QUESTION PERIOD — Innovation, Science and Economic Development
Statistics Canada
September 27, 2023
My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate.
Senator Gold, as you know, our Special Senate Committee on the Charitable Sector released a groundbreaking report four years ago that included 42 recommendations — one of which dealt with data collection. The committee called on the government to prioritize data about the charitable and non-profit sector in all Statistics Canada economic surveys.
In its response, the government explained that the General Social Survey program is undergoing a significant modernization exercise focused on re-engineering its collection platforms in order to increase the timeliness of data and ensure the content meets the needs of the stakeholders.
Can you provide us with an update on this initiative and what new developments there have been since the government’s response?
Thank you for the question. I understand that the General Social Survey, or GSS, aims to collect data on social trends to provide up-to-date information on social policy issues, and that it includes the Survey on Giving, Volunteering and Participating, or SGVP, providing a comprehensive overview of the contributions Canadians make by donating both time and money.
I’m advised that the SGVP involves a partnership of numerous federal government departments as well, importantly, of voluntary sector organizations, including the University of Ottawa, Imagine Canada and Volunteer Canada. The modernization efforts to which I alluded would take place through those partnerships, and any updates with regard to data collection and the rest will be forthcoming in due course.
Thank you for that response.
Yesterday, I met with five outstanding individuals from the charitable sector. They are calling on the government to mandate Statistics Canada to improve the quality and accessibility of the data collected on the sector. As they argue, high-quality disaggregated data is crucial to design policies and forecast the needs of the sector.
Can you assure us that the government will consult with the sector to provide guidelines to StatsCan on the needs of the sector with respect to data collection?
Thank you for your question.
I can assure the honourable senator that the government very well understands the need for collaboration between organizations and across jurisdictions to address the growing demand for disaggregated data. I understand that, in recent years, Statistics Canada has enhanced crowdsourcing survey instruments and uses them to collect key information for vulnerable populations, including immigrants, Indigenous communities and visible minority groups.
I further understand that, as a general matter, Statistics Canada is exploring areas where larger sample sizes are needed to provide credible disaggregated information.
I certainly would be happy to take the honourable senator’s questions back to the government for further consideration.
