Satistics NZ’s key operational platform, the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), is struggling and in need of significant renewal, the agency told incoming minister Shane Reti in January.
The IDI is built on old, increasingly unstable technology and is exceeding the capacity of its original 2011 prototype design, Stats NZ warned.
“It is often difficult to access, data ingestion is clunky and slow, and Stats NZ’s ability to refresh and update the ‘central linking spine’ underpinning the IDI is limited,” the briefing said.
“Agencies have recognised the need for support and investment, and several are supporting incremental improvements within their own baselines, citing the IDI’s criticality as part of their day-to-day delivery and operations.”
Service and infrastructure investment had not kept pace with growth in use, and reinvestment in the service was required to meet system demand, Stats wrote.
The IDI, which is free to government agencies, holds longitudinal data on over nine million current and former New Zealand residents, enabling the government to track social outcomes and investment impacts over a person’s lifetime.
“Using IDI data, the government can pinpoint when to intervene, how to tailor and target programmes, and where to scale up efforts most effectively,” Stats NZ explained.
Asked about its plans to shore up the IDI, Stats NZ told Reseller News it was still developing advice for its minister of on future options for investment.