Final Report 20050726unstats.un.org/unsd/envaccounting/ceea/archive/epea/portugal_epe_… · Environmental Statistics - Implementation of Data Collection using Webforms Final Report

FINAL REPORT

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION EXPEDITURES IMPLEMENTATION OF DATA COLLECTION

USING WEBFORMS

Contract no. 200271700006

June, 2005


Environmental Statistics - Implementation of Data Collection using Webforms Final Report

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Summary

Summary…………………………………………………………………………………………2

1. Framework .................................................................................................................. 3

2. Implementation Timetable .......................................................................................... 3

3. Objectives of the Operation......................................................................................... 3

4. Human Resources Used .............................................................................................. 4

5. Description of the Operation ....................................................................................... 4

5.1. Degree of Achievement of the Objectives Set ............................................................ 4

5.2. Results ......................................................................................................................... 4

5.3. Constraints and Developments.................................................................................... 5

5.4. Future Developments .................................................................................................. 5

5.5. Resumed Description of Component 1 ....................................................................... 6

5.5.1. Data collected.......................................................................................................... 6

5.5.2. Statistical methodology ........................................................................................... 7

5.5.3. Characteristics of the survey ................................................................................. 14

5.5.4. Data collection and treatment................................................................................ 16

5.5.5. Preliminary results................................................................................................. 16

5.5.6. Statistical results.................................................................................................... 20

5.5.7. Dissemination........................................................................................................ 20

5.5.8. Final report…...………………………………………………………..…………20

5.6. Resumed Description of Component 2 ..................................................................... 20

5.6.1. Description of the Webform (screens) ..................................................................22



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1. Framework

National Statistical Institute of Portugal (INE) is collecting the data on Environmental Statistics

in a yearly base under a specific survey.

For that purpose, it was prepared an operation based on the collection of data using paper

questionnaires. In order satisfy the request from respondents to use more sophisticated ways of

data collection, namely the webforms. Thus, this Community Grant it was a quite good

opportunity to implement the data collection using webforms.

In this respect, Portugal is in a good position to improve the collection by webforms once by a

decision of the National Authorities all enterprises are obliged, by Law, to present their tax

declarations by webforms – for instances since January 2005, the VAT declaration can no

longer be presented to tax authorities on paper form and webforms should be used.

The main objective of this work is to implement a webform for the collection of Environmental

Statistics basic data that includes a great number of validations, and by this mean get more

adherents to this method of collection, and thus, improve the quality of this statistical operation

– in the future it is planned to introduce more validations like comparisons with the previous

year – as long as some legal aspects could be solved.

2. Implementation Timetable

The implementation of this action took place in compliance with the timetables previously

settled out.

3. Objectives of the Operation

The main objective of this project was to set up a friendly webform that could be easily filled by

the respondents. At the same time try to improve the answer once the user can easily know its

situation (if they are sending a late answer, or to view previous data sent). Once this is an easiest



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way to answer, more respondents are expected to answer to this survey and with better quality.

On the other hand, basic data will arrive faster to our office.

4. Human Resources Used

The following human resources were used to perform this action:

a) 889 hours of senior personnel,

b) 795 hours of assistant personnel.

5. Description of the Operation

5.1. Degree of Achievement of the Objectives Set

The grant objectives were completed achieved. Both, component 1 and component 2 are

implemented. The Webform could be used by any respondent as long as they have a password

to access to the secure connection and the data collection for. The data collection for 2004 is

already made using the Webform system.

5.2. Results

The results achieved are the inclusion in the internet of a website where respondents could

access with a password and answer to the Environmental Statistics in an easiest way, including

all the validation of the data before sending. In the end a mail message is send to the respondent

confirming that the answer was accepted by our office.

The website developed it is aligned with other several operations in the frame of STS

Regulation, SBS Regulation, Intrastat, etc., that our Institute is preparing to collect using

webforms.

Besides, with the system developed users (respondents) could also up-to-date our enterprises

register (that also is used top get the population for other surveys conducted by our office).



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Thus, the system could be used to collect data for each operation and, at the same time, to

update the Business Register.

