Page 280 - Special Topic Session (STS) - Volume 2

STS493 Stéphane D. et al.
In addition to providing a convenient way for respondents to complete
some of the most burdensome surveys, an application could take advantage of
the option to ping respondents at strategic points in time to nudge them to
respond. It could also benefit from the multiple sensors that smartphones
currently use, including GPS and pedometers, as well as any connected devices
with sensors, such as Fitbits. Data collected elsewhere on the device could be
used by the application if the respondent permitted it and if the data suited
the project using the app.
A first pilot project is planned for 2019/2020: a new survey measuring
subjective well-being in Canada. Because of potential privacy issues, Statistics
Canada is currently studying the legal and IT risks before completing
specifications for the required solution and is working in collaboration with the
Office of the Privacy Commissioner and IT security experts.

Testing cognitive interactive voice response technology
Later in the 2019/2010 fiscal year, Statistics Canada anticipates testing
cognitive interactive voice response (IVR) technology as an interviewer or
respondent monitoring tool. Cognitive IVR is a way for humans to interact with
an artificial intelligence platform, such as IBM’s Watson, Google Duplex and
other similar products. This can be done with a number of methods, but as a
first step, Statistics Canada is planning to explore ways to automate quality
control and interviewer feedback through a cognitive IVR system. In addition,
Statistics Canada hopes that the instant feedback of these platforms will enable
it to successfully collect more data by being able to better tailor its tone and
approach to each individual respondent.
This would be a first step towards using cognitive IVR in a way that would
have bigger consequences for Statistics Canada’s data collection operations. In
addition to providing automated feedback to human phone operators, this
technology could enable respondents to call a phone number and be
interviewed by the cognitive IVR system, just like they would with an
interviewer. This could be used for all or part of an interview process.

Using scanner data to collect information
Statistics Canada has completed the first year of a three-year plan to
introduce scanner data into the production of the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
The ultimate goal is to replace all traditional food price collection in the field
(in-store collection). A simple implementation plan has been put in place
whereby each field-collected quote is being replaced by an average price for
the same or similar product using scanner sales data. Statistics Canada has
successfully integrated one major retailer and is scheduled to introduce two
more in the fall of 2019. Savings from the reduction of field collection costs are

269 | I S I W S C 2 0 1 9