Use of administrative data for statistical purposes

1. Use of administrative data for statistical purposes John Cornish

2. UN Principles Principle 5 Data for statistical purposes may be drawn from all types of sources, be they statistical surveys or administrative records. Statistical agencies are to choose the source with regard to quality, timeliness, costs and the burden on respondents.

3. Opportunities to use admin data vary across countries • Different levels of govt • Public attitudes • Concerns to reduce reporting loads • Computerisation & maintenance of records

4. Statistical uses of admin data • Input to registers • Frames for survey selection, with stratification • Benchmarks for survey estimation • Data source – fully in own right or partially as auxiliary information for survey estimation • Linking to enrich other sources • Quality validation

5. Advantages • Reduces load on respondents • Can be less expensive than direct collection • ‘Full’ coverage avoids sampling error & allows estimates to be produced for small areas and subgroups • Longitudinal analysis

6. Disadvantages • No direct control over source – can be stopped, reduced in coverage, changes made to definitions etc, • Often created decentralised with variations across sources • Units are often not ideal • Limited explanatory variables restricts richness • Timeliness can be an issue • Records may not be computerisedNB Usually produce estimates different from direct statistical collection which need to be explained

7. Quality & skills issues • Not necessarily lesser quality than direct collection, just different quality to understand & manage • Coverage • Consistency over sources & time • Non-standard variables • Missing data • Timeliness • Statistical techniques needed for • Coverage adjustments • Handling late or missing records, duplicates • Modelling & linking

8. Statistical vs administrative use • Important distinction • NSO should avoid involvement with administrative use and mixing uses • Hence separate out statistical use

9. Strategies for increasing use • Government support • Organisational commitment • from the top • Set goals eg reducing response loads • Develop relationships with data sources • Understand quality and its management

10. Relationships are critical • Need understanding on both sides • Work on relationships at all levels • Offer help and expertise (skills, systems, coders, outputs) • Helps to create a win-win situation (eg produce statistics needed by source owners) • Back up with Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

11. Admin records are pervasive • Compulsory/legal requirements – taxation • Entitlements, benefits – social security • Registers – people, events eg births • Transactions – imports/exports, hospital visits • Financial records – hospitals, govt agencies • Enrolments – schools • Environmental data

12. Business Registers • Taxation systems usually provide comprehensive coverage of businesses • Ideal source of a frame for economic surveys • But also valuable source of statistics

13. Population & Social • Births, deaths Government social programs usually produce admin records • Health – cause of death, hospital morbidity • Education – enrolments, qualifications • Social welfare