5.3. Constraints and Developments

Main constraints are:

a) Identify the software more suitable for it, once should be compatible with the other

webforms that are being prepared in our office;

b) The definition of the process to assure the secure connection for the users, once the

confidentiality should be assure – some legal aspects were taken into account;

c) The legal aspects that could able the respondent to have access to their previous answer,

taking into account the national law on the access to the private data – National

Authority for the Protection of Individual Data.

All those aspect played an important impact in the solutions that need to be find for the

implementation of the new system.

5.4. Future Developments

The webform available in the internet website is a good tool for the respondents that have an

Internet connection. However, due the fact that enterprises need to use webforms to have

presented all the tax declarations this is the significant number of respondents.

Nevertheless is foreseen to make a marking operation to give publicity to this new tool in order

to get more adherents.

Another development for the future is to promote the integration of the data that is being

collected through webforms. This means that if the same data is collected in more than one

survey the respondent only need to answer once and the system will use the data for the other

surveys.

On the other hand in the future, once some legal constrains concerning confidentially of data,

validations with previous data sent will be implemented.



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5.5. Resumed Description of Component 1

For this statistical operation INE elaborated the document “Manual for the statistical operation

on industries’ expenditure on environmental protection” by Nuno Romão and was presented on

the meeting of 3 and 4 December 2001 (Doc.Exp/01/3.4.1). This document is available on

CIRCA.

Next a brief description of the statistical operation:

5.5.1. Data collected

The statistics produced respect to the information on expenditures and activities by industrial

companies with the primarily goal of monitoring, preventing, reduce, and eliminate pollution or

other factors of degradation of the environment. In this way, the list below resumes the main

activities of protection of the environment:

(a) Treatment of pollution generated;

(b) Prevention, monitoring and reduction of pollution amounts and hazard level;

(c) Equipments and processes adaptation with the goal to environmental friendly

behavior, through the reduction of the consumption of energy and use of less

pollutant green products;

(d) Activities for recovery of the environment natural conditions, after accidents of

environment contamination provoked by the companies, or of exploiting sites of

natural resources, namely the recovery of landscapes and habitats, on sealing

mining sites or landfills.

(e) The constitution of environment management systems and adoption of measures

for environmental certification and compliance with environmental targets

determined by law or self-regulation, including the accomplishment of temporarily

internal or external audit schemes.

According to Council Regulation Nº58/97 (Structural Business Statistics) that constitutes the

basic legal demand for data on environmental variables, the expenditure incurred by industry

divided in two main groups:



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Investment on technologies and facilities for pollution abatement and control:

• Investment on end-of pipe technologies or equipments (variable 21 11 0);

• Investment on integrated technologies (variable 21 12 0).

Current expenditure related to actions on environment protection (variable 21 14 0):

• Current expenditure on using own or internal resources;

• Current expenditure on acquiring environmental protection services to others.

5.5.2. Statistical methodology

The data collected on the statistical units was made running over the methods statistical

sampling. This option was due to the following reasons:

(a) Reduction of costs;

(b) Facilitate de process of recollection of questionnaires given a lower number of units,

and consequently the quantity of data to be treated and inserted on informatic

platform.

This way, the samples of companies to inquire obeyed the following criteria, whether in terms

of sample selection or data estimation:

• Statistical units stratification parameters

Regions Economic activity Size classes

Main regions (NUTS level):

Norte (101)

Centro (102)

Lisboa e Vale do Tejo (103)

Alentejo (104)

Algarve (105)

Açores (201)

Madeira (301)

Stratification of companies by economic activities, at division level of NACE Rev. 1. 1 (2nd digit). Considered all companies classified on divisions 10 to 41, except division 37 corresponding to recycling activities.

Stratification by the following size classes in terms of persons employed:

(1) 1 – 19

(2) 20 – 49

(3) 50 – 99

(4) 100 – 249

(5) 250 – 499

(6) 500 – 999

(7) 1000 +



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• Sampling population

Exhaustive collection on companies belonging to strata with 50 and more employees.

Representative sample, for companies belonging to strata 1 to 19, and 20 to 49 persons

employed.

