1. Unified Online Survey System in the decentralized statistical system MAKITA Naoki (Mr.) nmakita@stat.go.jp Statistics Bureau Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Japan The 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 1430 October 15, 2008 10:30 - 12:00 Session 14: Electronic reporting - Japanese experience of electronic reporting -

2. 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

3. Copyright (c) Statistics Bureau, 2008. All rights reserved. 3 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

4. Copyright (c) Statistics Bureau, 2008. All rights reserved. 4 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

5. Copyright (c) Statistics Bureau, 2008. All rights reserved. 5 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.

6. Copyright (c) Statistics Bureau, 2008. All rights reserved. 6 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.

7. Copyright (c) Statistics Bureau, 2008. All rights reserved. 7 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:

8. Copyright (c) Statistics Bureau, 2008. All rights reserved. 8 3. IMISOS 8 General Public as Statistics Users Survey Respondents Internet Statistical Geographical Information System Wide Area Networks for central and local governments Center for the Inter-Ministry Information System for Official Statistics (Application Service Provider: ASP) Portal Site of Official Statistics of Japan (e-Stat) 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 Authentication System Back Office Portal Site Statistical Frame of Establishments and Enterprises Information Systems in Ministries Ministries as Statistics Users Ministries as IMISOS Users Inter-Ministry Information System for Official Statistics Unified Online Survey System

9. Copyright (c) Statistics Bureau, 2008. All rights reserved. 9 3. IMISOS 9 General Public as Statistics Users Survey Respondents Internet Statistical Geographical Information System Center for the Inter-Ministry Information System for Official Statistics (Application Service Provider: ASP) Portal Site of Official Statistics of Japan (e-Stat) Statistical Tables Management System Regional Statistics Analysis System Statistical Area Code Management System Statistical Classification Management System Survey Items Database Enumerator Management System Authentication System Back Office Portal Site Statistical Frame of Establishments and Enterprises Information Systems in Ministries Ministries as Statistics Users Ministries as IMISOS Users Statistical Information Database Inter-Ministry Information System for Official Statistics Dissemination Wide Area Networks for central and local governments Unified Online Survey System

10. Copyright (c) Statistics Bureau, 2008. All rights reserved. 10 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.

11. Copyright (c) Statistics Bureau, 2008. All rights reserved. 11 4. Unified Online Survey System 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

12. Copyright (c) Statistics Bureau, 2008. All rights reserved. 12 4. Unified Online Survey System Requirements for electronic questionnaires PDFEXCELHTML Resembles a paper questionnaire, and easy to print a hard copy YesFair Can facilitate completion of electronic questionnaires offline Yes No Can circulate electronic questionnaires within an enterprise Yes No Demand survey respondents to be equipped with free software only. YesNoYes Recommended format for UOSS

13. Copyright (c) Statistics Bureau, 2008. All rights reserved. 13 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. 4. Unified Online Survey System

14. Copyright (c) Statistics Bureau, 2008. All rights reserved. 14 4. Unified Online Survey System Survey Respondents Paper Questionnaires Enumerators / Mail Ministries / Municipalities Paper Questionnaires Collect Deliver BEFORE: Survey by enumerator / mail

15. Copyright (c) Statistics Bureau, 2008. All rights reserved. 15 4. Unified Online Survey System 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.

16. Copyright (c) Statistics Bureau, 2008. All rights reserved. 16 4. Unified Online Survey System Unified Online Survey System

17. Copyright (c) Statistics Bureau, 2008. All rights reserved. 17 4. Unified Online Survey System Unified Online Survey System

18. Copyright (c) Statistics Bureau, 2008. All rights reserved. 18 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.

19. Copyright (c) Statistics Bureau, 2008. All rights reserved. 19 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.)

20. Copyright (c) Statistics Bureau, 2008. All rights reserved. 20 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.

21. Copyright (c) Statistics Bureau, 2008. All rights reserved. 21 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

22. Copyright (c) Statistics Bureau, 2008. All rights reserved. 22 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

23. Copyright (c) Statistics Bureau, 2008. All rights reserved. 23 Thank you for your attention Statistics Bureau of Japan: www.stat.go.jp 18 October is "Statistics Day" of Japan