Unified Online Survey System in the decentralized statistical system MAKITA Naoki (Mr.) [email protected] Statistics Bureau Ministry of Internal Affairs

Unified Online Survey System in the decentralized statistical system

MAKITA Naoki (Mr.)[email protected]

Statistics BureauMinistry of Internal Affairs and Communications

JapanThe views and opinions expressed in the presentation are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of the organizations to which he belongs.

20081007 1430October 15, 2008

10:30 - 12:00

Session 14: Electronic reporting

- Japanese experience of electronic reporting -

mailto:[email protected]

Copyright (c) Statistics Bureau, 2008. All rights reserved. 2

1　ＸＢＲＬの特徴Outline

1.Background

2.The Optimization Plan

3. Inter-Ministry Information System for Official Statistics

4.Unified Online Survey System

5.Online surveys conducted

6.Challenges

7.Conclusions


1. Background

•Surroundings in Japanese official statistics

• Decentralized statistical system

• Demands to improve efficiency and enhance the convenience of survey respondents

• Challenges

• Policy to integrate the systems of Ministries

• Need for an online survey

• Solution

• Unified Online Survey System


1. Background

Decentralized statistical system of Japan

Example

Population Census, Labour Force Survey, … Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications

Census of Manufacturers, Indices of Industrial Production, … Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry

Vital Statistics, Basic Survey on Wage Structure, … Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare

Agriculture Census, Crop Survey, … Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries

School Basic Survey, … Ministry of Education Culture Sports Science and Technology

c.f. GDP, … Economic and Social Research Institute, Cabinet Office


2. The Optimization Plan

The Program for Building e-Government was decided by the CIO Council (an assembly of Director-Generals of the Secretariat of all the Ministries) in July 2003

• All business processes and systems of the Government were systematically sorted out and grouped into areas common to all or part of the Ministries.

•Optimization Plans for Business Processes and System in most areas were formulated by March 2006 to integrate the systems of Ministries and renovate the business processes.


2. The Optimization Plan

The Statistics Bureau, MIC (SBJ) drafted the Optimization Plan of Business Processes and Systems of Statistical Surveys and Related Work of Official Statistics, with collaboration of statistics departments of other Ministries, which was decided by the CIO Council in March 2005

Since then, SBJ has been implementing the Optimization Plan in order to reform statistical surveys operations based on ICT, going beyond the borders of Ministries.


3. IMISOS

Inter-Ministry Information System for Official Statistics

--- the vehicle to implement the Optimization Plan. Test operation since October 2007 Official launch in April 2008

• Unified Online Survey System -> A gateway to the electronic reporting of statistical surveys via the Internet

• Statistical Frame of Establishments and Enterprises -> Establishments and Enterprises Database

• Portal Site of Official Statistics of Japan (e-Stat) -> A one-stop service for statistics dissemination

etc….

IMISOS consists of 13 subsystems, such as:


3. IMISOS

8

General Public as

Statistics Users

SurveyRespondents

Inte

rnet

Statistical Geographical Information System

Wid

e A

rea

Net

wor

ks

for

cen

tral

and

loca

l gov

ernm

ents

Center for the Inter-Ministry Information System for Official Statistics

(Application Service Provider: ASP)

Port

al S

it e o

f O

ffic

i al S

t ati s

ti cs

of J

apan

( e

- St a

t )

Statistical Tables Management System

Statistical Information Database

Regional Statistics Analysis System

Statistical Area Code Management System

Statistical Classification Management System

Survey Items Database

Enumerator Management System

Aut

hent

icat

ion

Sys t

em

Bac

k O

ffic

e Po

r tal

Si te

Statistical Frame of Establishments and Enterprises

Info

rmat

ion

Syst

ems

in M

inis

trie

s

　

Ministries as

Statistics Users

Ministries as

IMISOS Users


Unified Online Survey System


3. IMISOS

9

General Public as

Statistics Users

SurveyRespondents

Inte

rnet

Statistical Geographical Information System

Center for the Inter-Ministry Information System for Official Statistics

(Application Service Provider: ASP)

Port

al S

ite o

f O

ffic

ial S

tatis

tics

of J

apan

(e

-Sta

t)

Statistical Tables Management System

Regional Statistics Analysis System

Statistical Area Code Management System

Statistical Classification Management System

Survey Items Database

Enumerator Management System

Aut

hent

icat

ion

Sys t

em

Bac

k O

ffic

e Po

r tal

Si te

Statistical Frame of Establishments and Enterprises

Info

rmat

ion

Syst

ems

in M

inis

trie

s

　

Ministries as

Statistics Users

Ministries as

IMISOS UsersStatistical Information Database


Dissemination

Wid

e A

rea

Net

wor

ks

for

cen

tral

and

loca

l gov

ernm

ents



4. Unified Online Survey System

Problems regarding statistical surveys • A declining response rate amid a severe survey environment

• People are becoming privacy conscious.• The Act on the Protection of Personal Information enacted in 2005 has intensified this tendency.

