Enterprise respondents in focus - Enterprise data collection and quality assurance

1. Enterprise respondents in focus - Enterprise data collection and quality assurance Quality in Official Statistics Rome 8-11 July 2008 Hannele Orjala, Statistics Finland

2. Contents of the presentation • The production process of statistics • The use of administrative data and enterprise surveys • Electronic and automated data collection • A program for developing business data collection 2007-2011 • Developing respondent services and relations • Conclusions Hannele Orjala

3. D a t a S u p p l i e r s a n d F e e d b a c k a n d c o n t i n u o u s , s y s t e m a t i c i m p r o v e m e n t u s e r s s o u r c e s o f d a t a P r o d u c t i o n p r o c e s s o f s t a t i s t i c s P u b l i c K e e p e r s o f a d m i n i s t r a t i o n a d m i n i s t r a t i v e D a t a d a t a f i l e s E n t e r p r i s e s p r o c e s s i n g a n d c o r p o r a t i o n s E n t e r p r i s e s a n d R e s e a r c h i c e s c o r p o r a t i o n s – P u b l i c a t i o n s M e d i a I n d i v i d u a l s M e t a d a t a : I n t e r p e r e t a t i o n o f c o n t e n t s , p r o c e s s s t e e r i n g , d a t a m a n a g e m e n t , O r d i n a r y h o u s e h o l d s s t a t i s t i c a l p e o p l e Production process of statistics D i s s e m i n a t i o n Collection and S t o r i n g C o m p i l i n g o f s t a t i s t i c s v i a g a t h e r i n g o f d a t a o f d a t a o f s t a t i s t i c s m u l t i p l e - Direct data collection c h a n n e l s – W e b - Administrative and register sources s e r v m e t h o d s , c o n c e p t s a n d c l a s s i f i c a t i o n s Hannele Orjala

4. Use of administrative and register sources • The majority of the basic data for economic statistics are obtained from administrative and register sources • Principles of the Finnish Statistics Act (2004) • It is compulsory to use existing data (if suitable) • Guarantees access to administrative files • Business ID widely in use • Data sourcesTax Administration National Board of Patents and Registration National Board of Customs Bank of Finland Population Register Centre State Treasury Local Government Pension Institution Confederations of Finnish Industries The Finnish Vehicle Administration commercial sources Hannele Orjala

5. Direct collection vs. the use of administrative datafrom Tax Authorities in statistics on enterprises Number of enterprises Direct Administrativecollectiondata Structural Business Statistics 8 000 (4%) 180 000 Business Register 25 000 (5%) over 500 000 Short Term Business Statisticsturnover 2 000 (1%) 250 000wages and salaries 93 (<1%) 110 000 For the enterprises in direct collection some data are taken from administrative sources. Hannele Orjala

6. Response burden: enterprises included in data collections by size category of personnel in 2007 • 60 independent direct data collection processes • A total of some 61,000 enterprise data suppliers • 18% of enterprises received at least one data collection* • 66% of all enterprise data suppliers received one data collection • All enterprises with over 50 employees received at least one data collection * enterprise = liable to pay VAT on business operations, and/or employer enterprise or included in the withholding tax register Hannele Orjala

7. Electronic data collection (xcola), primary objectives • Simplifies data collection process • Reduces need for human resources • Reduces other data collection costs • Improves the quality of collected data • Decreases non-response • Speeds up the data accumulation • Reduces response burden • Enables direct individual feedback for respondents • Enables previously submitted data browsing 37 % of enterprises answer using electronic data collection STS statistics electronic submission rate exceeds 80 % Cost-efficiency Accuracy Timeliness Hannele Orjala

8. Automated data collection in accommodation statistics • Data is delivered directly from hotel management systems into our database • No manual work needed (except to initiate the transfer) • Software vendors implement a module for the hotel’s management software • Use of Statistics Finland’s definitions for data and service interface • Technique: XML Web Services • After reception, data is submitted to the standard validation process Hannele Orjala

9. Data providers’ hotel management system Choose the month and send the report Choose report to Statistics Finland Hannele Orjala

10. Experiences of automated data collection • Trade Magazine for Hotels and Restaurants: “Data reporting is now extremely easy.” • Data quality is good • Data is coming faster than before, just a few days after the reference period • Response burden is almost zero, previously 1-2 hours per month • Costs have been reduced in terms of working hours, mailing and printing expenses • Internet form is not used widely because printing and faxing reports is easier Co-operation with IT enterprises together with Nordic Statistical Offices New: agriculture statistics Hannele Orjala

11. Program for developing business data collection 2007-2011 Objectives • Improve and harmonise data collection from enterprises and service to enterprise data suppliers, especially large enterprises • Replacement of statistics-specific sample frames with a single frame (Business Register), sample co-ordination and optimisation • Standard solutions serving enterprises and treatment of data in all stages of the enterprise data collection process • Reduction of data suppliers’ response burden Hannele Orjala

12. Developing respondent services and relations

13. http://www.tilastokeskus.fi/keruu/index_en.html Hannele Orjala

14. http://www.tilastokeskus.fi/keruu/yritys_en.html Hannele Orjala

15. http://www.tilastokeskus.fi/keruu/tiedonkeruupalvelu_yrityksille_en.htmlhttp://www.tilastokeskus.fi/keruu/tiedonkeruupalvelu_yrityksille_en.html Hannele Orjala

16. Enterprise data collection service - List of the data collection inquiries Hannele Orjala

17. Co-operation with respondents and data providers • Co-operation with the business sector (employer’s association) • Permanent working group since the early 1990s • Establishment of new statistics and revisions of existing ones • Channel for the business sector’s data needs • Co-operation with large enterprises • Large enterprise co-ordinator and the large enterprise working group • Network with administrative data providers • Register Board Committee • co-ordinators at Statistics Finland • Bilateral contacts Hannele Orjala

18. Conclusions • The aim is to achieve high-quality and coherent economic statistics and reduce response burden (see Strategy for economic statistics and measures proposed for 2008-2012. Statistics Finland 2007) • Development focus on • direct data collections/automated direct data collection • services to data providers and enterprises (large) • methodological exploitation of administrative data • Tools • Programme for the development of data collections from enterprises 2007-2011 • Co-operation with data providers and respondents Hannele Orjala

19. Thank you for your attention! Contact information: Hannele Orjala Director, Business Trends Statistics Finland email: hannele.orjala@stat.fi tel: +358 9 1734 3582 Also: Jussi Heino, email: jussi.heino@stat.fi Johanna Leivo, email: johanna.leivo@stat.fi www.stat.fi/index_en.html Hannele Orjala

20. Appendix: Assessment of quality in statistics • Evaluation of processes: • Self-assessment - incl. internal auditing of statistics • Peer reviews • International evaluations and auditing (e.g. OECD, Eurostat, IMF) • Quality Award Competition • Quality of products: • Methodological descriptions • Quality descriptions: available both printed and online • Direct feedback from users of statistics, media • Quality with data suppliers: • Co-operation, feedback Hannele Orjala