1. Beijing, October 19, 20041 18th International Roundtable on Business Survey Frames Co-ordinating role of the Business Register in Economic Statistics Results of a survey session 2 Presentation: Jean Ritzen, Statistics Netherlands

2. Beijing, October 19, 20042 Survey Session 2 Survey held in June 2004 Questionnaire Dispatch to all (potential) participants Responses of 15 agencies Many thanks! Analysis and report: Hugues Picard (INSEE) Jean Ritzen (Statistics Netherlands)

3. Beijing, October 19, 20043 Survey Items (1) BR Procedures and uses Linkages statistical and administrative units Continuity aspects Role in processing data of administrative files The BR as (general) sampling frame Enterprise profiling BR and economic demographic statistics Feedback to the BR The activity code(s) to the units in the BR

4. Beijing, October 19, 20044 Survey Items (2) Weak areas in the BR Critical issues The BR and coherent economic statistics Organisational aspects Role statistical process relationships Diagram of role and place of the BR

5. Beijing, October 19, 20045 Survey results (“sources”)

6. Beijing, October 19, 20046 Survey results (“sources”) Three main types: No or limited access to administrative sources Access and use administrative sources More of equal importance One dominant administrative source Use of a official administrative business register Kept and maintained outside the statistical office Kept and maintained in and by the statistical agency

7. Beijing, October 19, 20047 Survey results (“sources”) In all cases: Additional information necessary to create and maintain statistical units according statistical criteria Profiling and surveying Feed back from surveys Using advanced methods (e.g. matching or imputation) Inclusion of information for statistics in administrative data collection

8. Beijing, October 19, 20048 Survey results (“sources”) Number practises a.Administrative sources unit identifyers Kept in SBR for updating Often one main administrative identifyer in all administrative registers b.SBR identifyer in administrative sources: not applicable and/or not relevant

9. Beijing, October 19, 20049 Survey results (“continuity”)

10. Beijing, October 19, 200410 Survey results (“continuity”) In the SBR provisions for continuity: Criteria Methodology Processing

11. Beijing, October 19, 200411 Survey results

12. Beijing, October 19, 200412 Survey results (“uses”) In the SBR provisions for: Translation from administrative information into statistical information Control on exhaustiveness administrative files Enrichment in statistical processing Economic demography

13. Beijing, October 19, 200413 Survey results (“uses”) Most important uses: Sampling frame Selections according specified groupings Lists and survey control

14. Beijing, October 19, 200414 Survey results (feedback)

15. Beijing, October 19, 200415 Survey results

16. Beijing, October 19, 200416 Survey results (“activity code”) Various practises, complex issue. Statistical agencies are responsible for output, including groupings Activity code is main grouping criterion Activity code assignment is responsibility of administrative agencies in many countries Conflicting

17. Beijing, October 19, 200417 Survey results (“activity code”) Various practises in the use of the activity code Frozen values versus actual values Value as is versus correcting from survey information Co-ordination in: Annual statistics Short term or sub annual statistics All statistics in/of a period

18. Beijing, October 19, 200418 Survey results (“time stamping”) Provisions in the SBR: Time stamping a.Co-ordinated value, time stamped (application date) b.Actual value c.Last check d.Registration date Time stamping also for units (creation, deathing) Time stamping gives a historical dimension to the SBR and is facilitating reconstruction of frames in the past

19. Beijing, October 19, 200419 Survey results (“activity code”) Conclusion: there is no common methodology on a co-ordinated use of the activity code. Discussion on dealing with frame imperfections regarding units and characteristics Conclusions affect statistical results and comparability

20. Beijing, October 19, 200420 Problems encountered (1) Weak areas Critical issues

21. Beijing, October 19, 200421 Problems encountered (2) Unit creation and maintenance Rapidly changing world Flexibility versus continuity Globalisation and changing legal structures at large enterprises Controling criteria in unit structures Grouping criteria (definitions of phenomena) Quality, especially regarding activity code

22. Beijing, October 19, 200422 Problems encountered (3) Maintenance of activity code quality Objectivity and neutrality of activity code assignment Small units dynamics Professions without employees Agricultural sector Divergence in quality approach between administrative concepts and statistical concepts Easy access by users, transparency and good helpdesk function Confidence of SBR users

23. Beijing, October 19, 200423 Problems encountered (4) Time lags in information availability and processing Interdependency in statistical processes Co-ordination between annual and sub-annual statistics as result of SBR use

24. Beijing, October 19, 200424 Problems encountered (5) Good software Tools for controlling administrative burden Units in the public sector Inclusion of meta data Integration of feedback information in SBR procedures Access to administrative files

25. Beijing, October 19, 200425 Awareness Awareness of SBR staff and of users on: Restricted available budgets Necessity of use administrative sources Budget Timeliness Response burden Common responsibility for quality of statistics Need for good relationships with administrative sources, resulting in influence in content Authority of GBR in statistical process

26. Beijing, October 19, 200426 Survey results

27. Beijing, October 19, 200427 Organisational place of SBR Different positions in responding agencies Moving to a place in which integrated in statistical process Position in which the SBR can be good and stable reference and axis in rapid changing environment and changing data collection methods (e.g. use of administrative registers) Evolution into a fully mature partner in statistical processes, including the necessary authority  ideal situation Requirement: support of top management

28. Beijing, October 19, 200428 Conclusions from the survey (1) 1.Sources: Use of administrative sources Continuity in sources Complementary surveying and/or feed back Profiling large and complex enterprises Responsibility of sources regarding activity code Time lags 2.SBR Information processing Statistical units Linking information (temporary and sequential) Characteristics for statistical grouping Time stamping and history Reconstructible frames Meta data

29. Beijing, October 19, 200429 Conclusions from the survey (2) 3.Statistical uses: Survey methodology aspects - e.g. provisions for co-ordination (frozen information) Benchmark and translation into statistical concepts in the use of administrative register information Sampling frame for surveying - selections and lists - grossing up factors - survey management information - Administrative burden information Economic demography 4.Feed back from surveys Use for quality control Use for checking and updating

30. Beijing, October 19, 200430 Final conclusions and remarks Many issues to be elaborated further; important ones: Fixed code issue Historical information (what information and what dates) Procedures for defining statistical units and units control Frame error correction or acceptance SIC-code assignment procedures and responsibilities SBR population figures or coordinated population estimates? Possibility for statisticians to built “ad hoc units”? Continuous quality insights Partnership of the SBR in the whole context SBR authority

31. Beijing, October 19, 200431 Final statement How do we see the role, place and functions of a SBR in 2010 and how can we meet the goals and requirements then? For 2005 or 2006 improvement of imperfections we only can trouble shoot, ut for 2010 solutions we can learn from the today imperfections and insights!

32. Beijing, October 19, 200432 Overview of the survey answers

33. Beijing, October 19, 200433 Survey results DIAGRAMS

34. Beijing, October 19, 200434 Australia

35. Beijing, October 19, 200435 Canada (1)

36. Beijing, October 19, 200436 Canada (2)

37. Beijing, October 19, 200437 France

38. Beijing, October 19, 200438 Italy

39. Beijing, October 19, 200439 Macao

40. Beijing, October 19, 200440 Mexico Economic Census BR Statistical Manifestatio n Services Industrial Comerce...... each 5 years update source Continue update source Selected samples

41. Beijing, October 19, 200441 The Netherlands (1)

42. Beijing, October 19, 200442 The Netherlands (2)

43. Beijing, October 19, 200443 Portugal

44. Beijing, October 19, 200444 Spain

45. Beijing, October 19, 200445 USA-BoC