Welcome to the Singapore Department of Statistics

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UNSD SEMINAR ON INNOVATIONS IN OFFICIAL
STATISTICS UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK 20 FEBRUARY
2009
Innovations in Official Statistics
Data Collection Dissemination
SINGAPORE
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Innovations in Data Collection

• Use of Alternative Sources Administrative
  Data
  
• Data Collection Strategy
• Tri-Modal Data Collection
• Staggered Workflow for Increased Efficiency
• Integrative Survey Processes

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Optimisation of Administrative Data
for Statistical Purposes

• Use of administrative sources
• helps to reduce respondent burden
• Complement survey data, for the compilation of
  more timely and detailed statistics

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Use of Administrative Datafor Statistical
Purposesin Statistics Singapore

• Direct tabulation
• Used as proxies in estimation
• Construction and updating of survey frames
• Evaluation of surveys
• Replacement of data collection
• Editing and imputation of data

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Use of Admin Data in Population Statistics
Singapores Register-Based Census
Basic information on entire population from admi
n registers
Information collated from entire population
Additional details from sample survey
of the population
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Use of Admin Datain Business Statistics

• Business Register
• - Updated at regular intervals with
  administrative sources
  
• Examples
• - Tax information from the Inland Revenue
  Authority of Singapore
  
• - Registration information from the Accounting
  and
  
• Corporate Regulatory Authority
• Usage
• Examples
• - Determinants of active establishments
• - Industry classification
• - Survey frame
• - Imputation for non-response cases
• - Compilation of new indicators
• small and medium establishments and start-ups

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Managing Issues Arising fromUse of
Administrative Data

• Matching of Data
• Matching will be relatively easy if there is
  common identification number
  
• Examples
• - Every resident in Singapore has a personal
  identification number
  
• - Every foreigner staying or working in
  Singapore needs to hold a pass with a unique
  foreigner identification number (UFN)
  
• - From 1 January 2009, all entities registered
  in Singapore, such as businesses, companies,
  societies, and representative offices have a
  unique entity number (UEN)

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Tri-Modal Data Collection For Population Census
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Internet Enumeration
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Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing
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Adopting Technology for Field Collection
Use of Personal Digital Assistants

• Improved flow of face-to-face interviews
• - Automated branching of questions
• - Completeness checks
• Simplified fieldwork operations
• - PDA more portable than voluminous hardcopy
  forms
  
• Reduced back-end data processing
• - Reduced data entry
• - Checks performed during interview
• Data Security
• - Encrypted data
• - Authorised access

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Adopting Technology for Field Collection
Use of Mobile Text Messages in Field Operations

• Automated system of SMS alerts
• Minimize incidents of interviewers visiting
  households who completed survey

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Staggered Workflow for Increased Efficiency
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Integrated Business Survey System (IBSS)
Desired outcome Improve the quality, relevance a
nd timeliness of Business Statistics
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Integrated Business Survey System (IBSS)
Disparate Processes and Systems for Difference
Surveys
Previously
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• Generic end-to-end system for business surveys
• More seamless integration between data collection
  and data processing processes
  
• Consistency in procedures, methods, systems
  across surveys
  
• Facilitates cross-checking of data from different
  surveys to achieve data consistency
  
• Facilitates response management across surveys
  for better client management

Integrated Business Survey System (IBSS)
Now
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New Commercial Establishment Information System
(CEIS)

• Extensive use of administrative data for more
  timely and efficient updating of business
  register
  
• Track new firms which have commenced operation
• Update more up-to-date status of existing firms

Previously
Now

• 30,000 new firms to cover every year in survey to
  determine status and size of companies

• More detailed smaller scale survey, covering
  1,500 new firms with active status and emp 10

?
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Integrated Business Survey System Improving
Sampling Efficiency
Previously
Now

• Size strata 2
• Take-all 1 Group
• Take-some 1 Group

• Size strata 3
• Take-all 1 Group
• Take-some 2 Groups

• Reduction in sample size
• Reduction in design Coefficient of Variation (CV)

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IBSS Multi-Modal Data Collection

• Hard copy through mail

• On-line Internet submission

Security Measure Adopt Govts E-Service Authoris
ation System (EASY) and Singapore Personal Access
(SingPass) for authorisation authentication

• Data Quality Measures
• On-line validation checks
• Succcesful uploading only if data pass
  validation

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IBSS Improving Response Management

• Periodic response charts
• Comparison of responses across different periods,
  industries and editors
  
• Priority list of outstanding cases given to
  editors
  
• Effective in raising response rate and
  operational efficiency

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IBSS Improving Data Processing

• Standard methods adopted in automated data
  editing and imputation for non-response cases
  
• Leverage on established statistical software
• ? Improved data quality and timeliness

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Innovation in Data Dissemination

• Extend Outreach to users
• Multiple Channels of Dissemination
• Portable Data
• More Interesting Presentation - Visualisation
  Technique
  

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Multi-Channels for Dissemination of Statistics/
Publications
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SingStat Express (SMS)

• Key indicators
• Alert to press releases/papers

Local Users Who Are on the Move
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Innovation in Data Dissemination
SingStat Website

• Adopts a portal concept
• Provides single-point access to key official
  statistics released by various government
  agencies under decentralized statistical system

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Innovation in Data Dissemination
SingStat Time Series Online System

• Single platform to access social and economic
  time series
  
• 19 subject themes with 7,000 time series

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Innovation in Data Dissemination
Using Data Push Techniques
To deliver news highlights/latest data/hyperl
inks

• Via
• Really Simple Syndication (RSS)
• Email/Text Messaging Alert Services

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Innovation in Data Dissemination
Using Data Pull Techiques
To facilitate user self-help

• Via
• Facility on SingStat website to download data to
  Palm OS devices
  
• Text messaging service to request and receive data

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Innovation in Data Dissemination
Using Data Visualization Technique to Present Data
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Innovation in Data Collection and Dissemination

• Harness IT Advancement and Re-engineered
  Processes to improve operational efficiency and
  effectiveness to better serve users

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• Thank You