Maximizing the Use of Administrative Registers for Statistical Purposes

1. New sources –administrative registers Genovefa RUŽIĆ

2. Content • History / active role of the Statistical Office • Benefits and weakness of administrative sources • Intensified use of statistical methods • Legal basis, agreements • Close co-operation with the owners of the administrative sources • Adaptation of existing statistical process • Different and additional knowledge is needed • Future challenges Zlatibor, 7-8 July 2011 2

3. History / active role of the Statistical Office In the 1980s established 3 basic registers: Business Register, Central Population Register, Register of Spatial Units. In the 1990s turned them overto the relevant government authorities. Nowadays encourages to establish newadministrative registers: Register of Secondary Education, Centralised Register of Tertiary Education. Zlatibor, 7-8 July 2011 3

4. History / active role of the Statistical Office Encouraged the useof other administrative sources: Comparisons between the data from administrative sources and Household Budget Survey; Quality of administrative data were promising. Increased usein: Business statistics, Agricultural census, Social statistics – EU-SILC, Register-based Census,.. Approximately 50 different administrative sources are used for statistical purposes. Zlatibor, 7-8 July 2011 4

5. Use for the Economic statistics Short‑term business statistics: VAT declarations for the estimation of turnover from 2007 - substantial decrease of the response burden, only 5% report also with questionnaire; Structural business statistics: almost entirely rely on annual accounting statements, only the investment survey is conducted; National accounts: annual accounting statements, income tax declarations and VAT declarations are used to estimate approximately 80% of the total value added; Branch statistical surveys: employment figures are obtained from the Statistical Register of Employment- the special employment survey was eliminated, deletion of questions on the number of employees in all branch statistical surveys. Zlatibor, 7-8 July 2011 5

6. Use for the Social statistics EU-SILC: 10 administrative sources: Income tax, Social Assistance, Family Allowances, Pensions,…; Interview lasts only 30 minutes. Register-based census 2011: 4 core sources: Central Population Register, Household Register (Ministry of the Interior); Real Estate Register (Surveying and Mapping Authority); Statistical Register of Employment; 6 statistical surveys; 6 other administrative sources; 14 mio EUR savings in state budget, elimination of response burden. Zlatibor, 7-8 July 2011 6

7. Benefits and weakness of administrative sources Benefits: Reduction of the response burden; Quality – the statistical process could be unified and controlled by the same rules in all stages and the subjective influence on data is prevented; Savings – for the field collections. Weaknesses: Definitionsof variables are not always in line with the statistical definitions – more methodological work is needed; Data from different sources are not available at the same time – complex integration. Zlatibor, 7-8 July 2011 7

8. Intensified use of statistical methods Administrative sources usually use different concepts and definitions: Several methodological solutionshave to be prepared to put them in line with the statistical definitions – some examples; Shifting the work load in the preparatory phase; Some statistical surveys are needed anyway, limited in number and content. Administrative data sources thus cannot always fully replace classical statistical surveys. Zlatibor, 7-8 July 2011 8

9. Legal basis National Statistics Act: Administrative register must make use of valid standards (e.g. classifications which are national standard, unique identifications of persons and businesses); The right to obtain individual data from all existing records and the permission to link them. Regulation on European Statistics 223/2009 Agreements with the owners of administrative sources are recommended. Zlatibor, 7-8 July 2011 9

10. Agreements Agreements in order to: Assure the regular transmission of data, irrespective of the changes in the government (minister, responsible person); Clarify what, when, who transmit the data – protocol; Raise the awareness of the owners to consult the statistical office before any potential changes in the administrative source. The role of Director-General – to lead the most delicate negotiations with the most challenging institutions (tax, agriculture,…). Zlatibor, 7-8 July 2011 10

11. Close co-operation With the owners of the administrative sources in order to: Highlight the importance of the reuse of data for the statistical purposes; Make clear that the transmissionof individual data cold be done only in one direction; Get their interest to improve the quality of data – some examples (dwelling number, relationship to the head of household,…); Within the government in order to: Encourage the establishment of the new administrative registers– i.e. Real Estate Register, Household Register; Through e-government and statistical advisory committees. Zlatibor, 7-8 July 2011 11

12. Adaptation of existing statistical process Centralized one pointfor the acceptanceof administrative sources; Creation of the list of administrative registerswith correspondent persons responsible for the content, technical issues; Issues of confidentiality – controlled access to individual data, personal identification number transformed into statistical number; Sources should be checked and edited before any integration – administrative sources are not perfect; Linkageof data at the micro level, priority of sources, imputations, sometimes manual editing. Zlatibor, 7-8 July 2011 12

13. Different and additional knowledge is needed Project teamfor the most complex integration, i.e. Register-based Census, Agricultural Census; Small team of persons (approximately10) with different knowledge; Dedicated project leader; High level support to the team; Regular reporting(monthly); Methodological meetings (mixed levels, knowledge)to approve some methodological issues (to harmonise approaches). Zlatibor, 7-8 July 2011 13

14. Future challenges Undesirable changes or abolishment of administrative sources due to the reduction of administrative burden by different institutions; More coordination and co‑operation with different institutions are needed: Possible solution: an appropriate legal framework that establishes the control rights of the NSI (e.g. the need to consult the NSI before changing any of the features of the administrative data; SORS developed mechanisms for coordination through: Statistical Advisory Committees; E-government. Zlatibor, 7-8 July 2011 14

15. To sum up High-level political support; Legal basis, plus agreements with the owners; Active roleof the statistical office and its DG in encouraging the establishment of newregisters, their maintenance (improving quality) and in preventing of undesirable changes or even their abolishment; Administrative sources might give even better data, reducerespondent burden and decrease costs (for field collections), however, more methodological work is needed; the work load is shifted in the preparatory phase, burden is shifted to the NSI, additional knowledge is needed, motivated staff with high level support; Adaptation of existing statistical process. Zlatibor, 7-8 July 2011 15