1. MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES

Much of the success of the Providencia Industrial Census can be attributed to the fact that the National Statistical Office (NSO) believes in adhering to fundamental principles of good administration. The NSO staff has some experience with planning and administering population censuses, but they are aware that there are marked differences between a population census and an industrial census. In the population census, all the statistical units are similar; while in an industrial census it is a rare occurrence to find two units with the same characteristics. Consider, for example, a small manufacturing establishment with two or three persons engaged and with simple records; then compare it with a large factory employing several hundred persons and maintaining elaborate and complex records of its activities. Obviously, the enumerator assigned to obtain a census questionnaire from the large establishment would have to be much more experienced and better qualified. The first interview may take only a few minutes, while the second could easily require several hours.

In the population census, the statistical agency is organized to handle large numbers of similar questionnaires with questions that are not unduly complicated. In the industrial census, several kinds of questionnaires must be used, some of them quite complex and others relatively simple. Enumeration of the population must be completed in a short period to minimize duplication and omission. In the industrial census, the collection period can extend over several months with no great difficulty because the

units of inquiry (establishments) are much more stable and less likely to move about. Finally, some difficult enumeration problems are associated with the concepts used in the industrial censuses, such as the "value added" concept.

Providencia's NSO is taking advantage of their experience in managing large statistical undertakings. Many basic principles of management are the same, regardless of the type of census that is carried out.

1.1 Fostering communication

Frequent communication among organizations and individuals is considered essential. The use of staff meetings to discuss projects contemplated or under way is encouraged. If more than one division is concerned in any project to be discussed, representatives of each division are expected to be present and to participate in the discussion.

1.2 Merit system

Hiring and promotions are based on merit and performance on the job. Employees are rated regularly by their supervisors, using a rating schedule which is as impartial as such a schedule can be. Ratings are carefully reviewed by the Personnel Division, and efforts are made to detect and correct any evidence of bias or favoritism.

1.3 Delegation of authority

A supervisor's ability to delegate authority, responsibility, and accountability is considered one of the important elements of his performance. The attitude "in order to get a job done right, I've got to do it myself" is never encouraged.

1.4 Target dates and production goals

On nearly all projects, target dates for completion are set, and employees are required to explain if the job is not completed on time. Production goals, in terms of number of interviews, questionnaires, punch cards, and the like, are set wherever feasible. The person who is expected to be in direct charge of the project or sub-project in question participates in setting production goals. Such participation is considered important, because production targets handed down from above are likely to arouse resentment and less likely to be met.

1.5 Management training

Training programs for management personnel are hold at intervals, and supervisors are expected to attend. The topics discussed in these sessions include delegation of responsibility, creation of goals, need for praising good work, discussing poor work with employees, developing and encouraging incentive, giving prompt decisions, setting goals, and establishing quotas. In Providencia's NSO, management is defined as consisting of persons with responsibility for supervising a specified number of individuals. In other countries, management may at times also include persons who are invited to discussions of management problems. The term includes in all cases those on the executive staff such as directors, assistant directors, and bureau heads.

1.6 Employee Organizations

Management is aware of the existence of employee organizations, such as trade unions, and has learned as much as possible about them, for example requirements for membership, number of members, and background of leaders. In discussions with representatives of such organizations, the managers of the NSO are fair-minded

in listening to all proposals and insofar as possible will agree, but they are constantly aware of management problems and the goals of censuses and surveys.

2. LEGAL BACKGROUND

In the administration of its statistical programs, the NSO is guided by the provisions of the 1970 law which created the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development. All of its activities are authorized, and many of them specified, in this law.

2.1 Confidentiality of reported information

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The law contains strict provisions guaranteeing the confidentiality of data collected from businesses, other organizations, and individuals (Exhibit II-1-1). In particular, it emphasizes that no tax-collecting agency may have access to the completed questionnaires. published statistics, likewise, are compiled in such a way that no data pertaining to an individual or to a firm is revealed. For example, if in a given province there are only two firms in a certain industry, the data for that industry and province are combined with broader totals and never shown separately. This provision of law is strongly emphasized in NSO's publicity regarding censuses and surveys and, in abbreviated form, is shown prominently on every questionnaire. The law provides heavy penalties for employees of NSO who willfully fail to carry out these provisions. In enforcing the law, the NSO constantly reiterates the principles involved. Business groups seeking to find 'soft spots' in the confidentiality provisions are told emphatically that these provisions are inviolable and that employees of NSO are sworn to secrecy.