• Sample partition and selection

The sample to be selected by strata, based on turnover variable follow the rule given by:

nXSN

XSNn

H

iiii

hhhh ×=∑

=1

, where:

h strata index;

nh sample dimension on strata h;

Nh population dimension on strata h;

Sh Standard-error for variable turnover on strata h;

Xh Total turnover on strata h;

n Total sample dimension;

H Number of strata on the population.

The sample selection on strata, follow a systematic process for the selection interval:

h

hh n

NI = , and starting at the mean point of interval [0;Ih], where:

h strata index;

Nh population on strata h;

nh sample size on strata h;

• Totals and proportions estimators

� Totals estimators

The total estimator for variable X in a certain strata h is given by:



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∑=

=hn

iih

h

hh x

n

NX

1

ˆ , with i = 1, 2, ..., nh and where:

h strata index (NUTS II × NACE division x Sizeclass);

Nh population on strata h;

nh number of companies on sample that reply to the questionnaire;

xih value of variable X for company i belonging to strata h;

h

h

n

N extrapolation coefficient.

The total estimator for variable X, for a specific aggregation of strata is given by:

∑=

='

1

ˆˆm

hhXX , with m’ ≤ m, where m’ represents the number of strata intended to aggregate.

� Proportion estimators

The sample proportion for variable Z, in a certain strata h, is given by:

∑=

=hn

ii

hh z

np

1

1, with i = 1, 2, ..., nh and where:

h strata index (NUTS II × NACE division x Sizeclass);

nh number of replies obtained,

zi variable Z value for company i belonging to strata h, which assume the value (1) or (0),

respectively, when a certain condition occur or not;

ph sample proportion for variable Z;

The proportion estimator for variable Z, in a certain strata h, is given by:

hhh

h pNN

p ⋅⋅= 1ˆ , from where hh pp =ˆ

The proportion estimator for variable Z, for a certain aggregation of strata is given by:

h

m

ih

i

pNN

p ∑=

=1

1ˆ , with i = 1, 2, ... , m and where:



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m number of strata intended to aggregate;

Nh sample size in strata h;

ph sample proportion for variable Z;

Ni number of companies in overall strata aggregated;

• Sampling errors

The sampling errors are consequence of extrapolate to a certain population on data obtain from

a given sample knowing that different samples origin different estimations.

The more close of the dimension of the population it goes the selected sample, and the

homogeneity of the population inside each stratum, so much smaller will be the variation owed

to the different possible samples, that is to say, minor will be the sampling error and larger the

confidence over the estimate.

� Variation coefficient and variance estimators for totals estimator variance.

The generic expression of the coefficient of variation of the totals estimator the i stratum, is the

following:

%100ˆ

)ˆr(av)ˆ( ⋅=

h

hh

X

XXCV where the estimated variance of hX is given by:

2)()ˆr(av hhhh

hh snN

n

NX −= , where:

2hs Correspond to the sample variance for the variable X in the i stratum and is given by:

( )

11

2

2

−

−=∑

=

h

n

ihih

h n

xxs

h

, i = 1, 2,..., nh; where:

h

n

iih

h n

xx

h

∑== 1 , i = 1, 2,..., nh; correspond to the sample mean of the variable X in the i stratum.

The variation coefficient for the total estimator for a certain aggregation of strata is given by:



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%100ˆ

)ˆr(av)ˆ( ×=

X

XXCV , where the estimated variance for the totals estimator is given

by:

)ˆ(rav)ˆr(av'

1h

m

h

XX ∑=

= , with m’ ≤ m, and where m’ represents the number of strata that have

been aggregated.

When calculating de variation coefficient for a certain estimation we can estimate a confidence

interval, measure in terms of probability of containing the true value for the variable we intend

to estimate.

According the sampling theoretical terms the limits of the confidence interval are:

• ( )[ ]XXCVX ˆˆˆ ⋅± , for a confidence level of 68%;

• ( )[ ]XXCVX ˆˆ96,1ˆ ⋅×± , for a confidence level of 95%;

� Variation coefficient and variance estimators for proportions estimator variance

The generic expression of the coefficient of variation of the proportion estimator in the i

stratum, is the following:

%100ˆ

)ˆr(av)ˆ( ⋅=

h

hh p

ppCV where the estimated variance of hp is given by:

( ) ( ) ( )1

1ˆrav

2 −−

⋅−⋅=h

hhhh

hh n

ppnN

N

Np

O variation coefficient of the proportion estimator for a certain aggregation of strata is given by:

%100ˆ

)ˆr(av)ˆ( ×=

p

ppCV , where the estimated variance of the proportion estimator, is

given by, )ˆ(rav1

)ˆr(av'

12 h

m

h

pN

p ∑=

= , with m’ ≤ m, and where m’ represents the number of

strata intended to aggregate, and N2 corresponds to the square of population in the same strata.

