Page 277 - Special Topic Session (STS) - Volume 2

STS493 Stéphane D. et al.
are more likely to bring about a successful response. The final phase
emphasizes more difficult cases to reduce the differences in response rates
between the domains of interest.

Active management
Traditionally, Statistics Canada surveys have been managed through the
regional offices, where all survey taking takes place. Operations management
was left entirely to those offices, with relatively little planning and support from
the central office located in Ottawa. Recently, Statistics Canada changed this
approach and introduced a new set of common plans and tools to centrally
manage survey data collection in progress through an active management unit.
The active management unit in Ottawa has three main objectives. The first is to
determine data collection milestones where changes to the collection strategy
are required. The second objective is to identify problems as early as possible
and correct them (if required) before collection has finished. The third, which is
a more global objective, is to use collection resources effectively to find the
most appropriate balance between data quality, timeliness and survey costs.
Active management is based on current, timely and empirical observations, and
it is considered one of the main reasons Statistics Canada’s response rates have
stabilized.
Active management is best demonstrated by explaining the tools that
managers now have at their disposal as a result of this program. For any given
survey, all data collection managers have access to a national production plan
before collection (which they have an opportunity to influence). They also have
access to monitoring reports delivered centrally on a regular basis. The
monitoring reports come with basic analytical information designed to identify
collection issues and potential solutions to any issues that are noticed through
monitoring.
The plan for active management is to refine available tools, including by
implementing data visualization tools, and to continue to work towards
establishing operational survey “command centres” in each region and at
headquarters in Ottawa. The goal is to improve responsiveness and optimize
data collection resources.

Expansion and improvement of respondent communication material
About five years ago, Statistics Canada focused on communication material
to improve response rates. The idea was to “nudge” respondents using the
latest research on behavioural economics and show, through various tools and
integrated activities, that survey participation is useful. A framework was
developed to prioritize needs for communication support based on the type of
survey, the importance of the survey and the expected response rate.

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