1. Discussant Walter Radermacher, Director-General, Eurostat
94th DGINS Conference September Session I Statistical methods and tools to tackle response burden on enterprises and individuals
Discussant
Walter Radermacher, Director-General, Eurostat

2. Common views Burden = Units x Time x Cost (x Frequency)
Quality = f (Units, Items, Redundancy,…)
Approaches
Process Optimisation = Burden less, Quality equal
Quality Changes = Reduced Coverage in Intrastat or even Singleflow, European Sampling Scheme, …
Facts = Measurement of Burden and Burden Reduction
Communication = Return to the Respondents
Reprioritisation = Review of the (Old) Settings from Decision Making Processes
25/09/2008

3. Experiences in burden reduction since 15 yrs
Paper 1 “General principles of reducing respondents’ burdens in agricultural statistics” Hungarian Central Statistical Office
Experiences in burden reduction since 15 yrs
High percentage of smallest farms in Hungary
New provisions of agricultural statistics do not always result in a reduction of response burden
Methodological handbook “Indicator system of respondents’ burden” (16 indicators)
“Calendar” for data providers of agricultural statistics
25/09/2008

4. European sampling scheme (optimal allocation)
Paper 2 “Potential for reduction of the burden of businesses through European sampling approaches” Eurostat
European sampling scheme (optimal allocation)
Compared to classical surveys, European sampling schemes with rotation have reduction potential of 30%, without rotation (centralised) of 60%
Better timeliness, quicker implementation of regulations and improved quality
European sample plans are a valuable alternative for reductions
25/09/2008

5. French strategy on burden reduction:
Paper 3 “French methods and practices regarding the statistical burden” INSEE, France
French strategy on burden reduction:
Choice of sampling methods
User-friendliness (Time to fill in questionnaires)
Weight given to administrative data: Projects RESANE (Administrative data) SIRENE (Business register)
Concrete decisions on reductions to be taken on political side
25/09/2008

6. Proposals INE Plan of Action:
Paper 4 “The response burden in business statistics. The Spanish experience.” INE, Spain
National goal: 30% reduction of survey burden in business statistics
Proposals INE Plan of Action:
Reduce objective burden (Rational use administrative sources)
Reduce subjective burden
Basic questionnaire common to all surveys
Close examination of NACE, SBS, STS
25/09/2008

7. Paper 5 “The Dutch approach to reducing the real and perceived administrative burden on enterprises caused by statistics” Peter Oomens and Gérard Timmermans, Statistics Netherlands
4 P`s
Programme
Process
Partners
Perception
Common business taxonomy (Statistics NL, Chamber of Commerce, Tax authorities)
25/09/2008

8. How to achieve 25% reduction of burden of official statistics by 2010?
Paper 6 “Response burden – how to reduce it by 25 percent” Statistics Denmark
How to achieve 25% reduction of burden of official statistics by 2010?
INTRASTAT Introduction single-flow-system
Clear indication of future requirements with additional burden: FATS and Job Vacancy
Digitalisation (System to system solutions)
Internet portal
Strict compliance with demands of European Statistical multi-annual programme
25/09/2008

9. Critical issues Sharp increase demand of information on current
economic and social situation  high burden
Decrease of budget
Limited possibilities of reducing statistical programme
Over-regulation business statistics (too many legal acts)
Considerable discrepancy perceived ↔ actual (real) burden
25/09/2008

10. How to reduce burden  Improved contact to data providers
Close contact and feed back to respondents/data providers
Survey calendar
Personalised survey plan
1 single contact (service) point
Statistical holidays
Council of respondents
Information material/channels
Early information about incoming surveys
25/09/2008

11. How to reduce burden  Improved questionnaires
Electronic questionnaires (+ electronic usability)
No duplications/overlapping in questionnaires/variables
User-friendliness
Standardized and simplified variables in survey forms
Improved design of the survey documents
Pre tests/ pilots
Control of the time needed to fill in questionnaires
Comparative analyses of questionnaires
Simplified questionnaires for small enterprises
Adaptation of questionnaires to the available information in enterprises
Different questionnaires for different economic sectors
Multiple-use questionnaires
25/09/2008