• Enumerators find it difficult to approach survey respondents.• People are not always at home due to the growing number of one-person households and two working parents.• Some people are very cautious to answer the door because of deteriorating community safety.

• Overlapping investments on online survey systems by certain Ministries.

• Lack of coordinated coherence among the systems, which makes survey respondents feel bothersome and confused.



Solution

Development of an unified online survey system.

• A versatile online system which Ministries can jointly use for statistical surveys of any type and scope (household, individual, establishment or enterprise, etc.)

• Existing online survey systems, which had been developed by respective Ministries, shall be replaced with UOSS by the end of the systems’ life cycle.

• If required, an add-on can be attached to UOSS for specific statistical surveys by the respective Ministries.

• The Service is available 24/7


4. Unified Online Survey SystemRequirements for electronic questionnaires

PDF EXCEL HTML

Resembles a paper questionnaire, and easy to print a hard copy

Yes Fair Fair

Can facilitate completion of electronic questionnaires offline

Yes Yes No

Can circulate electronic questionnaires within an enterprise

Yes Yes No

Demand survey respondents to be equipped with free software only.

Yes No Yes

Recommended format for UOSS


Features of Electronic questionnaires

• Electronic questionnaires for statistical surveys and relevant programs are developed by each Ministry, based on the Developers' Manual of UOSS drawn up by SBJ.

• Java Script is embedded in the electronic questionnaires for data check and control.




Survey Respondents

Paper Questionnaires

Enumerators/ Mail

Ministries/ Municipalities

Paper Questionnaires

Collect

Deliver

BEFORE: Survey by enumerator / mail



Survey Respondents Unified Online Survey System

Download Elctr. Qstnr.

Complete Elctr. Qstnr.

Transmit Data

Issue Receipt Number

Data Check

Modify Data

For Multimode survey:Survey Respondents who prefer to submit Paper Questionnaires

Data Storage

Retrieve the entire data

Monitor Respondents Status

Identify Respondents

Paper Questionnaire

s.

Enumerators/ Mail

Ministries/ Municipalities

ID/PW

Contact/follow-up Follow-up

Input Data

AFTER: Survey by UOSS

Paper Questionnaire

s.








5. Online surveys conducted

Employment Status Survey, Housing and Land Survey, Survey of Research and Development, Monthly Survey on Service Industries, …

Statistics Bureau, MIC

School Health Examination Survey, Social Education Survey

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

Survey on Lumber, Statistical Survey on Livestock Marketing, Survey of Fishery Products Marketing

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Corporations Survey on Land

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

• Since October 2007, four ministries have adopted UOSS for some of their surveys.

• All the surveys are multimode surveys using online and mail / enumerator (not exclusively online surveys).

And more ministries will join.


5. Online surveys conducted

Survey of Research and Development, 2008 (An annual survey conducted by the SBJ)

• Scope of survey: Business enterprises, non-profit institutions, public organizations, and universities and colleges

• Online Response rate: 30-40% of all responses(Multimode survey via online and mail methods. The figure is tentative, as the survey remains in the questionnaire collection phase.)

Employment Status Survey, 2007 (A quinquennial survey conducted by the SBJ via municipalities)

• Scope of survey: Individuals aged 15 years upward.

• Online Response rate: 3.3% of the total responses (The figure is that for 11 municipalities that used multimode surveys via online and enumerator methods. Other municipalities conducted surveys using enumerators only.)


6. Challenges

Much room for more online response rate

• For the survey respondents

• Gain the understanding and confidence of survey respondents in UOSS, and encourage them to participate in the online survey.

• Improve UOSS usability, and support survey respondents with a help desk.

• Toward the 2010 Population Census, the SBJ also plans to adopt an HTML questionnaire.

• For the field survey staff

• Enlighten them about UOSS

Not all municipalities are able to catch up with“the new business model” of UOSS, nor are the enumerators. 　


6. Challenges

• For Ministries

• Accumulate know-how concerning UOSS operation, electronic questionnaire design and field survey management, and share it with other Ministries.

• For UOSS itself

• Keep up to date with the latest versions of related software: Windows, web browsers, and Adobe reader.

• Ensure the availability and security of the system


7. Conclusions

• The SBJ is driving the Optimization Plan of Business Processes and Systems of Statistical Surveys and Related Work of Official Statistics in line with the Program for Building e-Government

• The Unified Online Survey System is reshaping the way Ministries conduct online surveys in the decentralized statistical system

• There is much room to improve the online response rate

• Further efforts shall be made by the SBJ to encourage survey respondents, field survey staff and Ministries to make use of UOSS


Thank you for your attention

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Documents

Unified Online Survey System in the decentralized statistical system MAKITA Naoki (Mr.) [email protected] Statistics Bureau Ministry of Internal Affairs