The document describes Explorer, a statistical data visualization tool developed by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development to support development policy in Italy. Explorer allows users to interactively explore multiple indicators and their trends over time to analyze differences between regions and assess progress towards policy targets. It integrates data from various sources at the regional, sub-regional, and municipal levels. The Ministry has deployed two instances of Explorer using regional economic and public services data to facilitate open debate and evaluation of development programs. A demonstration showed Explorer's ability to tell stories with data and compare performance to waste management goals. Lessons indicated guidance is needed for non-technical users and active engagement is required to encourage story sharing.

1. EXPLORER:
A DYNAMIC STATISTICAL DATA VISUALIZATION TOOL
TO SUPPORT ITALIAN DEVELOPMENT POLICY
Italian Ministry of Economic DevelopmentStatistics eXplorer User Meeting
Norrköping, 25-26 May 2011
Carlo Amati, Simona De Luca
Department of Development and Economic Cohesion (DPS)

2. Italy and development policy
The reasons for eXplorer
Two instances: DPS and CPT eXplorer
An example story
Lessons learnt
OUTLINE

3. South (8 regions)
• Population (2010): 21 millions
• Per capita GDP (2005-2009): 17,000 €
• Youth unemployment rate (2010): 39%
• Child care coverage (2008): 5%
• Recycled urban waste (2008): 15%
Centre-North (13 regions)
• Population (2010): 39 millions
• Per capita GDP (2005-2009): 30,000 €
• Youth unemployment rate (2010): 22%
• Child care coverage (2008): 17%
• Recycled urban waste (2008): 38%
ITALY: SOME FIGURES
Average GDP per capita in the South is 57% of that in the Centre-North

4. DEVELOPMENT POLICY
DEVELOPMENT POLICY
Development policy is aimed at reducing gaps among
territories using additional resources (in addition to ordinary
ones):
 European structural funds (cofinanced by Member States)
 Additional national resources
EC Member States must respect the “additionality rule”:
Contributions from the structural funds shall not replace public or
equivalent structural expenditure by a Member State
Italy has a longstanding gap between Southern and Northern
regions in infrastructures and public services provision.
Relies heavily on massive and timely datasets of territorial information

5. Some projects
funded by development policy
in Italy

6. Completion of Palermo-Messina motorway (820 M€)

7. Light railway system – Sassari (120 M€)

8. Grottaglie airport (118 M€)

9. Sewage treatment plant – Termoli (8M€)

10. Organic waste treatment plant – Urbino (2M€)

11. The reasons for eXplorer

12. 1. Data availability
2. Data openness for a public debate
3. Visualization tools
AN OUTCOME-BASED (DEVELOPMENT) POLICY
REQUIRES:
eXplorer helps to meet requirements 2 and 3

13. MANY STEPS FOR DATA AVAILABILITY
• Formal agreements DPS-ISTAT to finance territorial data
production (co-funded by development policy itself).
• Regional data (TL2) on many different sectors:
• Regional Indicators Database to evaluate development policy
• Sub-regional data (TL3, and other territorial entities):
• Statistical Atlas of Municipalities (Atlante Statistico dei Comuni) 
more than 8,000 statistical units
• data at Optimal Territorial Areas (ATO) level for water service 
approx. 50 statistical units
• data at Health service districts (ASL) level  more than 100
statistical units
• Special agreements with other data producers
• “Regional Public Accounts” project: DPS coordinates a
territorial network of regional entities that produce data on
public financial flows

14. WHY EXPLORER?
eXplorer facilitates analysis and debate on data and policy
 Interactive exploration
of multiple indicators
 Time animation
 Stories: users can
contribute with their own
narratives and analyses
 Integration with user data
An increased awareness among citizens can generate more
pressure towards the achievement of policy results

15. EXPLORING OUR EXPLORER PATH
Launch of DPS
eXplorer
Stronger
partnership with
NComVA
DPS starts collaboration
with NCVA within the
framework of OECD
Global Project on
“Measuring the progress
of societies”
eXplorer presented at
OECD meeting on
“innovative tools to
trasform statistics into
knowledge”: towards
OECD eXplorer
Spring 2008 Spring 2009 Spring 2010 Spring 2011

16. Two instances of eXplorer

17. Targets set at minimum standard (to be reached in 2013)
Targets equal for all Regions
Sub-regional performance assessment
The governance role of DPS
 3 Billion euros
 8 Regions involved (South)
 4 Themes
 Education
 Child and elderly care
 Water service
 Urban waste
 11 Indicators
MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES
FOR PUBLIC SERVICES PROVISION
“Obiettivi di Servizio” (OdS): target outcomes for Southern regions

18. The performance of local administrations on the themes linked to
the OdS incentive mechanism can be compared and analyzed
TL2 and TL3 data available at: www.dps.tesoro.it/DPSeXplorer
Indicator:
Percentage of
recycled urban waste
Average 2002-2008
(southern regions):
less than 10%
Target 2013
(southern regions):
40%

19. REGIONAL PUBLIC ACCOUNTS
Since 1996 to now
30 sectors
Central and local
Financial flows (revenues and expenditures) of the wider public
sector at the regional level
A highly disaggregated and finalized information base can support policy and
decision-making
High level of detail

20. Revenues and expenditures
can be explored together
with context indicators
Enhanced access to online
data, from transparency to:
• openness
• geovisual exploration
TL2 data available at: www.dps.tesoro.it/cpt-eng
Edition 2011 of 21 Regional Monographs
accompanied by Statistics Publisher’s vislets

21. A story about waste
management in Italy

22. Different regional patterns, not always toward targets
LIVE DEMO

23. LESSONS LEARNT
Different skills for storytelling and
storyreading
Non-technical users need guidance (vislets
may help)
A call for stories may not be enough if not
supported by “push mode”

24. THANK YOU
dps.explorer@tesoro.it
carlo.amati@tesoro.it
simona.deluca@tesoro.it