Response Burden Reduction Efforts

Description

1. Description of the Initiative

In response to the recommendation to reduce redundancy of data requests across government departments, Statistics Canada will reduce redundancy in its requests for financial and/or payroll information by different federal departments or agencies, by:

1. Collaborating with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to further substitute survey data with tax data based on information provided by businesses;
2. Assessing the feasibility of substituting survey data with data from other sources (federal, provincial, municipal, or others);
3. Working with departments, in particular Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, to rationalize data needs and seek opportunities to substitute surveys with existing or new administrative data, or other types of data (such as remote sensing, traceability, etc.);
4. Collaborating with other federal government departments to align and coordinate information needs, regardless of purpose.

2. How will Red Tape be reduced?

In all cases where data from other sources can be used (taking into account quality, coverage, and timeliness), Statistics Canada will not collect certain financial data through respondent surveys. This will result in time saved for surveyed companies from reduced information requirements or certain respondents no longer being surveyed for those specific statistical programs.

3. How will business benefit?

Many businesses will benefit from reduced compliance costs through fewer duplicate data demands.

4. Who are the participating departments?

• Lead department: Statistics Canada
• Supporting departments: Canada Revenue Agency, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Finance Canada

5. What are the implementation milestones?

• 2012-2013: Report on revised data requirements completed and recommendations made from review of Agriculture Statistics Program.
• 2013-2014: Conduct and evaluate feasibility studies on substitution of administrative data for survey data; discussions with other government departments; identify opportunities for any further data requirement reductions.

Results (June 2014)

StatCan – Update on initiatives to reduce redundancy of data requests to businesses and organizations

In response to the Red Tape Reduction Commission's recommendation to reduce redundancy of data requests across government departments, Statistics Canada has undertaken a number of initiatives. The agency is working to reduce demands for duplicate data from businesses and organizations by negotiating the use of information collected by other organizations and by participating in several interdepartmental initiatives.

Collaborating with the Canada Revenue Agency

Statistics Canada is collaborating with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to identify opportunities to further substitute survey data with tax data based on information supplied by businesses. Many businesses will benefit from reduced compliance costs through fewer duplicate data demands. These initiatives can also benefit Statistics Canada statistical programs by providing efficient access to more detailed industry data.

Among the key initiatives:

Assessing the feasibility of substituting survey data with data from other sources

Statistics Canada is investigating how data from external sources can be used to support and/or replace survey data collected from businesses.

Initiatives with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Statistics Canada works closely with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), collecting data to meet AAFC's statistical and policy program needs. Statistics Canada has identified ways to reduce the burden placed on Canadian farmers without compromising the statistical information produced. Strategies under consideration include gaining access to data already collected though administrative files, such as those created for business risk management programs, like AgriStability, AgriInvest and AgriInsurance.

Collaborating with other government departments

In addition to its work with CRA, Finance Canada and AAFC, Statistics Canada has identified opportunities to partner with other federal departments and with provincial and territorial governments to reduce burden on the business community. Many of these opportunities are still in the proof-of-concept or feasibility study stage. As an example, Statistics Canada is collaborating with Service Canada on its e-payroll project. In addition to streamlining business reporting, this project will increase the number and quality of variables available for statistical use.

Description

1. Description of the Initiative

In response to the recommendation to reduce business frustration and provide stakeholders with pertinent information, Statistics Canada will:

1. Review and update its communication methods with survey respondents, to assist their understanding of the links between the information collected and the benefits of its uses;
2. Better convey the importance and use of business surveys to participants;
3. Enhance its website and improve the visibility and content of information tailored to inform survey participants;
4. Engage small business associations to communicate benefits of surveys.

2. How will Red Tape be reduced?

This initiative will not directly reduce red tape but rather allow survey respondents to have a better understanding and buy-in on the importance of the survey data and their participation. To do so:

• New sections will be created providing better information and posted on the website;
• Printed communications materials will be improved or created;
• Social media venues will be utilized;
• Industry associations will be contacted and engaged.

3. How will business benefit?

Business will benefit in the following ways:

• Better understanding of the use and benefits of the survey data;
• Better access to information;
• Reduced frustration.

4. Who are the participating Departments?

Statistics Canada

5. What are the implementation milestones?

• 2013-2014: Improve Statistics Canada website; create or improve printed materials; contact various industry associations.

Results (October 2013)

Update on communications methods to better convey the importance of business surveys

In response to the recommendation to reduce business burden and provide stakeholders with pertinent information, Statistics Canada has undertaken a number of communications initiatives. These initiatives will allow survey respondents to have a better understanding of the importance and use of survey data and to express their information needs.

Improve the website

New sections have been created and posted on the website providing additional and relevant information.

In summer 2012, videos emphasizing the importance of responding to surveys were posted on Statistics Canada's website and YouTube channel.

In September 2012, new components for businesses were added to the website, including questions and answers and key facts about business surveys, as well as a description of the Red Tape Reduction initiatives undertaken by Statistics Canada to reduce response burden. As well, more specific information was provided to help respondents understand the role of Statistics Canada's ombudsman for businesses.

Recognizing that business entrepreneurs have specific information needs, Statistics Canada has been publishing a monthly newsletter dedicated to small and medium-sized businesses since October 2012. The objectives are to provide business owners, managers and entrepreneurs with the latest releases about the economy and society, and to share important information about upcoming events and activities that will help them get the most from Statistics Canada data. So far, over 1200 businesses receive monthly newsletter.

Links to the individual Red Tape Reduction initiatives, outcomes and benefits to respondents were made available on the website. The module also presents the long-term commitments to reduce burden by offering links to the Government of Canada's Paperwork Burden Reduction Initiative website and Statistics Canada's Paperwork Burden Reduction Initiative Report: Baseline Count and Complementary Measures.

