be shared. |
|
Confidentiality WG - Scoping document to be circulated after the review by CSO Data Office and Legal unit. Clarification to be sought regarding any potential conflict with any data rights set out in the Birth Information Tracing Act. |
Mr McMahon and Ms Roche | See item 5a in this document. |
| Coordination of outputs on informal basis. | DCEDIY and CSO | Ongoing. |
| Data Workshops: CSO to look at what input to give. | Ms Roche | Work in progress, ongoing activity. Nothing outstanding. |
| DCEDIY and CSO will liaise regarding the GUI Annual Conference presentation. | DCEDIY and CSO | Congratulations on the day itself and very well done to all involved. |
| Intellectual Property: Look at questions for next Bilateral Steering Group meeting. | Ms Roche and Ms Pidgeon | External legal advice received via CSO Governance Unit. Government of Ireland is the copyright owner. |
| Arrange meeting to dicsuss Project Plan and key roles 2024 - 2026 | Ms Roche | Completed. |
| Arrange session to discuss initial analysis of cohort in Educational Longitudinal Dataset completed by graduate and Administrative Data. | Mr Watts | Education Longitudinal Dataset and Administrative Data are part of the work programme for 1st half of 2024. Leave on the action list. |
| Send on hard copy of key findings to Cork. | Dr Murray | Completed. |
Revised statement of strategy published in September still stands. However, appendix 3 will be replaced with the revised work plan supplied by Ms Pidgeon.
The clarity on intellectual property should be inserted into the relevant area of the governance framework document.
4a. Ms O'Riordan gave a preliminary update. A more detailed update will be provided to the group when analysis of pilot data and field force/respondent feedback is complete. Key points included:
A detailed report on the Pilot is expected in March.
Dr Murray congratulated on getting the Pilot wrapped up in the Christmas period.
Ms O'Riordan will send on more detail on proportion in childcare and responses obtained to Ms McGarrigle.
4b. Cohort '98 at 25 fieldwork updates
Cohort '98 fieldwork is nearly finished. There will be one more letter, text and online campaign in Q1. So far provisional response rate is 53.5%. This equates to 3,001 interviews with 709 partial interviews.
Ms Roche advised Caragh Stapleton joined the team in October and will be the lead statistician on Cohort '08. She is working on the consultation input and reviewing the 1st draft of the questionnaire. She is also liaising with Ms O'Riordan's team regarding questionnaire content and beginning questionnaire build with IT and Ms O'Riordan's team. We are hitting deadlines, however, still a lot of work for the Pilot to go live in quarter 3.
According to Cohort '24 respondents there was a lot of repetition in the instrument, this and other respondent feedback will be taken into account in future questionnaire development. Ms O'Riordan flagged the need to ensure a clear rationale for questions including the results of stakeholder consultation are reflected in the design. It is important to have a framework guiding decision making on inclusions and exclusions when finalising questionnaire content.
Mr McMahon re-emphasised the need for a framework whereby user need is clearly documented and justified for every single question.
Ms Pidgeon advised new rounds of consultations may be done differently as there are varying quality of inputs and level of understanding what is suitable for this type of survey, and it may not be the best place for some stakeholder questions to be asked. Is happy to work with Ms O'Rioran to make sure the survey is as usable as possible and is not into asking questions that would be just nice to know.
Dr Murray advised the Research Needs Report has a rationale for every topic though not every item. Anticipating what might be required in a few year's time due to the time lag in data being available is difficult. There was a lot of material presented at the recent conference on material that almost didn't make the questionnaire. Such as gambling, pornography, and gender identity.
Ms Roche said the bilateral engagement is working well. Over time we will need something highly structured in place almost on a question basis. Perhaps more internal documentation not the Research Needs Report.
Mr McMahon said bilateral content is key. Between now and the next meeting the CSO will supply the DCEDIY with examples of what we use to justify each variable. Research needs show desire to get information.
Bilateral work to be done on what a future data specification template might look like.
Ms McGarrigle suggested looking ahead to when planning should start for Cohort '98 at 29.
Dr Murray said it would be useful for the DCEDIY to get some early headline results for internal use on Cohort '98 at 25 for topical areas such as housing, work situation and emigration.
Mr McMahon explained the CSO practice adheres the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, one of which is equality of access. Therefore, no information can be given before it is published, except under the limited conditions of the CSO pre-release access policy.
Dr Murray suggested staggering the release of results and queried the planned first publication date of year end.