For the calculation of confidence intervals for the proportion estimations the same method used

for totals estimations is applicable.



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• Data treatment

� Criteria used to close the collection of questionnaires phase

The criteria are the following by priority order:

(1) Obtain 90% responses in each stratum, measured in terms of total turnover for selected

companies on sample and known previously;

(2) Annual schedule and working program for the different activities to execute the project

in particular the transmission of results to the Eurostat.

� Non–response treatment

The treatment of non-responses consists of imputing the average of the responses obtained in

the stratum, to the respective companies’ non-respondent in each.

This method simplifies the calculation process of totals estimates and is an equivalent process

(as it is demonstrated ahead) to consider in the estimator of the total of variable X in the stratum

h :

∑=

=hn

iih

h

hh x

n

NX

1

ˆ only the respondent companies which correspond to the denominator nh.

Considering n the sample dimension, n1 the total of responses and n2 the number of non-

responses, we have that n = n1 + n2. If we transpose the responses mean to each of

non-responses we have:

( )

( ) ∑

∑∑

=

==

⋅=⋅=++

=

⋅+⋅+

=

⋅+

+=⋅=

1

1

11

1121

21

1211

21

12

1211

n

ii

n

ii

n

ii

xn

NxNxnn

nn

N

xnxnnn

Nxnx

nn

Nx

n

NX

where :

X total estimator;

1x mean for effective responses obtain and is given by ∑=

=1

111

1 n

iix

nx .



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� Responses validation to the results

In what concerns to the situation of the company in terms of being active or not the following

must be attended:

• as a non response all the situations where:

00 undetermined situations.

• as valid response for results with all data fields with zeros:

10 waiting to start business or industrial procedure;

30 suspended activity;

40 closed for various reasons;

41 closed because of bankruptcy or law/trial act;

42 closed because of division/dissolution;

44 closed because of division/fusion;

45 closed because of fusion/dissolution;

46 closed because of transformation:

47 closed because of fusion/incorporation.

• as valid response for results with values reported on the questionnaires:

20 in activity.

With relationship to the situation of the economic activity is always considered the initial

situation of the company in the moment of sample selection. Although it happens a company

modify is production process in such a way that induce the change of industrial branch for the

results estimations over economic classes is considered the initial situation of the company.

Though, as it is specified to proceed, the obtained responses should be considered valid for

results in the following situations:

• Companies which new main activity falls outside the scope of the inquiry: the

companies whose industrial branch in the response implied a change of sector, that that

sends the company outside of scope of the inquiry at the level of the 1st digit (it doesn't

belong to none of the sections C, D or E of NACE Rev. 1), are considered as non-

responses.



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• companies that changed main activity, but they continue in the scope of the inquiry: the

companies whose activity in the response has implied a change of activity sector, that is

a sector in the scope of the inquiry at the level of the 1st digit (it continues to belong to

one of the sections C, D or E of NACE Rev.1), are considered valid responses, though,

the initial situation of the company is observed.

5.5.3. Preparation of questionnaires and characteristics of the survey

In order to develop the questionnaire, the first step consisted of analysis of all information

needs, according to Council Regulation Nº 58/97 (Structural Business Statistics) for data on

environmental variables and the methodology proposed by Eurostat.

The design of the questionnaire was adapted from others currents questionnaires of INE. The

main goal of this design is the collection of data on investments, current expenditure, as well as

income on management and environmental protection domain. Besides, it incorporates two

subjects filter concerning the accomplishment or not, of expenditure on the environment. These

filter have the purpose to simplify the answer of the respondents, once they don’t have any cost

or investments on the environment issues. It includes certain variables of the enterprise for

validate the financial movements on environmental domains and number of employees.

