Strategy fordata collection

2007

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m Plans and reports2007/21

Strategy for data collectionThe demand for statistics and public administrativeinformation is increasing, as are the demands onquality in statistics and analyses. At the same time,one of Statistics Norway’s goals is to reduce the bur-den involved in collecting statistical data. The chal-lenge for data collection in Statistics Norway is tocollect more information of a higher quality at alower cost.

Main objectivesThe data collection strategy is based on two mainobjectives:• more motivated respondents• data collection of higher quality

In the further development of Statistics Norway’s datacollection procedures, we will focus on areas wherewe need to succeed in order to reach the main objec-tives. We shall be able to measure if the initiativestaken have a positive effect on the critical factors forsuccess.

There is a strong correlation between the two mainobjectives. More motivated respondents are morelikely to report data of high quality, and an institutionthat is known for high data quality is also more likelyto have highly motivated respondents.

Motivated respondentsThe respondents’ motivation is affected by how time-consuming and difficult it is to find and report therequested data, the benefits involved, and their confi-dence in the statistics.

The strategic initiatives shall:• strengthen the effort to utilise existing information

sources in the data collection• reduce the real and perceived response burden in

surveys• better tailor the data collection designs to the quali-

fications and preferences of the respondents• communicate in a better way the purpose of the

statistics and the benefits of taking part in the datacollection

• provide us with a well-functioning support service

Data collection of higher qualityThe basis for good data quality is good data collectioninstruments and procedures. Both day-to-day admin-istration and development projects need to be basedon relevant and complete information from the datacollection. Both the quality of work processes and theresults of our effort to collect data of high qualityshall be measured and documented.

The strategic initiatives shall:• modernise and improve the data collection instru-

ments• more systematically apply methods that have a

positive effect on response rates• more systematically and effectively follow up re-

spondents and correct errors

Strategic focus areas

Focus on utilising administrative registersStatistics Norway shall strengthen the cooperationwith other public institutions in order to utilise theiradministrative registers in the production of statistics.Efforts to develop the content and quality of the vari-ous statistical population systems are also included inthe population management strategy.

Electronic integration between information organisa-tions shall enable Statistics Norway to safeguard highquality and sufficient documentation of public infor-mation for statistical purposes, and to ensure thatdata and metadata are used in an efficient and secureway.

Where relevant, Statistics Norway shall cooperatewith register owners on how to measure data qualityand develop data collection procedures.

Increasing automated data capture frombusinessesWe shall increase our efforts to capture data automat-ically from the respondents’ computer systems. Thiswill be done by strengthening our contact with soft-ware suppliers, respondents and other collaborationpartners.

Statistics Norway shall encourage coordinated datacapture from large enterprises that, as far as possible,is adapted to the enterprises’ documentation systemsand information routines.

Statistics Norway shall also continue to stimulatecoordinated reporting across public institutions cf. theobjectives of the e-Government projects. We shallplay an active part in the future development and useof the public reporting portal Altinn, particularlywhen it comes to automated and coordinated report-ing from the customers’ own information systems.

Data collection tailored to the respondents’information sources and preferencesA more systematic combination of various data collec-tion methods shall reduce the amount of data weneed to collect in surveys, the response burden andthe survey costs.

Statistics Norway’s ambition is to carry out user testsof all new questionnaires before they are sent into thefield. The testing comprises expert appraisals andinterviews with potential respondents. Pilot testing ofnew surveys shall be considered more often thanwhat has previously been the case. The goal is tooffer survey designs that are tailored to the respond-ents’ information sources and preferences.

Improved data collection instrumentsThe quality of the data collection instruments is vitalfor the response quality. Statistics Norway’s question-naires and data collection instruments shall be im-proved. The expertise shall be focused around asmaller range of software that complies with a speci-fication list that has been developed in Statistics Nor-way. This list will form the basis of future acquisitionsand development projects. The coordination withAltinn on data collection from businesses shall beimproved. We shall also consider whether Altinn canbe used for Kostra reporting.

Coordination of samplesStatistics Norway shall keep sample sizes at a justifia-ble low level. Samples should be rotated in order to

limit the response burden for the majority of respond-ents in periods. Statistics Norway will first look at thequality effects of rotating the participation of medi-um-sized companies in the samples. Although thisinitiative will not have an effect on the total responseburden, it will reduce the burden for individual re-spondents in certain periods.

Focusing on the benefits of statisticsStatistics Norway shall strengthen its marketing andinformation activities by focusing on the benefits ofstatistics and the important role of the respondents indata collection.

Feedback to respondents will be prioritised, and wewill actively promote the possibility of reporting viaAltinn.

