A mega database critical to the government’s social investment approach has required a $2 million upgrade because it is creaking at the seams.
The Integrated Data Infrastructure, run by Statistics New Zealand, is a large anonymised database holding “microdata about people and households” sourced from government agencies, surveys and NGOs.
It is often used by government agencies and academics for research purposes under strict conditions.
Ministerial documents released to RNZ under the Official Information Act show that while the database is considered the “primary tool” to support the government’s social investment analysis, it is “outdated”, receiving little investment since it was first developed in 2011.
The IDI is arguably the most important database runs by Stats NZ. It is invaluable in allowing researchers to access data and find correlations that inform public policy. A vast amount of our top quality research comes from this database.
Upgrading it is an easy decision.
David Farrar runs Curia Market Research, a specialist opinion polling and research agency, and the popular Kiwiblog where this article was sourced. He previously worked in the Parliament for eight years, serving two National Party Prime Ministers and three Opposition Leaders.
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