Strategy for reducing the respondents’ burden Dr. Gergana Mihaylova Deputy President of the NSI September 8 , 2009 Twinning project BG 06/018-343.08.04 (BG 06/IB/FI/01) Sustainable Development of the National Statistical System 1

National Statistical System (NSS) The NSS carries out activities on: collecting, processing, analyzing and storing of statistical data provision and dissemination of statistical information in the country The NSS is composed of the National Statistical Institute (NSI) Bodies of Statistics and the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) The NSI plays the leading methodological and coordinating role Statistical activity is regulated in: Law on statistics EU regulations in the field of statistics Vision, principles and priorities for development of the NSS - Strategy for Development of the NSS of the Republic of Bulgaria 2008-2012 2

Priorities for the NSS development Reducing the respondents’ burden Improvement of statistical information quality Improvement of statistical information storage and dissemination Speeded implementation of new ICT and integration of IT activities within the NSS Development of human resources and improvement of labour conditions Development of European partnership and international cooperation Achievement of more effective interaction and coordination within the NSS Promotion of confidence in official statistics 3

Reducing the respondents’ burden It is related to the obligations of business and citizens to provide primary data to the NSS Reducing the respondents’ burden will be achieved mainly by: Wider use of administrative data sources (administrative registers and information systems of other institutions) Improving efficiency of the statistical tools Reducing the respondents’ burden is in accordance with the Programme of reducing the administrative burden on businesses, led by the Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism Използването на административни източници за статистически цели има пряко значение не само за намаляване на натоварването на бизнеса и гражданите, но и за намаляване на разходите за събиране на статистически данни. Комбинирането на статистически и административни данни дава допълнителни възможности за формиране на различни статистически показатели, както и за получаване на по-детайлна информация на регионално ниво. 4

Action plan for reducing the respondents’ burden Measuring the respondents’ burden Usage of administrative sources Coordination between NSI, National Revenue Agency, National Social Security Institute, BNB, Ministry of Finance and other institutions Improving efficiency of the statistical tools Modernization of methods and technology for data collection Development of human resources and technical infrastructure 5

Measuring the respondents’ burden Development of a methodology for measuring the respondents’ burden - definition of the elements constituting the burden on respondents Implementation of regular measurement of burden (a policy to reduce the burden, additional questions to measure the burden) 6

Usage of administrative sources Access to individual data in all administrative registers for statistical purposes (Law on Statistics, Article 29 (2) Continuous monitoring of the used methodologies and changes of the national registers and information systems Evaluation of possibilities to use data from registers Usage of administrative data sources for: production of concrete statistical indicators combining with statistical surveys data Improvement of the methodology of statistical surveys Improving and updating the Statistical Business Register (combining information about economic agents from different administrative sources) Usage of administrative sources and new technologies in Census 2011 7

Coordination between NSI, NRA, NSSI, BNB, MF and other institutions Development of means for coordination of activities on building-up, maintaining and using administrative sources for statistical purposes Implementation of contemporary information and communication technologies for data exchange between the NSI, the Bodies of Statistics and the institutions maintaining administrative sources Reviewing and updating the existing agreements with other institutions that administer information systems and registers as well as concluding new agreements Establishment of interinstitutional working groups to include data for statistical purposes to the existing registers Joining the efforts of NSI, NSSI and the NRA to relieve the burden on businesses in the submission of information on tax obligations Cooperation between the Ministry of Finance, BNB and NSI as regards the collection, processing and production of statistical information relating to the notification tables, financial and non-financial accounts for general government (signing of a new Memorandum of Cooperation) 8

Improving efficiency of the statistical tools Statistical samples – provision of a minimum number of participation of respondents in the statistical surveys Management and review of the statistical tools forms and questionnaires methodology of statistical surveys administrative sources definitions and classifications (extension of metadata published on the website of NSI) The various forms of collecting primary information Combination of data from different statistical surveys in production of concrete statistical indicators Examination of the terms of provision of business data (complying statistics with the general system of accounting, financial and tax reporting) Examination of the adequacy of the statistical surveys and information collected (in terms of legal requirements and users demand) 9

Modernization of methods and technology for data collection Main directions: online entry of statistical information in the field of business statistics, extending the use of electronic questionnaires (culture, agriculture, etc.) modern methods of computer-assisted interviewing Simplification of forms and development of detailed instructions testing the forms (perception, information quality, comprehensibility) accessibility to electronic forms through the Internet site of the NSI (by groups of respondents) Public presentation of the statistical activity - better public relations, feedback from participants in the surveys Building new statistical registers (statistical register of housing, statistical register of education) Development of existing and elaboration of new information systems (social statistics, integration of data collected from various sources) 10

Development of human resources and technical infrastructure Continuous training of staff in order to improve its qualification in the field of statistics and information technologies Introduction of unified tools for data processing, standard statistical packages Development of information and communication technologies (different ways of implementing the exchange of data between institutions and within the NSI) Renovation of the technically outdated technical equipment 11

Thank you for your attention! 12