Using administrative sources for official statistics:

1. Using administrative sources for official statistics: With an application to Vietnam Dr NghiemThi Van Department of Integrated Statistics General Statistics Office of Vietnam

2. Main contents 1. Introduction 2. Concept, types, advantages and disadvantages of administrative sources 3. Situations of using administrative sources for statistical purposes in some developed countries 4. The application in Vietnam 5. References 2

3. 1. Introduction • The importance of using administrative sources for statistical purposes. • To diversify the ways of data collection • To generate statistics with regards to good quality, timeliness, lowered costs and less burden for interviewees. • Literature review • Hoffman (1995): using administrative is inevitable • Brackstone (2007): the types of administrative sources, a way to supplement the surveys. • Penneck (2007): the use of administrative sources for statistical purposes in United Kingdom. • UNECE: the statistical system based on administrative registers in the Nordic countries. 3

4. 2. Concepts • Administrative sources: collections of data held by government agencies having functions to collect and use for purposes of administering taxes, benefits or services. • Brackstone (1987): 4 distinguishing characteristics • Agent that supplies the data to the statistical office and unit to which data related are different. • Data were originally collected for a definite non-statistical purpose • Complete coverage of target population is the aim • Control of methods. • General concept: administrative sources contain information initially not for purpose of data collection. 4

5. 2. Types (Cont.) • Tax data: Personal Income Tax, Value Added Tax, Business/profit tax, Property Tax, Import/Export Taxes; • Social security data: Contributions, Benefits, and Pensions; Health and educational records; Registration systems for persons, businesses, property, vehicles; Identity cards/passports/driving licenses; • Electoral registers, Register of farms, Local council registers, Building permits, Licensing systems such as cable television, Sale of restricted goods, Published business accounts, Internal accounting data; Private businesses with data holdings like credit agencies, business analysts, telephone directories, and retailers with store cards. 5

6. 2. Advantages (Cont.) • Cost savings • Reducing the burden of providing feedback information • High frequency without increasing the burden of providing feedback information to lower costs incurred • Timeliness • Image of statistical agencies to public community

7. 2. Disadvantages (Cont.) • Differences in definitions between administrative and statistical agencies • Differences in classification and period • Lack of confidence of statistician who does not collect data directly.

8. 3. Using administrative sources in some developed countries England • Linked data source between the National Statistics Office (ONS) and the Department of Employment Research and Retirement • The Work and Pensions Longitunal Study (WPLS) combines benefits and program information held by the Department of Employment and Pensions on its own customers, with the records of employment from Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs (HMRC) • The Neighbourhood Statistics website http://www.neighborhood • The Inter-Department of Business Registration (IDBR)

9. 3. (Cont.) The Nordic Countries • Begun to use the administrative register in the field of population, housing and business registration since the 1970s. • Administrative records in census is the last step of the process of producing data. • The system of uniform personal code is used for almost administrative registers • A uniform code system for business register, address register, housing and shelter • Statistical Offices deal with administrative agencies over access of administrative records. • The register-based business uses for statistical purposes such as residence, housing, business and business register

10. 4. Application to the case of Vietnam • 2 ways of data collection in Vietnam: Statistical Report and Statistical Surveys • Statistical reports: ministries/government agencies; provincial statistical offices; corporations; state-own enterprised with own-accounted, administrative agencies, FDI companies. • Statistical Surveys: Monthly-survey: 9 Quarterly-surveys: 4 Yearly-surveys : 11 2-years-period surveys: 5 5-year-period surveys : 5 10-years-period surveys: 2

12. 4. Application (Cont.) • Split Population Approach Population Census, Surveys Estimation Administrative Sources Official statistics

13. 4. Application (Cont.) • Split Data Approach: administrative sources are used to provide information for some variables of population • Pre-filled questionnaire: Questionnaire are pre-filled using administrative sources and checked when conducting surveys.

14. 4. Application (Cont.) Situation in Vietnam: • The lack of a common identification number system between government agencies in Vietnam. • GSO can use administrative sources at a small scope for trial at first.

15. 5. References • Brackstone, G. J. (1987) “Issues in the use of administrative records for statistical purposes” Survey Methodology, Vol. 13(1), pp. 29-43 – Statistics Canada, • Hoffmann, E. (1995) “We must use administrative data for official statistics – but how should we use them?” Statistical Journal of the United Nations ECE 12 (1995) 41-48, • Penneck, S. (2007) “Using administrative data for statistical purposes” papers presented at the ICES-III, June 18-21, 2007, • United Nations (2011) “Using administrative and secondary sources for official statistics: A Handbook of principles and practices”, • United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (2007) “Registered-based statistics in the Nordic countries – Review of best practices with focus on population and social statistics”.