2.2 Obligation to report

The obligation of businesses and individuals to respond to inquiries in censuses

and surveys is also written in the law, which provides penalties for failure to report. Although these provisions of law are rarely invoked by NSO, the fact that they exist is an incentive for those who would otherwise be reluctant to report.

2.3 Duplication of surveys

Other provisions of the law require the NSO to maintain liaison with data-gathering agencies in Providencia--both public and private--to attempt to minimize duplication between its objectives and those of other organizations. For example, the Ministry of Labor collects monthly information on employment and wages from industrial firms (as well as other businesses). Such data are basic to the industrial census and in other economic censuses as well. However, the census is taken only once every 10 years; and the Ministry of Labor Survey is confined to a sample of about 2,000 industrial establishments in contrast to the 40,000 establishments and 30,000 households included in the 1975 Industrial Census. The results of the monthly sample survey are adjusted every 10 years to benchmarks developed in the industrial census. In planning for the industrial census, an agreement on common definitions (such as the definitions of "production workers" and "other employees") was reached between the two agencies. The fact that identical definitions are employed tends to minimize the reporting burden on firms which might otherwise have to develop new data for the census.

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also facilitates comparison of sample survey and census results for benchmark purposes.

2.4 Separation of collection and analysis functions

The law also establishes the principle that, within the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development, data collection and compilation should be separated from data analysis.

This legislative provision was inserted largely because of administrative considerations; it was felt by those who drafted the law that censuses and surveys would be more efficiently conducted if they were under separate direction, since their aims and requirements (particularly the requirement of timeliness of publication) were quite different from the objectives of data analysis. For example, input-output tables have longterm uses which make it more desirable to perfect the data than to meet early publication goals. To a large extent, the professional skills needed to data analysis are also different from those called for in data collection and compilation.

It follows that, in general, NSO confines its analysis to projects designed to improve its statistical methods, such as sampling, or in other ways to improve the quality of the data it produces. It is not engaged in business forecasting or in the compilation of broad-based economic measures, such as the gross national product (GNP). In the industrial census, however, benchmark indexes of industrial production are compiled, because the computations require the use of confidential data not available to the data analysis staff. Publication of GNP and in fact all aspects of the national income accounts are the responsibility of the Office of Demographic and Economic Analysis, which like the NSO is part of the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development. Under the legal provisions for confidentiality, only employees of the NSO are allowed to see individual reports, and the employees of the Office of Demographic and Economic Analysis are not, even though they are under the same Ministry.

2.5 Excerpts from the law

Provisions of the law applicable to industrial censuses and surveys are shown in exhibit II-1-1.

1. INTRODUCTION

As the statistical arm of the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development, the NSO is responsible for collecting and compiling basic statistics on such subjects as housing, population, internal trade, manufacturing, and mining. Except for the Census of Agriculture, which is conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, the NSO is responsible for all of Providencia's censuses and compiles most of its current statistics. It does not, however, analyze published data nor forecast economic conditions, since these activities are functions of the Office of Demographic and Economic Analysis in the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development. The same Office is responsible for compiling the national income accounts.

The NSO performs the full range of activities associated with its many statistical projects. It collects, processes, and publishes statistics for general use as well as supplies the statistical needs of other government agencies. It conducts surveys and studies requested by other government agencies, subject to its usual rules of confidentiality and to its requirement that they meet other standards such as statistical need, nonduplication, reportability, etc. It develops and maintains standards for statistical methods, classification systems, and tabular presentation. It recruits and trains its own personnel. It maintains liaison with other data-gathering agencies in Providencia (private as well as public) and, in planning its programs, attempts to minimize duplication of collection effort among such organizations. The NSO recognizes that its statistical projects, although varied in content, have many features in common. has, therefore, created divisions to centralize

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functions such as data processing, distribution of publications, personnel and payroll management, collection of data by field enumerations, and the preparation of maps.