On the other hand, this survey is one of the sources of INE to update the Business Register, thus

the questionnaire has a table to the identification and characterization and another one to the

position of the enterprise.

After the conclusion of the questionnaire model, INE made contacts to several industries

representative institutions, whose agents were able to contribute with their opinions about the

survey. The main institutions contacted were: CIP (Confederation of Portuguese Industry),

APEMETA (Portuguese Association of Entreprises of Environmental Tecnologies), IAPMEI

(Institute of Support to Small and Medium-sized Entreprises), DGE (General Directorate for

Energy) and DGI (General Directorate of Industry). INE sent also the questionnaire to several

enterprises selected by number of employees and/or economic sector activities, for their

opinion.

Besides the external institutions, the unit sent, as well to other internal units according INE’s

rules concerning Statistics Operation Methodology.

The next step was collecting and analysis of the external and internal contributions and some of

them were included in the questionnaire model.



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Once approved by the board, the questionnaire was sent to our informatics Department to

develop the internet version. The mains discussions were the design of the webforms that should

be as similar as paper version, facilities on moving between screens, validation rules and errors

messages and issues related the integration of data from ICT method and traditional method.

The structure of the survey includes qualitative (companies attitude regarding actions for

pollution abatement and control and identification of the activities carried out by environmental

domain) and quantitative variables (financial data – investments, current expenditure, income –

in relation to these domains).

The survey included six types of tables:

a) a table to the identification and characterization of the enterprise – Table 1;

b) two tables to the position of the enterprise, definition of certain variables (average

number of employees, turnover, costs and losses and acquisition of fixed capital)

and financial counterparts for the management of packaging waste – Tables 2 and 3;

c) a table to identify attitudes regarding environmental issues – Table 4;

d) one table to identify the environmental domains – Table 5;

e) seven tables to record financial movements on environmental domains – Tables 6 to

12;

f) a table to record number of persons with environmental tasks of control and/or

abatement of pollution – Table 13.

The environmental domains included were:

a) Protection of ambient air and climate;

b) Wastewater management;

c) Waste management;

d) Noise and vibration abatement;

e) Protection and remediation of soil, groundwater and surface water;

f) Protection of biodiversity and landscapes;

g) Other domains (included Research and development, Protection against radiation

and Other environmental protection activities).

2003 sample was distributed by seven regions of NUTS II:



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Total C D E

Total 6 726 263 6 244 219

Norte 2 554 79 2 422 53

Centro 1 782 65 1 668 49

Lisboa 1 048 32 936 80

Alentejo 663 31 619 13

Algarve 284 19 254 11

Açores 186 11 170 5 Madeira 209 26 175 8

Regions (Nuts II)

Economic activities (NACE Divisions)

In terms of size classes, 52% of the enterprise belonging to strata 1 to 19 and 20 to 49 persons

employed was inquired by a representative sample. The remaining of the enterprises was

exhaustive collection belonging to strata with 50 and more employees.

Total C D E

Total 6 726 263 6 244 219

1 to 19 2 392 137 2 118 137

20 to 49 1 085 74 995 16

50 to 99 1 879 33 1 822 24

100 to 249 1 003 17 960 26

250 to 499 237 1 230 6

500 to 999 89 1 81 7

1000 or more 41 0 38 3

Economic activities (NACE Divisions)Size of classes (number of persons employed)

5.5.4. Data collection and treatment

The survey was conducted by using mail posted questionnaire and by internet questionnaire. It

was set up the helpdesk to assist enterprises filling the questionnaire and insist on non-

respondents to reply the survey.

Between the moment of the expedition of the questionnaires and the phase of calculation of

estimates it was sent three reminds (two by post and one by fax) near the companies non

respondents, alerting for the need and importance of their collaboration, strength by the legal

obligation on comply with the surveys accomplished by INE.

5.5.5. Preliminary results

The validation of the received information was done in two phases. On one side, through the

evaluation of the response of common companies for previous years in a micro data level and in

a second phase, through the consultation of external sources to assess the quality of the supplied

data.