Develop a professional support serviceSelf-administrative surveys such as web question-naires and automated data capture from the respond-ents’ data systems make the respondents users ofStatistics Norway’s information systems. We shalloffer support services that are easy to access and inline with the respondents’ expectations.

All enquiries shall be logged and how the problemswere solved shall be documented in order to increasethe expertise and reuse experiences.

Increase response rates and reduce surveyerrorsAlthough the current overall response rates are satis-factory, it is a challenge to keep them at a high levelin the future.

As far as possible, the technology used to collect datamust be tailored to respondents’ and data suppliers’access to – and knowledge of – technology. We shallactively take advantage of technology that can beused to collect data from alternative informationsources like electronic service systems and third partyrecords.

Statistics Norway will primarily try to reduce non-response by developing better recruitment strategies.

Requests sent to respondents and data suppliersabout answering or delivering data electronically, willbe electronic. Relevant and effective incentives willbe used in voluntary surveys. Tracing systems shall beimproved and education in tracing, persuasion andfollow up techniques shall be prioritised. Interviewingshall become more efficient and professional andinterviewers will be given new tasks and roles in thedata collection.

The response figures shall be continuously monitoredat a reasonably detailed level in order to balance theresources used with the need for adequate responsequality in various strata.

Data collection from Internet sourcesWe shall monitor the development techniques forautomated data collection from the Internet. At themoment such automated data collection is a chal-lenge because the description of the Internet informa-tion is only tied to where it is and how it is presented.However, the Internet is moving in the direction ofalso storing and tracing information according todescriptions of content. Such a development willpresent new possibilities for Statistics Norway’s datacollection.

Improved quality managementIn order to improve the efficiency and quality of thedata collection, we need better and more manage-ment information. This information must be generat-ed from the systems that are used to fill in and sendin data, and from the systems used to administerinterview activities and internal work processes. Inaddition to keeping control of the resources usedduring data collection, the management system shalldocument the response quality andprovide relevant processinformation back tothe respondents.Both internal andexternal respond-ents should beable to monitorthe data collec-tion process.

To be able to document the quality and effects ofcontrols and revisions of collected data, various quali-ty indicators must accompany the collected data.Quality indicators like those listed below shall beintroduced and collected systematically:• register quality• questionnaire quality• coverage errors, sample uncertainty, non-response,

measurement errors and processing errors

Data from revision and support services will alsoprovide information on the quality of the registersand questionnaires and of the response and dataquality.

Management policyThe data collection activity shall be managed in away that supports the strategic goals.

Measures that aim to improve the data collectionshall be documented in a way that eases later evalua-tions of the effects of the decisions and initiativestaken.

Expertise developmentThe development of data collection competence is inline with the overall human resource strategy of Sta-tistics Norway, but a few more details are added here.

Multidisciplinary efforts are required to develop andcarry out efficient data collection of high quality. Inaddition to the general statistics competence that isthe basis for all statistical products, Statistics Norwaymust ensure that we have a staff of well-trained sur-vey methodologists,

The scope and quality of the documentation of datacollections shall be improved, and it shall be easy touse the documentation as a source of best practice. Inorder to achieve this, the project management exper-tise must be strengthened.

Knowledge and the ability to offer professional adviceand develop well-designed surveys shall be priori-tised; this concerns web questionnaires and other

kinds of electronic communication in particular. Usertesting expertise shall be strengthened and anchoredin the day-to-day operations. In addition, we shallimprove our knowledge about recruitment and moti-vation strategies used in data collection.

The support service shall be strengthened both pro-fessionally and technologically, and this service shallbecome better integrated with the planning and im-plementation of the surveys.

Statistics Norway shall develop expertise in new datacollection methods and technology by cooperatingactively with international partners and by develop-ing an internal environment for testing.

Work processesAll-encompassing system solutions shall support thedata collection. The solutions shall link different ac-tivities to each other and make the distribution andreuse of information easier. In addition, the solutionsshall give insight into status and progress, and createrelevant management information so that the datacollection projects can be followed up in an efficientway. Sampling and data administration shall becomemore integrated in the data collection.

All enquiries about the data collection services of-fered by Statistics Norway or about the quality ofcollected data shall be received and treated in thesame way and according to set standards. It shall beeasy for people outside Statistics Norway to find outwhere and how such enquiries shall be made.

Our aim is for data collection of high accuracy withregard to delivery, whereby agreed deliveries takeplace at the right time with the right quality and theright use of resources.

Satisfied usersCentral to the management policy is the focus on therespondents’ need for good services and products.Our users’ expectations and satisfaction with ourservices and products will be measured and docu-mented in regular and easily available user surveys.