2. FIELD OPERATIONS

The Field Operations Division (FOD) is responsible for all collection of data by personal enumeration in various censuses and surveys conducted by the NSO. The responsibility applies not only to provinces other than Estrella, and to portions of Estrella Province outside the city of Estrella, but also to field collection within the city itself. Although from time to time the staff of the subject divisions, such as the Manufacturing and Mining Division (MMD), may call on respondents either in person or by telephone, or may write to respondents about data collection problems, they may do so only as representatives of FOD and with the full knowledge and approval of that division. The head of FOD believes that the Division is responsible for all contacts with respondents, and if there are direct contacts between the staff of subject divisions and respondents, FOD should approve them in advance and know exactly what they are, just as if those making the contacts were employees of FOD.

FOD thus has become known throughout Providencia as the representative of NSO for data collection. When respondents have problems requiring discussion with NSO they bring them to FOD, either to one of the provincial offices or directly to the central office. this way, continuity in the relationships between respondents and the NSO has been developed and maintained.

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Although FOD does not have direct responsibility for the content of questionnaires, its staff is considered to have expert knowledge and experience in the matter of collectibility or reportability of data. In discussions on the data content or design of questionnaires, therefore, FOD is often called on for advice, and frequently a representative of the division is asked to be present at meetings where proposed new inquiries or the design of questionnaires are discussed. If formal pre-tests of new inquiries are considered to be necessary, FOD participates in the planning of the pre-tests and usually conducts all of the necessary field work.

3. MAPPING

The Geography Division (GEOG) is responsible for preparing all maps of Providencia for use by enumerators in the field or in the various offices, and for preparing maps and charts for reproduction in the statistical publications. In order to keep maps up to date, GEOG is responsible for maintaining, through FOD, a constant flow of information from sources in the field, and for maintaining files of the accumulated corrections and additions, which are usually used to correct maps when a new census calls for use of maps in the field.

Since the censuses and other surveys

are the main source for information on local developments affecting maps, GEOG is considered the major source in Providencia for generalpurpose maps of local areas. Such generalpurpose maps are sold through the Publications Division for use of the public. They are revised about every 5 years. Since these maps are not detailed enough for use in enumeration, special large- and intermediatescale maps are prepared for censuses. In chapter II-3, the existence of such maps prepared for use in the 1970 Census of Population and Housing and their adaptation to the uses of the 1975 Industrial Census are discussed.

4. CLERICAL WORK AND TABULATION

The Data Processing Division (DPD) is responsible for check-in and control of receipt of questionnaires from the FOD, editing and coding, and for card-punching, transfer of data on cards to computer tape, and tabulation. The Division maintains close liaison with the subject matter divisions in the planning and designing of questionnaires, principally to see that the inquiries are designed to facilitate punching and tabulation. In discussions of questionnaire design, DPD frequently offers advice differing from that of the FOD representative, whose principal interest is to facilitate the work of enumerators and respondents. The subject matter divisions are responsible for resolving such conflicts, since they make the final decisions on data content as well as questionnaire design. A balance between the FOD and DPD interests is usually sought.

The top management of DPD is expected to keep up to date on developments in data processing equipment and the availability of such equipment in other agencies and organizations in Providencia. Management should also foster research on improving the efficiency of data processing operations, including the use of new programming techniques and new mechanical devices. From time to time, the head of the Division will recommend the purchase of new or additional equipment.

5. FORMS DESIGN, REPRODUCTION, AND

PUBLICATION

The Publications Division (PUB) is responsible for typing, printing, assembly, and distribution of all NSO publications. It maintains NSO standards with respect to table titles, headnotes and footnotes, indentation, style of column and stub captions, and symbols such as footnote designations. In its preparation of publications for printing, it inserts title pages, tables of