Support for design of statistical surveys at Statistics Sweden

Eva Elvers

Process Department

Statistics Sweden (SCB)

eva.elvers@scb.se

Outline

• Design

• Statistics production

• Support A process support system A guide for design

• Communication and implementation

• Development

• Discussion

Design – and context

• Statistics production: based on a statistical surveyor more than one survey

• Generic Statistical Business Process Model, UNECE

• Situations: New survey Re-design Continuous improvements for an ongoing survey

Statistics production process~ a statistical survey (one or more)

Support and infrastructure

Evaluate and feed back8

Specifyneeds

1

Design and plan

2

Build and test

3

Collect

4

Process

5

Analyse

6

Disseminate and

communicate 7

Statistics production process – two levels

Identify customers1.2

Confirm information needs

1.4

Establishcustomer contact

1.3

Negotiate and contract

1.5

Preparedissemination

7.1

Compile end product

7.2

Disseminate end product to customer

7.3

Classify and code microdata

5.1

Edit microdata

5.2

Impute for nonresponse

5.3

Complement microdata

5.4

Calculate weights

5.5

Carry out disclosure control

6.3

Generate frame andregister population

4.1

Set up data collection

4.3

Run data collection

4.4

Transfer and storedata electronically

4.5

Design end product

2.1

Design data collection

2.3

Design processing2.4

Design analysis2.5

Design disseminationand communication

2.6

Design workflow 2.7

Build collection instrument

3.1

Build and adapttools3.2

Build workflow

3.3

Testcollection instrument

3.4

Test tools and workflow

3.5

Conductpilot study

3.6

Producestatistics

6.1

Editmacrodata

6.2

Finalise observation register

6.4

Interpret andexplain

6.5

Design frame, register population

and sample2.2

Identify information needs and availability

1.1

Communicateend product

7.4

Select sample

4.2

Plan production cycle2.8

Initiateworkflow

3.7

Finalise outputsfor dissemination

6.6

Specify needs

1

Design

and plan

2

Build and test

3

Collect

4

Process

5

Analyse

6

Disseminate and

communicate 7

Dispose and preserve

7.5

Process support system

This system contains descriptions of processes

The tree of sub-processes varies in detail;

from level 2 down to level 5 (a few cases)

• Input• Process description – character varies• Output• Contacts • Latest update occasion

Standardisation and process description

Different types and ways of standardisation

• IT-tools

• Templates

• Checklists – character varies Detailed activities, step-by-step Tasks to be done, without /precise/ instructions Issues to consider

• For a survey/product: a mixture of standards and survey/product adaption

Guide at SCB: Design of statistical surveys

Main contents:

• Starting points for design and planningsome basic concepts and reasoning, intro for the survey manager

• Customer (user) contactsspecifications, concepts, deliverables, contacts under way, ...

• Preparatory actions

• Trade-off examples (next)

• Design the IT-solution

• References

Guide to design: Trade-off examples

Different choices, different error sources, errors and costs

• mixed mode: questionnaires, respondents, follow-up

• response rate: bias, group strategy, ‘easy’ responses

• data collection method: content, time, costs

• comparability and accuracy – when there are changes

• balance together with customer

• pilot study

Communication and implementation

• Communication – two ways! Courses, seminars Networks, visits Feedback, suggestions

• Situation to consider New survey Re-design Continuous improvements

• Support – additional Maintenance model with roles, planning, ... Model on test, ... Design teams recommended

Development directions

• Guide on choices and intensities (what and how much) overall perspective (the last €)

• Quality and costs more process data needed

• Optimisation – or a structured procedure Can everything be measured in one way? Rather multi-facetted: quality components and costs Certain conditions/restrictions Then: some optimisation (often accuracy involved)

• More knowledge → better support

Discussion

• The process support system is somewhat like a handrail.

The guide complements through suggestions and thoughts.

More communication, examples, process data

Furthermore:

• Suitable procedure for successive choicesResponsive design, in simple form

• More connections Quality assurance and quality control Architecture Build and test: collection instrument, tools, workflow