Mr Doolan advised fieldwork for Cohort '98 does not finish until end Q1 and the GUI RAP Division will not have a clean data file for analysis until into Q2.
Mr McMahon said we can plan release of results to meet user needs as long as the principle of equality of access is adhered to.
Ms Roche said we can keep the DCEDIY needs in mind when designing outputs and would be happy to engage with the DCEDIY on topics of immediate interest and types of output.
The CSO and DCEDIY will work bilaterally on priority areas for the data output side.
Ms Pidgeon showed a map of the year ahead. this business plan to be circulated.
Mr McMahon said it was a useful document for planning requirements and to include it in the government framework, replacing appendix 3.
Ms Roche noted that the working group on confidentiality have proposed a way forward through legislation which would allow an exemption for data collected for official statistics under Section 60.6 of the GDPR (public interest). It was noted that the DPC guidance on the GDPR rights of children references the need to take account of assurances of confidentiality which supports this approach, however the matter will require further consultation with the DPC. The International, Policy and Planning division of the CSO will lead on the legislative solution.
Ms McGarrigle requested the CSO to keep in touch with the DCEDIY so they can keep their Minister up to date.
Mr McMahon suggested keeping it as a standing item on the steering group meetings, so to keep abreast if there is anything to note.
Ms O'Riordan asked if there is a timescale on the amendments to the stats act. Ms Roche is not aware of one but will folow up with the Head of International, Policy and Planning and Head of Governance in CSO.
Ms O'Riordan will need some kind of timescale if we are to take all items into account for the survey. Mr McMahon said changes to legislation take time, but it may fit into the survey timing.
Mr O'Reilly advised the Research Needs Report for Cohort '08 was sent onto the Ethics Committee and they are expected to respond by the 24 January. He will then send the report on to the CSO.
A recommendations document for a permanent Ethics Committee to be retained for work carried out by the DCEDIY is being prepared.
Mr McMahon welcomed news establishing the permanent Committee and feedback on Cohort '08.
Ms O'Riordan said regarding point 5a, in the current situation from an ethical consideration we won't be able to give the guarantee of confidentiality to a 17-year-old as the current legal situation stands. This may be an issue from a data quality perspective. Primary legislation can be slow. DCEDIY could try to help, regarding scoping out what would be a good vehicle. CSO welcomed the Department's expertise.
Ms Roche said the CSO events team has asked that we provide a list of upcoming events. We attended the Pregnancy and Baby Fair in October and intend repeat visits in March and October of this year.
Mr Doolan sent on dates for events we have identified and asked if the DCEDIY have any other platforms they could share.
Ms McKevitt said DCEDIY are looking to set a date for the annual conference this year. DCEDIY are also considering holding a more policy-based event in the 1st half of this year.
Ms McKevitt is happy to send on any messages regarding the Cohort '24 recruitment campaign.
Dr Murray expects the Research Needs Report launch to be towards the end of the month. The December data workshop went well. Another data workshop is due around the end of February targeted to secondary users of data that will be focused on reports already published.
Mr McMahon and Ms McGarrigle both agreed an annual rotation for the chair and secretariat. The DCEDIY will take over chair and secretariat for 2024.
Ms Roche said the CSO will do a final roundup of minutes and pass them onto the DCEDIY to take over.
Next meeting: Thursday 21st March at 11:30am. Online.
The Cork face to face meeting was proposed for September and CSO will give potential dates when the minutes go out.
| Action | Owner |
|---|---|
| Present on work on Administrative Data carried out for the GUI 98 Cohort to Stat/AP and to steering group in future | Mr Watts |
| The clarity on intellectual property should be inserted into the relevant area of the governance framework document. Appendix 3 of the governance framework will be replaced with revised work plan supplied by Ms Pidgeon. | Ms Pidgeon |
| Detailed report on the progress of the Pilot for Cohort 24 at 9 months. | Ms O'Riordan |
| Srtucture format for what a questionnaire should look like, and any admin data that might be of value. Between now and the next meeting the CSO will supply the DCEDIy with examples of what we use to justify each variable. | Ms Roche |
| Start planning for Cohort 98 at 29. | Dr Murray |
| Regarding the publication of results for Cohort 98 at 25 the CSO and DCEDIY to work bilaterally on priorty areas on the data output side. | Ms Roche and Ms Pidgeon |
| Offer from DCEDIY for assistance with publicity and recruitment for infant field work. | Ms McKevitt |