Explanation of terms

These are the key terms widely used in StatRes. For other terms and more details, please refer to the documentation (About the statistics) for the various statistics and areas.

Indicator

An indicator is a value on a scale of measurement, calculated from data and/or statistics and which indicates or sheds light on statuses and trends within a given area. The indicators in StatRes shed light on statuses and trends in various parts of the state's activities.

Resource input

The resource input consists of the input factors used in an activity. Money is used to purchase labour and various goods or services. In StatRes, resource input is presented primarily as figures for this use of money and as the number of man-years employed.

Operating expenses and operating costs

The figures for operating expenses or operating costs are derived from the accounts of the various activities. In the state, accounts are maintained using two different accounting principles. Different definitions are therefore used, depending on whether the accounts are maintained in accordance with the National Accounts' cash principle or with the Accounting Act. If the accounts are maintained in accordance with the cash principle, the term 'operating expenses' is used; if in accordance with the Accounting Act, then 'operating costs' is used.

Operating expenses include payroll costs, purchases of goods and services and any costs of owning or leasing buildings or other real estate, interest and transfers in the form of cash or benefits-in-kind. Operating costs are defined in the same way, but exclude interest.

Payroll costs

Payroll costs include all of the state's outlays in its capacity of employer to its employees, including national insurance and pension premiums. Sick pay reimbursements from the national insurance scheme are deducted.

Contracted man-years adjusted for long term leaves

The number of full-time jobs and part-time jobs calculated as full-time equivalents adjusted for doctor-certified sickness absence and maternity leave.

Activities and services

The resource input is employed for various processes, activities or services in the organisations, e.g. operations, treatments, police patrols or education. In some cases, it may be problematical to identity specific activities or services; in others, the activities and services merge and are accordingly difficult to differentiate.

Outcomes

Outcomes are what an organisation has achieved through resource input, activities and services. These outcomes will also be affected by other factors beyond the organisation's control and may concern individuals and society in general and for both short and long terms.

In StatRes, indicators for outcomes are presented. These outcome indicators show what has been achieved and are, to the greatest possible extent, restricted and related to the objectives, activities and services of the organisations in question.

Productivity and unit costs

Productivity is the relationship between the resource input and associated activity or service. Unit costs indicate what an individual activity or service costs and is a way of describing productivity.

Related indicators

An organisation's activities and services can have effects that are not directly relatable to the organisation and its objectives, and these are therefore not described as outcome indicators. These effects can be both intended and unintended and the degree of causality may vary. Related indicators shed light on these factors.