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These two phases of validation of the answers obtained is related, essentially, with the fact of

the questionnaire to have two subjects filter concerning the accomplishment or not, of

expenditure on the environment. This format cannot in certain situations to induce an answer on

the part of the companies as doesn't tend expenses as regards to environment, but though to exist

a series of environmental norms whose execution, it cannot be exempted of some expense type

that fit in the scope of this statistical survey.

The minimum level to close collection phase was a response rate of at least 90%, measured in

terms of turnover in each stratum of companies in the sample. To guarantee this response rate it

was necessary contact several companies in some stratum and in the end of the collecting phase

the response rate was 95,4% with the following distribution: NACE C – 94,3%; NACE D –

95,4%; NACE E – 96,3%.

Data collection of the questionnaire, by paper or by internet, was done upon the same internet

questionnaire and the same data base. The main difference between paper collection and internet

collection is invoking of internet questionnaire. If enterprises subscribe internet, they fill in

directly in the internet questionnaire. In case of response by paper, the internet questionnaire is

invoked directly by INE internal resources using webreg interface.

Webinq site and the internet questionnaire were developed with ASP.NET with C#

programming language. The development environment has 3 layers:



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Data Layer – Database server

Business Layer – Application server (Web Services and Enterprise Services (COM+))

Presentation Layer – Web server

The scheme of the model:

Clients

IIS

ASP.NET

IIS

ASP.NET

Web

Services

Enterprise

Services(Com+)

SQL Server

.NET W

eb Application environment

ORACLE

WEB SERVER

APPLICATION SERVER

DATABASE SERVER

The Data Base Management System selected were SQL*server 2000 and ORACLE.



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The experience of the ICT method was clearly positive for the first year of implementation and

the reasons for this result are:

• Due the fact the system has the possibility for each respondent to select more than a

survey to answer using the webforms (after receiving the password to access);

• The largest enterprises already answered INE ´s survey by internet, so they have

experience in this field and get economy of scale;

• The internet survey is quite similar to paper version and is included the filling instructions

to help them to fill the form;

• With the internet survey is possible to run a set of validation rules while the respondent

fill the form; such innovation contribute to quality improvement on data collect and it

allows shortening the procedure of treatment of the data on the part of INE and reduce

substantially the budget with the project;

Once the set of validation rules is in the system, the analyses of quality data overcome to

quantitative data. Therefore is important to accomplish a comparison of the data obtained with

the ones were supplied by the same enterprise in previous years. It must be coherence among

certain events that justify this procedure. When an event isn’t record in the survey, it is an

element that justifies the contact near the enterprise for confirmation or explanation. For

example, considering a company that in a certain year it proceeds to the construction of a

wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) that until then didn't exist, starting from this moment it is

expected that the company, start to accomplish expenses with the maintenance and operation of

such equipment used on environmental protection.

On the other hand, the industrial units are forced to execute a series of norms in terms of

gaseous emissions, rejection of waste water, waste management, among other things, that

induce expenses by industry in regard to the control, abatement and reduction of the pollution. It

exist a series of licenses as regards to administration of wastes and of wastewater releases that

the industrial units should request regulatory ministerial entities, whose record and lists are used

as critic complement to the information supplied by the enterprises.



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5.5.6. Statistical results

The results corresponded to the demands specified by the Council Regulation nº 58/97 of

December 20, 1996, on the Structural Business Statistics, in particular in what refers to the

environment variables:

• Series 2B – Environmental protection expenditure discriminate by environmental

domains.

• Series 2O – Environmental protection expenditure discriminate by size of classes.

5.5.7. Dissemination

The main results of the survey were published in “Estatísticas do Ambiente 2003”, chapter 2 –

Enterprises. This information is also available in the internet for public in general (see Annex I).

It was elaborated a press release with the topics of the same publication (see Annex II).

5.5.8. Final report

In general, the assessments of data quality are good, once the implementation of set of

validation rules in the system bring a surplus value to the project, namely reduction of potentials

errors and missing values and consequently less contact to the enterprises.

As referred previously, the internet survey is quite similar to paper one and the respondents are

familiarizing with the form. In case of potentials doubts to access to webform, there are the

menu options “Help” with FAQ’s (frequently asked questions). It was created an e-mail address

for the respondents put their questions.

