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OECD Workshop on Business and Consumer Tendency Surveys, Rome, 19 September 2006
SESSION 1RECENTLY DEVELOPED INTERNATIONAL
GUIDELINES FOR OPINION SURVEYS
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International statistical guidelines
Wealth of existing standards – mainly on quantitative statistics
Developed jointly by I/Os (OECD, Eurostat, IMF, ILO, UN, etc) and NSIs over last 30 years
Aim to improve the quality and comparability of national and international statistics
Cover concepts / terminology, classifications, collection, transformation and presentation
Mainly domain focused – national accounts, prices, retail trade, international trade, BoP, industry, etc
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International statistical guidelines - Access
Available on UNSD website (http://unstats.un.org/unsd/progwork/)
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International statistical guidelines - Access
Available on UNSD website (http://unstats.un.org/unsd/progwork/)
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Relationship to BTS / COS guidelines
Existing
European Commission (1997, updated 2006)- Collection- Compilation- Presentation- Harmonised -Questionnaires
OECDBTS Handbook (2003)- Principles on different phases of survey cycle.-Collection (brief)- Questionnaires- Use of results
Existing
European Commission (1997, updated 2006)- Collection- Compilation- Presentation- Harmonised -Questionnaires
OECDBTS Handbook (2003)- Principles on different phases of survey cycle.-Collection (brief)- Questionnaires- Use of results
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International guidelines and recommendations for BTS / COS
Existing
European Commission (1997, updated 2006)- Collection- Compilation- Presentation- Harmonised -Questionnaires
OECDBTS Handbook (2003)- Principles on different phases of survey cycle.-Collection (brief)- Questionnaires- Use of results
Existing
European Commission (1997, updated 2006)- Collection- Compilation- Presentation- Harmonised -Questionnaires
OECDBTS Handbook (2003)- Principles on different phases of survey cycle.-Collection (brief)- Questionnaires- Use of results
Enhanced
Cover three broad sets ofissues:
- Improve survey response rates- Minimise respondent load- Harmonisation of surveyoperations and technical design – including use of Internet for collection
• Discussed at joint EC – OECD Workshop in Nov. 2005• Some recommendations require further work
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Enhanced BTS / COS guidelines - Response rates and respondent load
Achievement of a satisfactory response rate key factor in quality of output
Need for clear strategies to minimise non-response – relating to collection methods and communication with respondents
These also minimise respondent load
Strategies need to be carefully thought through and adequately resourced.
Embodied in 7 strategies in para. 6 of paper.
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Enhanced BTS / COS guidelines - Harmonisation of survey operations and
technical design Recommendations outline best practice for the development of
opinion surveys
Many are self evident. Provide a basis for benchmarking recommended practice and comparisons of data quality between countries.
Sample design and weighting methods – cover sample frame, sampling methods, treatment of missing data, weighting methods.
Design of internet surveys – detailed recommendations are intended as a starting point for further development of research-based principles – cover initial development, email invitation, questionnaire design, analysing results, giving feedback, security
Outlined in paras. 8-12 of paper.
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Enhanced BTS / COS guidelines - Dissemination
Will be given wider dissemination in future, for example, in:
OECD’s BTS / COS portal
Future editions of OECD’s BTS Handbook
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Enhanced BTS / COS guidelines - Further changes
Will be further supplemented by:
Inclusion of further examples of national recommended practice on specific aspects / issues covered in recommendations
Further development work and research by national agencies or new task forces
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Enhanced BTS / COS guidelines - Uses
Facilitate benchmarking and comparisons of current national practices.
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Discussion
Further comments on enhanced standards – their usefulness, application
Suggestions on areas where further enhancements / development are required – by national agency or new task forces to work over next 12 months.
Examples of recent national practice that could be submitted for inclusion in OECD portal, etc
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The End