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Metric value types

Here’s a brief description of each value type available for LG Inform Plus metrics. Each value type is available for selection in the Data Tool page.

Raw values

Values in the units of measure specified for the metric type. Values are presented rounded to a number of decimal places determined by the LGA, but unrounded values can be accessed via the Application Programming Interface (API).

Quantiles

The group within which values occur such that the same number of values occur in each group. Quantile is a generic term used for differing numbers of groups. You need to specify how many groups you want, e.g.:

  • 4 for quartiles
  • 5 for quintiles
  • 10 for deciles

Equal ranges

The group within which values occur, you need to specify how many groups you want.. For example, where values range from 1 to 100 and you select 4 groups each of the range for each group will be 25; 1 - 25, 26-50, 51-75 and 76-100.

Number of standard deviations

The number of standard deviations from the mean average value. This gives an indication of the extent to which a value is an outlier.

Direction of travel

How each value has changed from a specified period, defaulting to the prior period. If the metric type has polarity (indicating if a high value is good or bad), the direction of travel will be expressed as Improving, Worsening or No change.  If the metric type has no polarity, the direction of travel will be expressed as Increasing, Decreasing or No change.

% difference from last or specified period

How much each value has changed since a specified period, defaulting to the prior period, expressed as a percentage.

% difference from previous equivalent period

How much each value has changed since the previous equivalent period. This may be from the immediately prior period or from a prior period that is more comparable e.g. the same financial quarter in the prior year.

Difference

The change in metric values from a specified period, defaulting to the prior period.

Adjusted

Financial values adjusted according to inflation/deflation to represent real values in the current year.

Rank

Ranking number within the data selected. Values for metric types with no polarity or a polarity of “high is good” are ranked from 1 for the highest value. Values for metric types with a polarity of “high is bad” are ranked from 1 for the lowest value. Rounded values which are the same have the same ranking.

Olympic rank

Ranking number within the data selected, ranks start at 0 for the ‘worst’ value. Values for metric types with no polarity or a polarity of “high is good” will receive a higher rank value. Values for metric types with a polarity of “high is bad” are ranked from 0 for the highest value. Rounded values which are the same have the same ranking.

Steps for calculating Olympic rank:

  1. Rank where 0 is the worst, 9 is the best (from a group of 10)
  2. Identify how many authorities in the benchmarking group are missing data
  3. If all are present: divide the rank by the highest rank and *100: e.g. 0/9*100 up to 9/9*100

If some are missing make % from reduced sample size: e.g. for 2 authorities missing data: 0/7*100 up to 7/7*100

% Olympic rank

The Olympic rank converted to a percent equivalent for a selected group of areas, missing ranks are excluded from the calculation. For example, in a group of 10 authorities where 2 authorities had missing values the % Olympic rank would be the Olympic rank of an area divided by the 8 multiplied by 100.

Adjusted % difference

Percentage difference in values from ones for a specified period, defaulting to the prior period, after adjustment according to inflation/deflation to represent real values in the current year.

Adjusted difference

Difference in monetary terms of values from ones for a specified period, defaulting to the prior period, after adjustment according to inflation/deflation to represent real values in the current year.

Index from last or specified period

Index representing the change in a value from that of a specified period, defaulting to the prior period. 100 represents no change. A value of less than 100 represents a decrease and a value greater than 100 represents an increase.

Sum from

The sum of values from a specified period to the selected period.

Area difference

The difference in each value from the value for a selected area, if a group of areas selected it is the difference from the mean of the group.

% area difference

The difference expressed in percentage terms in each value from the value for all selected area, if a group of areas selected it is the difference from the mean of the group.

Area direction

The direction of travel in each value from the value for all selected areas.  If the metric type has polarity (indicating if a high value is good or bad), the direction of travel will be expressed as Improving, Worsening or No change.  If the metric type has no polarity, the direction of travel will be expressed as Increasing, Decreasing or No change.

Custom bands

The band within which each value falls where bands are expressed as a common separate list such as “200000,300000,400000,500000” for the population of local authorities.