5.6. Resumed Description of Component 2

The analysis and the requirements for the whole system were developed under a specific

internal Working Group established in our office. That WG, nominated as Group WebInq

(Inquéritos na Web – Web Surveys), made a deep study on other webforms solutions in

Portugal, namely the solution in use to present tax declarations1.

1 All the taxes declarations could be sending using webform, even employees can present their annual declaration by webform. For 2005, until May, 3.6 millions users are connected with the system and 1.6 millions of employees had present their declaration using the webforms from a total of 5.4 millions of declarations already submitted. For 2004 over the 8.6 millions tax declarations were submitted using webforms.



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In the frame of this internal WG a great discussion was made in order to identify the best

solution and to design the architecture of the system. Several documents were produced and can

be presented if needed (available only in Portuguese language) – although are specific for

Portuguese reality, could be usefull for other to have an idea about the internal discussion made,

involving a huge amount of juridical material concerning the privacy of the respondents.

In point 5.6.1., can easily understand how the system was developed, nevertheless in general

terms it works as follows:

• The respondent can access to our website and make it self registration; as result a

password is sent by e-mail to the user (for security reasons the username is not sent, but

only a reference number, that is also given, and printed, in the moment of registration);

• In next step the respondent asks to answer to a specific survey, than a password to

access to the data and allow answering is sent by post mail in a letter (to the

headquarters of the enterprise);

• Once the respondent receives its password is able to access the system and start to

answer to the survey.

• If they whish it can be possible for each respondent to select more than a survey to

answer using the webform – the system controls all the surveys for which a specific

statistical unit can answer (there are a control of the samples).

This system is already prepared to allow that “third persons” could answer instead of

enterprises. This situation happens often once some enterprises ask to their accountants to

answer to their obligations (taxes, social security and statistics). In this case, the accountants

could access to the system under respondents authorization but can not access to the enterprise

characterization (data used to update the business register).

Once the webform is filled some validations are made and the respondent is requested to correct

it or the answer can be saved for later correction. Once the data is submitted a mail message is

sent to the respondent informing that the answer was received but if our services needed they

will be contacted to clarify any question that could be raised in their answer (normally

confirmation of data when editing is made).

On the other hand the respondent can see the situation concerning each survey and correction

could be done. In certain circumstances the data already sent could be consulted2.

2 This depends from the kind of respondent. If a single enterprise, for the moment, and according the Portuguese Law, only the owner can access to its data. For societies, this restriction does not apply.



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5.6.1. Description of the Webform (screens)

IMPORTANTE NOTE: All the data that can be seen in the screens below are not real data.

First screen to access to the website to access to the webform.



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To access to secure area. On the top of the screen, how to be a new respondent.

Access conditions to have access to the site that should be accepted by the respondents.



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The identification information that will be used in future contacts (including e-mail address).

The contacts also foreseen the possibility of being in another Member State.

Accessing to the secure area.



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In this screen the user could see the survey that could be answered.

Here the user can make the association to the different surveys. The system controls all the

surveys for which a specific statistical unit can answer.



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Here the user decides the year that would like to give their data.

First screen of IEGPA Webform. Each table (2 to 14) correspond a screen. The active screens

are marked as bold and underlined (tables 2, 3, 4, 5 and 14).



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Screen of table 3.

Screen of table 4.



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Screen of table 5. Here the user placed an X in 5.2 Wastewater management and 5.3 Waste

management. The screens of tables 7, 8 and 13 become actives.

Screen of table 7 with the Webform filled.



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Screen of table 14 after validation with some error (that can be seen below): 2 fatal error and 2

warning error. 1st fatal error: the sum isn’t correct in 8.2.1; 2nd fatal error: missing data in

8.2.1.2.1.

Correction of the data (8.2.1.2.1) already filled.



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After correcting the error.

After the user concludes the answer, the message that sees with a report confirming that the data

was accepted, but in case of some question the user could be contact by our services.



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The screen shows the data and time of delivery by website.

Each time any data is submitted an e-mail message sent to the user confirms the good reception

of the data.



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The last periods for which the INE’s has the answer.

Documents

Final Report 20050726unstats.un.org/unsd/envaccounting/ceea/archive/epea/portugal_epe_… · Environmental Statistics - Implementation of Data Collection using Webforms Final Report