DIMA Annual Report 1997-98
Sub-program 1.1: Research and Statistics
Objective
Description
Performance information
Financial and staffing resources summary
Performance outcomes
Objective
To provide accessible and relevant statistics, research and information services for policy development and discussion on Portfolio issues.
Description
The sub-program provides the Minister and the Department with data, research and information services upon which policy and operational decisions are made.
Sources include statistical and other data collected by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA), the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Australia (LSIA), DIMA's library database and bibliography development, and internally and externally commissioned research.
Information is made available by dissemination of a number of publications and other information products through libraries, Government Info Shops and the Internet.
[ Top Of Page ]Performance information
Outcomes are measured by the extent to which research, statistics and information services:
- meet the needs of the Portfolio; and
- are accessible so that public discussion is better informed on migration, population and multicultural issues.
Financial and staffing resources summary
1997–98 |
1997–98 |
1996–97 |
|
| Budgetary (cash) basis | |||
| Components of appropriations | |||
| Annual appropriations | |||
| Running costs | 3 358 |
2 319 |
n/a |
| Other program costs | 50 |
50 |
n/a |
| Total appropriations | 3 408 |
2 369 |
n/a |
| Less adjustments | 227 |
76 |
n/a |
| Total outlays | 3 181 |
2 293 |
n/a |
| Total revenue | – |
– |
n/a |
| Staffing | |||
| Staff years (actual) | 24 |
24 |
n/a |
Due to program restructures in both 1996–97 and 1997–98, sub-program figures for 1996–97 actuals are not meaningful for comparative purposes to 1997–98 figures. They have therefore not been included in this table.
[ Top Of Page ]Performance outcomes
(i) Needs of the portfolio
The Department's central research program was developed in consultation with program areas and State/Territory offices and endorsed by the Executive and the Minister.
The LSIA is the central research source of the Portfolio. It provides reliable data for Commonwealth and other agencies to monitor and evaluate immigration and settlement policies, programs and services and for the development of future policies.
The detailed questionnaire for each wave of immigrants studied is developed by program areas of the Department, in consultation with other interested agencies such as the Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs (DEETYA), the ABS and Centrelink.
The LSIA, which began in March 1994, collects data on the immigration experience and settlement outcome of 5 000 recently-arrived immigrant households, and half the survey population has been visited three times. The Minister approved a new survey of up to 2 500 households, to start in 1998–99, following the same methodology.
Three new LSIA – based reports covered:
- The Migrant Experience (a comprehensive summary of results to date);
- Sponsors of Spouse Migration to Australia; and
- Citizenship Intentions of Recently Arrived Migrants.
LSIA data was used as substantial input to the points test reviews, policy reviews, DIMA fact sheets, settlement planning activities, ministerial briefings and parliamentary questions. It was also used to develop cabinet submissions and an economic model of the relative financial costs and benefits to the Commonwealth Government of the first five years of settlement of immigrants in the different eligibility categories of migration.
Some of the ad hoc Portfolio issues for which program areas sought LSIA data were:
- unemployment rates, labour force participation, skill levels, qualification assessment, occupation and attendance at educational institutions;
- assets transfers and expenditure, receipt of Department of Social Security (DSS) benefits and tax payment estimates;
- internal movement;
- English language proficiency;
- household size;
- demand for housing;
- the two-year DSS benefit waiting period; and
- more specific issues concerning immigrant sub-populations such as women, parents, settlers in particular Australian States, migrants from particular countries of birth or particular ethnic groups, and migrants in each of the major visa eligibility categories.
The sub-program manages the Australian Population, Immigration and Multicultural Research Program.This joint program of the Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers responsible for immigration and multicultural affairs, which examines a variety of population and settlement issues to assist in policy formulation and assessment.
The program commissioned the second edition of the encyclopaedic The Australian People; a new series of the Atlas of the Australian People based on the 1996 Census; and Internal Migration in Australia 1991–1996. In addition, LSIA based reports were commissioned on:
- the changing pattern of immigrants' labour force experiences;
- needs for English as a Second Language (ESL) services;
- changing patterns of immigrants' health and use of medical services;
- general satisfaction on migration reported by recent immigrants;
- immigrant housing needs and preferences; and
- immigrant support services.
(ii) Accessibility of research, statistics and information services
The sub-program provides statistical support for the Department's policy and operational functions and disseminates information on migration, population and multicultural issues to other government agencies and the community. It acquires and analyses relevant statistical data, produces a large range of standard tables, publishes statistical reports and provides a general statistics inquiry service.
The sub-program has enhanced and updated its three electronic statistical products:
- Where In The World, which provides settler arrival data by year, birthplace, migration category and State of intended residence;
- Migrants At Work, which provides settler arrival data by occupation and State of intended residence; and
- BLAR, which provides data on birthplace, language and religion drawn from the 1996 Census.
A new electronic product developed by the sub-program provides statistics on Australia's estimated resident population for the past six years, and is broken down by country of birth, age and gender.
A new service called DIMA Statistics is available to departmental staff on the Local Area Network (LAN). DIMA Statistics draws together the electronic products as well as incorporating other information about the 1996 Census and publications produced within the area.
In 1997–98, the sub-program published a quarterly Immigration Update, an annual Settler Arrivals and 12 statistical reports (on temporary resident arrivals, emigration, English proficiency groups and a series based on birthplace and related data from the 1996 Census). It handled 2 431 statistical requests
[ Top Of Page ]Chart 1.1 (1): Statistical requests
Requests for statistical data have declined since the introduction, from 1992–93, of a charge for this service and the wider dissemination of statistical information in hard copy and electronic formats.
During the year, the library added 437 new items to the collection, dealt with 3 557 inquiries, arranged 262 incoming loans, 879 inter-library loans, and produced bibliographies on Second Generation Australians and Immigrant Post-arrival Services.
Greater emphasis is now placed on self-access products as a cost-effective way of meeting general public interest. Summaries and key findings of research and statistical reports are freely available on the Internet and the Department's draw-down fax system.
The Multicultural Australia and Immigration Studies (MAIS) database gained 1 237 references during the year, bringing the total to 31 817. MAIS is the major public access vehicle for this sub-program and it is available on the Internet at www.informit.com.au.
Published reports are also available through major libraries and are sold through Government Info Shops.