12. How to reduce burden IT solutions and better technology XML-structure
Online surveys
Business taxonomy (XBRL)
Using the electronic systems of enterprises
Digitalisation (digital communication with enterprises)
System to system solutions
 Improved sampling methods
European sampling plans
Improved sampling management
Exemption of small enterprises (random sampling/derogations)
Optimised samples
25/09/2008

13. How to reduce burden  Better survey design (design phase)
Avoiding overlapping of surveys
Rotation of units
Checking of frequency
Cut-off limits
 Better survey monitoring (collection phase)
Better co-ordination of the time of surveys
Better management of data collection (monitoring)
Website with information of all statistical operations
Estimation of results
25/09/2008

14. How to reduce burden  Co-ordination between data producers
Partnership
Cooperation between Institutions
Consolidated questionnaires
Combining surveys
Common projects
25/09/2008

15. How to reduce burden
 Use of administrative registers and existing data sources
National projects
Auxiliary systems of information variables from administrative data sources
Creation of statistical registers
Chances but also risks (e.g. quality of registers, coherence –data do not fit together, data confidentiality )
 Better Regulation
INTRASTAT
Agricultural statistics
25/09/2008

16. Conclusions There is no “one cure for all” Many different approaches
Focuses set differently
Harmonisation and co-ordination of the approaches will be necessary global strategy?
Reviewing the traditional system
Entry of new actors and methods in the future
Working on statistical processes
Communication is a challenge
25/09/2008

17. Questions to the authors
25/09/2008

18. Where do you see the perspectives for reducing burden on European level in the area of agricultural statistics?
Are agricultural statistics atypical with regard to statistical burden compared to other statistical areas?
How do you assess quantitatively the potential of burden reduction by further improving the agricultural registers?
25/09/2008

19. You speak of „reliability at EU level“ - is there still not a trade off between quality and quick results?
European sampling approaches are used for short-term statistics and will be used for structural business statistics. What other domains might be most suitable for applying this approach?
How do you want to overcome scepticism about the MS European sample schemes?
25/09/2008

20. Could you give a quantitative assessment of the success of the national measures you describe in your paper?
Please verify your thesis “as far as large units are concerned burden reduction could only be achieved by a larger use of administrative data”
Could you describe the role of politics in burden reduction as you see it?
25/09/2008

21. Could you imagine to harmonise action plans (burden) in the EU?
Could you explain why you name co-ordination and cooperation as the most important pillars of burden reduction?
Which time horizon would you set for a “global strategy”
25/09/2008

22. Could you specify how you want to measure perceived burden?
In the period , Statistics NL reduced burden on enterprises by 70 %. - What was the main element of this success?
Could you specify how you want to measure perceived burden?
How is your opinion with regard to the trade off between quality and reduction of response burden in the area of INTRASTAT?
25/09/2008

23. Would it not be first of all important to work on perceived burden, as statistics account for such a negligible part of administrative burden?
Is it only INTRASTAT that can help us or in addition a wide range of tools, as you mention it at the end of the document? – in other words: should we only concentrate on INTRASTAT?
Where do you see the reasons that people accept electronic reporting so slowly? You tell us that only 3 % is reported electronically so far!
25/09/2008

24. Questions to the Audience
Toolbox I: Do we understand how information society (web2.0) will change our profession (options, risks, quality, burden)?
Toolbox II: Do we have a vision and a strategy for the adjustment of our methodology (development, production, communication)?
Toolbox III: Do we have a management system (institutional set-up, management processes, controlling) to realise our strategy?
25/09/2008

25. Questions to the Audience (continued)
Monitoring: Should statistical offices actively contribute?
Perception: Do we know the facts? Can we improve our communication?
Development: Statistical programmes emerge from democratic decision processes. Do we have enough participation of the civil society?
25/09/2008