Page 59 - Special Topic Session (STS) - Volume 4

STS563 Pete Jones

Developing an integrated survey for admin-
based population estimates and labour market

statistics
Pete Jones
Office for National Statistics, Fareham, UK

Abstract
Surveys are an essential component in the production of official statistics in
the United Kingdom (UK). While the Office for National Statistics (ONS) is
transforming population, migration and social statistics with increased use of
administrative data, an Integrated Survey Framework (ISF) is needed to
support the transition towards alternative sources of data in official statistics.
One of the major ambitions for ONS transformation is to deliver an
Administrative Data Census for England and Wales after the next Census in
2021. This will offer more frequent statistics for small area geographies, and
the potential for new outputs that have not been collected in previous
censuses. Having published research outputs highlighting the coverage
patterns in administrative data population estimates, ONS is developing a
Population Coverage Survey (PCS) to measure and adjust for coverage errors
in administrative records. With an anticipated annual sample size of 500,000
households per annum, the scale of the proposed survey corresponds with
sample size expectations for the future transformation of ONS social surveys.
Given the scale of the proposed survey transformation at ONS, one of the
central aims of the Integrated Survey Framework is to merge the PCS and LMS
into a single integrated household survey. While there are significant overlaps
in the data collection requirements underpinning these two surveys,
establishing a sample design that can produce robust population estimates
and labour market statistics remains a challenge. The current proposal is based
on the concept of a ‘master wave’, where households are sampled using a two-
stage stratified design. The master wave will be central to the future Integrated
Survey Framework, provided a sampling frame for other ONS social surveys.
This paper will describe the principles behind the ONS Integrated Survey
Framework, research undertaken so far on the sample design for the LMS/PCS
survey, and test plans to support its implementation between now and 2022.

Keywords
Population; administrative data; labour market; survey integration

1. Introduction
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is working towards the
transformation of the population, migration and social statistics system in
England and Wales. The Data Collection Transformation Programme (DCTP)

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