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

2. 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 2

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. Thank you for your attention!12