Survey Control Unit
Survey Control
Information from statistical surveys is vital for government, businesses and the wider community. Relevant and timely information is essential to assess the country's economic and social condition, to monitor and formulate policy, to measure performance or to facilitate business decisions in the marketplace. However, it is important to minimise burdens on data providers by controlling statistical surveys. ONS's Survey Control Unit (SCU) is responsible for implementing the Prime Minister's instructions on survey control.
All departments have a nominated Survey Control Liaison Officer (SCLO). They have the authority to clear their own government department's surveys, provided those surveys do not exceed the relevant thresholds. SCU advises on and disseminates the latest information to departmental SCLOs regarding survey control, reviews and compliance.
Aims:
- to promote best practice within the Government Statististical Service (GSS) when conducting government statistical surveys
- to maintain the procedures as laid down in the Prime Minister's instructions
Benefits
High quality survey control promotes the use of high quality statistical surveys, and prevents badly designed or unnecessary surveys. This should ensure that burdens on data providers are minimised. Survey control promotes survey best practice across government, the main focus of which will be surveys of business and local authorities.
Progress
The drive to minimise the burdens officialdom places on businesses is as strong as ever. Procedures and rules for clearing surveys and their 'deregulation' are vital to the process of communicating effectively with respondents and getting helpful and accurate information.
Continued implementation of the Prime Minister's instructions will ensure that the burden on data providers is minimised and the promotion of survey best practice will continue across government.
Next steps:
- manage the programme of in-depth reviews
- ensure the recommendations of the Osmotherly review are implemented in all departments
- ensure the success of initiatives to reduce business compliance costs while maintaining the quality of the required statistical outputs
- produce detailed guidance to support the National Statistics Protocol on Managing Respondent Load launched in February 2004
