1 OECD Workshop on Business and Consumer Tendency Surveys, Rome, 19 September 2006 SESSION 1 RECENTLY DEVELOPED INTERNATIONAL GUIDELINES FOR OPINION SURVEYS

2 International statistical guidelines Wealth of existing standards – mainly on quantitative statistics Developed jointly by I/Os (OECD, Eurostat, IMF, ILO, UN, etc) and NSIs over last 30 years Aim to improve the quality and comparability of national and international statistics Cover concepts / terminology, classifications, collection, transformation and presentation Mainly domain focused – national accounts, prices, retail trade, international trade, BoP, industry, etc

3 International statistical guidelines - Access Available on UNSD website (

4 International statistical guidelines - Access Available on UNSD website (

5 Relationship to BTS / COS guidelines Existing European Commission (1997, updated 2006) - Collection - Compilation - Presentation - Harmonised -Questionnaires OECD BTS Handbook (2003) - Principles on different phases of survey cycle. -Collection (brief) - Questionnaires - Use of results Existing European Commission (1997, updated 2006) - Collection - Compilation - Presentation - Harmonised -Questionnaires OECD BTS Handbook (2003) - Principles on different phases of survey cycle. -Collection (brief) - Questionnaires - Use of results

6 International guidelines and recommendations for BTS / COS Existing European Commission (1997, updated 2006) - Collection - Compilation - Presentation - Harmonised -Questionnaires OECD BTS Handbook (2003) - Principles on different phases of survey cycle. -Collection (brief) - Questionnaires - Use of results Existing European Commission (1997, updated 2006) - Collection - Compilation - Presentation - Harmonised -Questionnaires OECD BTS Handbook (2003) - Principles on different phases of survey cycle. -Collection (brief) - Questionnaires - Use of results Enhanced Cover three broad sets of issues: - Improve survey response rates - Minimise respondent load - Harmonisation of survey operations and technical design – including use of Internet for collection Discussed at joint EC – OECD Workshop in Nov Some recommendations require further work

7 Enhanced BTS / COS guidelines - Response rates and respondent load Achievement of a satisfactory response rate key factor in quality of output Need for clear strategies to minimise non-response – relating to collection methods and communication with respondents These also minimise respondent load Strategies need to be carefully thought through and adequately resourced. Embodied in 7 strategies in para. 6 of paper.

8 Enhanced BTS / COS guidelines - Harmonisation of survey operations and technical design Recommendations outline best practice for the development of opinion surveys Many are self evident. Provide a basis for benchmarking recommended practice and comparisons of data quality between countries. Sample design and weighting methods – cover sample frame, sampling methods, treatment of missing data, weighting methods. Design of internet surveys – detailed recommendations are intended as a starting point for further development of research-based principles – cover initial development, invitation, questionnaire design, analysing results, giving feedback, security Outlined in paras of paper.

9 Enhanced BTS / COS guidelines - Dissemination Will be given wider dissemination in future, for example, in: OECD’s BTS / COS portal Future editions of OECD’s BTS Handbook

10 Enhanced BTS / COS guidelines - Further changes Will be further supplemented by: Inclusion of further examples of national recommended practice on specific aspects / issues covered in recommendations Further development work and research by national agencies or new task forces

11 Enhanced BTS / COS guidelines - Uses Facilitate benchmarking and comparisons of current national practices.

12 Discussion Further comments on enhanced standards – their usefulness, application Suggestions on areas where further enhancements / development are required – by national agency or new task forces to work over next 12 months. Examples of recent national practice that could be submitted for inclusion in OECD portal, etc

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