Measuring Respondent Burdenat the UK Office for National Statistics

Denise Williams, Sarah Green & Jacqui Jones

Presentation overview

• Survey Control Unit• Better regulation• Response burden targets• Measuring response burden (Old and New)

Slide 2

Survey Control Unit

• 1969 Survey Control Unit established

• Guardians of Prime Minister’s (PM) instructions– control of statistical surveys– framework for managing burden

• PM instructions updated every 5 years

Slide 3

Survey Control Unit

Co-ordinates across all government departments in terms of:

• Response burden• New survey proposals• Alternative sources• Reviews of regular surveys• Annual report

Slide 4

Better Regulation

Agenda being to measure and reduce the costto business associated with complying withgovernment regulations

Three reviews (2005):• Hampton review• Regulation – Less is More. Reducing

Burdens, Improving Outcomes• Administrative Burdens Measurement

ExerciseSlide 5

Better Regulation Targets

ONS was set the following targets:

By 2010 25% reduction in categories B & CB – surveys to met EU requirements but EU regulations do not

specify information business has to provide

C – surveys to meet UK needs no EU requirements

By 2015 25% reduction in category AA – surveys conducted to comply with EU regulations andinternational rules describe the information that businesses should provide Slide 6

Measuring Response Burden

Old method:• used during survey control reviews• 20% of survey sample• postal self-completion questionnaire

• calculated by:

(No. of questionnaires (100% response)) * (estimated completion time) *(an appropriate hourly rate)+Uprating for respondent re-contacts Slide 7

Measuring Response Burden

• The need for change was driven by

European Union initiative

• Introduced Standard Cost Model approach:

– transparent measurement–measures administrative burden–highlights impact of international legislation–data collected in face-to-face interviews

Slide 8

Measuring Response Burden

• Standard Cost Model (SCM) very similar to ‘old’ method

SCM = price * quantity

Price = tariff * time

Quantity = number of enterprises + frequency

Slide 9

Measuring Response Burden

Key differences:

• sample design• mode of collection• level of detail

Slide 10

Measuring Response Burden

ONS design for SCM approach:

• Implement quantitative rather than qualitative approach

Slide 11

Measuring Response Burden

Introduction of ‘new’ SCM method

• maintain ‘old’ method with:

– new sample design

Slide 12

2

1

1.

nCV

resp rateN R

Measuring Response Burden

– new questionnaire

* Breakdown of responding activity

* Information already available

* External costs

* Survey irritants

Slide13

Review questionnaire

Slide 14

Measuring Response Burden

– ASHE pay rates

– 30% uplift for overheads

– inclusion of survey frequency

– mean response burden

– data collection tool

Slide 15

Measuring Response Burden

New method formula:

mean weighted cost per questionnaire + recontact uplift *

number of questionnaires in survey sample *

survey frequency

Slide 16

Measuring Response Burden

Roll-out of new method:

• Two pilots informed:– further changes to the questionnaire– changes to the data collection tool– recommendation to send out response

burden questionnaires with survey

• Roll-out over next 5 yearsSlide 17

Thank you

jacqui.jones@ons.gov.uk