overview of the presentation response burden measurement

BLUE-ETS Conference

Statistics Netherlands, Heerlen

Janet Sear

March 22 &23, 2011

Response Burden Measurement and Motivation at Statistics

Canada

17/03/2011Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada2

Overview of the presentation

1. Our Response Management Strategy 2. Administrative Data usage3. Ombudsman4. Metrics5. Red Tape Reduction Commission6. Challenges


1) Our Response Management Strategy

i. Foster good relationships ii. Use Administrative Data wherever possibleiii. Design appropriate collection instrumentsiv. Sampling and follow-up strategies with a holistic

view

v. Ask once


Enterprise Portfolio Management Program

Relationship Building:� 300 large, complex enterprises

� Enterprise-centric approach� Relationship management role� Explain the why; answer questions; address concerns � Profiling (legal and operations)� Collection management� Ensure coherence


2) Administrative Data

� Access under the Statistics Act to a broad range � BN� GIFI� Exclusion Thresholds� Even more Tax Replacement


T2

ROYCE-MARANDA THRESHOLDS

Main sample to be surveyed

Not eligible for tax : questionnaire

Tax replaced

Characteristic survey (some Services surveys) or questionnaire (all other divisions)

T1

Main sample to be surveyed

RY2010 Methodology: Tax Replacement


Administrative Data (con’t)

Threats:• We are residual users• At risk of file owner making changes

oRequirementsoContentoFile format


3) Ombudsman � Reports to Director General, Industry Statistics Branch

� Secretary of Senior Management Committee on Business Response Management (Committee chaired by Assistant Chief Statistician, Business and Trade Statistics Field)

� Member of corporate Collection Planning Committee

� Attends field debriefings


Ombudsman (con’t)

� Established in March, 1997� A tangible example of StatCan commitment� Is the respondent’s representative

� Three main roles:1. Complaint resolution2. Relationship building3. Response burden measurement

� Awareness17/03/2011Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada10

Ombudsman (con’t)

1) Complaint Resolution

• Render fair, balanced and impartial rulings,

• Do not simply reinforce operational requirements!


Ombudsman (con’t)

2) Relationship Building

• Promote a better understanding of relevance and importance


Ombudsman (con’t)

3) Response Burden Measurement• Annual enquiry to any division having

conducted a business survey in previous year.

• High level aggregates reported in Statistics Canada’s Departmental Performance Report to Parliament.

• More detailed information used within.

16 Subject Matter Divisions Involved:

� Agriculture� Balance of Payments� Business Register� Business Special Surveys and

Technology� Distributive Trades� Environment� Enterprise Statistics (Head

Office Survey)� Investment and Capital Stock

� Industrial Organization and Finance (Enterprise)

� Income Statistics (Pension Funds)

� Labour Statistics (Business Payrolls)

� Manufacturing� Prices- Consumer� Prices - Producer� Services� Transportation

17/03/2011Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada13 17/03/2011Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada14

Compliance Cost Measurement

“Potential Compliance Costs”

Product of i. Survey Frequency ii.Average Sample Sizeiii.Average Time to Complete (hrs)

Index of Compliance Costs, 1991 = 100


Minutes of Burden per BR Establishment


Minutes of Burden per BR Establishment

Small Businesses Medium & Large Businesses


Calendar Year 2009,Time to Complete Frequency

Number of Hours to Complete Number of Surveys30 min or less 78 52%

> 30 min; <= 1 hour 36 73%> 1 hour; <= 2 hours 45

> 2 hours; <= 3 hours 20> 3 hours; <= 4 hours 14> 4 hours; <= 5 hours 9> 5 hours; <= 10 hours 10> 10 hours; <=40 hours 6Total 218



5) Red Tape Reduction Commission

Background� Newly established January 2011

Previously: � 1994, Paper Burden Reduction Initiative – a joint public/private forum � 2007, Paper Burden Reduction Initiative – reduce by 20%


Red Tape Commission (con’t)

Opportunities:� Has opened the door for us to start a discussion

with Government

� Hope: Government to collect once and only once and share


6) Challenges� Data Users

• There are endless data needs!!!• Need some sense of priority

• Need an infrastructure robust enough and responsive enough to support survey programs now and into the future

• Need to avoid technical failure as well as business failure

• Need an efficient process and efficient systems to support

overview of the presentation response burden measurement

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