Revising the Structural Business Survey: From A Multi-Method Evaluation to Design

At Statistics Netherlands (SN) there is an increasing interest in how data collection for establishment surveys can be improved to gain efficiency, reduce response burden and increase data quality. In 2003, a Data Collection Expertise Program was established to professionalize and coordinate data collection procedures for establishments (Snijkers, Göttgens & Luppes, 2003). As part of this program a drastic revision of the questionnaires of the Structural Business Surveys (SBS) was planned. Three main projects can be distinguished in this revision process: 1) a project aimed at reducing the output variables by critically examining the legal and statistical necessity of each variable; 2) a project aimed at reducing the data collection by using administrative data; and 3) a project aimed at improving the remaining primary data collection. This third project includes both an evaluation and redesign of the current, paper, questionnaire as well as the development of an electronic questionnaire.