In May 2013, a tutorial for businesses was launched in the newsletter and posted online to help businesses easily and efficiently access data that are of interest to them.

Improve printed and other materials

Letters inviting respondents to participate in surveys and communications to follow up with them were reviewed to ensure that they focus on relevance and uses of the data, and clearly explain the purpose of surveys. This is an ongoing task.

Nine blogs entries were posted on the CanadaBusiness.ca website hosted by Industry Canada. Blogs topics included The Daily, the business survey video, the tutorial for businesses, Statistics Canada's Business Register and CANSIM.

An article about CANSIM and Entrepreneurs was published in November 2012 in a magazine for business reaching 30,000 senior executives leading Canadian companies.

Statistics Canada is also making strides to help small businesses in using data from the Agency. This information is critical for businesses to choose data sources with confidence, knowing that their decisions are based on solid information. Specifically, tools have been developed to assist them in assessing the quality of surveys, whether from Statistics Canada or some other source.

Increase the visibility of the website and engage with business on social media

The agency contacted webmasters of 750 sites that cater to Canadian businesses to invite them to post links from their sites to relevant data and analysis on the Statistics Canada website. As a result, more business-relevant sites provide direct access to Statistics Canada information.

The web traffic on the Survey participants section of the website has increased by 5% between 2012 and 2013.

According to Statistics Canada's web evaluation survey conducted in 2013, 72% of respondents to the survey were satisfied or fully satisfied with the website, compared with 68% in 2012 and 2011, and 65% in 2010.

To increase the visibility of the website and to engage public awareness on social media, a crowdsourcing initiative will be implemented in fall 2013. Statistics Canada will use its Twitter account to engage the public online. The objective is to consult with this community to seek their feedback on how communications with respondents could be improved. A series of monthly questions will be posted and comments and feedback will be collected for review, consideration and implementation.

Description

1. Description of the Initiative

In response to recommendations to reduce the administrative burden of business surveys—and thereby reduce the time required to respond—Statistics Canada will implement measures to reduce the number of questions on surveys, cut back on the number of questionnaires sent to small businesses, and limit the period in which a small business must remain in a survey sample.

2. How will Red Tape be reduced?

Red Tape will be reduced in the following ways:

• For Statistics Canada's annual Unified Enterprise Survey (UES), starting in 2014, sample size will be optimized and survey content will be reduced by 20% making survey response easier and less time consuming for many small businesses.
• Beginning in 2013, other business surveys will be reviewed to eliminate redundancies, as well as questions for which information is available from other data sources.
• Feasibility studies will be conducted on limiting the number of surveys that a small business receives as well as on the amount of time a small business must remain in a survey sample.
• A web-based collection alternative (E-Questionnaire) will be developed for 100 business surveys which should reduce the number of follow-up calls and provide respondents with more flexibility.

3. How will business benefit?

Business will benefit in the following ways:

• Business respondents to the annual UES will benefit from reduced compliance costs (in total, an estimated reduction in administrative burden of $640,000 per year as of 2014).
• Depending on the conclusions of the feasibility studies, some small businesses may benefit from further compliance cost reductions.
• All businesses participating in any of the 100 surveys moving to a web-based collection alternative will benefit from a respondent-oriented collection methodology and the potential for reduced follow-up calls.

4. Who are the participating departments?

Statistics Canada

5. What are the implementation milestones?

• 2012-2013: Determine UES sampling strategy; determine UES revised content; 30 business surveys will offer a web-based collection alternative (E-Questionnaire).
• 2013-2014: Revise UES surveys; complete feasibility studies; another 50 surveys will offer an E-Questionnaire alternative.
• 2014-2015: 20 more business surveys will offer an E-Questionnaire alternative.

Questions and answers

1. Description of the initiative

In response to recommendations to reduce the administrative burden of business surveys—and thereby reduce the time required to respond—Statistics Canada will implement measures to reduce the number of questions on surveys, cut back on the number of questionnaires sent to small businesses, limit the period in which a small business must remain in a survey sample and reduce the excessive accumulation of response burden on business by exempting businesses for a calendar year collection.

2. How will red tape be reduced?

Red tape will be reduced by providing small businesses whose response burden limits were exceeded during the last three years with a one-year exemption from reporting.

3. What business or types of businesses are included in the exemption? How are they chosen?

The reduction strategy is applied to small businesses only—which represent approximately 96% of all businesses—namely businesses with only one location or in one industry.

The accumulated response burden is defined as the time, measured in hours, a given business needs to take to respond to all questionnaires sent by Statistics Canada over a three-year period.

4. Why is it only a one-year exemption? Why do they have to go back in the survey after a year?

A one-year exemption is sufficient time for a business to be relieved with a minimal impact on the quality of the statistical outputs.

5. How will business benefit?

The identified businesses will be excluded from collection for the next calendar year.

6. How many small businesses are there in total? How many businesses were exempt from responding in 2015?

As of December 2012, there were 1,087,803 small businesses in Canada. Only a small fraction of these businesses are selected to complete a survey. The strategy provides relief to some of these selected businesses whose response burden limits were exceeded. The removal of these businesses from some surveys for a year have a minimal impact on the quality of the statistical outputs..

7. Will the data not be less accurate?

The strategy to reduce the excessive accumulation of response burden on businesses has been developed by Statistics Canada with minimal impact on the quality of the statistical outputs.

8. When did Statistics Canada start exempting businesses to reduce their response burden?

Statistics Canada began exempting businesses as part of the strategy of reducing response burden for businesses in January 1, 2015.

9. Why do you need all this information?

The small business data is the source of some of the government's key economic measures. This data is used to gauge economic growth and provide governments and the private sector with a number of important economic indicators on which to base decisions.