1. Business Performance Strategy update
The Business Performance team has now been together for just over a year. To date, the team has focused on compiling a coherent set of surveys that address identified data needs. This has been a challenging task and has involved trying to balance the need for new data against an increase in respondent burden.
The team’s survey work will continue in the coming year, but the focus will shift towards gaining wider use for the data and investigating how to get useful information back to respondents.
We welcome your ideas and suggestions on projects that will add value to Statistics New Zealand data and feedback is always appreciated.
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2. Biotechnology Survey 2004
The purpose of the Biotechnology Survey is to collect information on the use, production and spread of biotechnology. It measures the size of the biotechnology sector and identifies barriers to research and development in order to facilitate a better understanding of this emerging industry.
The 2004 survey was posted out in August last year. The responses have since been processed, and we are now analyzing the data. Results will be published on 13 April 2005 in a Hot Off The Press release, with a full report to be published on 17 June 2005.
As well as analysing the 2004 survey, Statistics New Zealand has been redeveloping the Biotechnology Survey for release in 2005. Statistics New Zealand has been working with representatives from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE), the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology (MoRST), and the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology (FRST) to create an updated questionnaire for use in the biennial biotechnology collection, which will commence this year.
For more about biotechnology, the Modern Biotechnology Activity in New Zealand report is available. NZTE, as the lead agency in the Government’s Growth and Innovation Framework (GIF), also has useful information about the biotechnology sector on its website.
For further information, contact Nicholas Cox (nicholas.cox@stats.govt.nz).
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3. Information and Communication Technology: Survey redevelopment programme
The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) survey redevelopment programme is progressing well, with implementation dates close to being finalised. The programme currently consists of one redeveloped survey, four new surveys, and some new publications.
3.1 Information and Communication Technology Supply Survey
The annual Information Technology (IT) Survey, which measures the output of the IT and telecommunications industry, was posted to businesses in the IT sector in August 2004. The survey data is currently being analysed and prepared for a Hot Off The Press release on 20 April 2005. The previous IT survey was published in April 2004.
The IT survey itself is currently being redesigned in line with international practice. It will be realigned to fit the wider information and communication technology (ICT) industry and will be called the Information and Communication Technology Supply Survey. The questionnaire is undergoing final testing and industry feedback before collection starts in August 2005. The survey data will be published in April 2006.
3.2 Internet Service Providers Supply Survey
The Internet Service Providers (ISP) Supply Survey measures the nature of the Internet service provision industry in New Zealand. The survey looks at issues such as subscriber data, connection technologies, spam filtering and virus filtering. The survey will produce a core set of official statistics on ISPs and will be used to gain a better understanding of how these new technologies are influencing the New Zealand economy and society.
The survey was commissioned by the Ministry of Economic Development (MED) and will be conducted for the first time in April 2005. The survey results will be published in a Hot Off The Press release in August 2005.
For further information on the ICT and ISP supply surveys, contact Pranesh Prasad (pranesh.prasad@stats.govt.nz).
3.3 Business Use of ICT
The use of Internet technologies in business will be surveyed in 2006. The survey questionnaire underwent an initial set of respondent tests in 2004, and second stakeholder and industry consultations will start in May 2005. Survey data will be collected from August 2006 and published in early 2007.
3.4 Government Use of ICT
The use of Internet technologies in government will also be surveyed in 2006 for publication in 2007. Consultation and design work is due to start in May.
3.5 Household Use of ICT
The way households and individuals use Internet technologies will be surveyed in a household use of ICT survey. The project feasibility assessment phase has now been completed and the collection vehicle is currently being confirmed, with collection due to start in 2006.
In related news, a representative from the Business Performance team attended the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Thematic Meeting: 'Measuring the Information Society', in Geneva in February. The issues discussed and recommendations agreed at the meeting will help to ensure the international comparability of the statistics being created by the Statistics New Zealand ICT programme.
For further information on ICT usage surveys or general ICT enquiries, contact Gareth Meech (gareth.meech@stats.govt.nz).
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4. Business Finance Survey 2004
Statistics New Zealand has been commissioned by the Ministry of Economic Development (MED) to develop a new survey on demand-side finance for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Small business groups have recently called for the Government to improve access to finance for SMEs. The results of this survey will help in assessing the need for such initiatives.
The results from the Business Finance Survey are currently being analysed, with a Hot Off The Press release scheduled for 2 May 2005. A full report is expected to be published on 30 June 2005. Both publications will be available on the Statistics New Zealand website.
For further information, contact Hamish Hill (hamish.hill@stats.govt.nz).
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5. Research and Development Survey 2004
The Research and Development (R&D) Survey is a joint collection conducted every two years by Statistics New Zealand and the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology (MoRST). The statistics produced in this survey help the Government develop and deliver policies that encourage research and innovation.
The key measures of the survey include the overall level of R&D activity, sources of R&D funding, R&D employment and expenditure by private sector enterprises, government sector agencies and universities.
The compilation and editing phase of the R&D Survey 2004 has been completed, with the business and government sectors section currently being analysed. The imputation process has been run and detailed analytical work on the totals and institutional sector breakdowns is now being undertaken. The university sector questionnaires are currently in the field and will be compiled and analysed in early April.
Results from the R&D Survey 2004 will be published in a Hot Off The Press release on 4 May 2005. A full report is expected to be published on 20 July 2005.
The full Research and Development in New Zealand 2002 report is available, with additional information related to the 2002 survey available on the MoRST website.
For further information, contact Nicholas Cox (nicholas.cox@stats.govt.nz).
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6. Screen Industry Survey
The Screen Industry Survey is part of a collection strategy designed to support the Government’s Growth and Innovation Framework (GIF). The survey will construct a core set of comprehensive, official statistics for use in developing Government policy and facilitating the monitoring of policy implementation over time. For the industry itself, the survey will provide useful information related to planning, marketing and business development.
The survey is currently at the development stage, with the first survey due to be posted out in August 2005. A background report on currently available statistics on the screen production industry is currently being published.
Results from the survey will be published in a Hot Off The Press release in April 2006, with a full report due for publication in June 2006.
For further information, contact Lisa Hardie (lisa.hardie@stats.govt.nz).
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7. Productivity
Statistics New Zealand has received funding for a five-year period, through the Government’s Growth and Innovation Framework (GIF), to develop official productivity measures. These will include:
- developing an experimental measure of labour productivity
- developing an experimental measure of capital input
- developing and releasing multifactor productivity (MFP) measures for the measurable sector, by combining (1) and (2) above.
It is intended that the productivity measures, once developed, will become regular annually updated Statistics New Zealand outputs.
The development of productivity measures involves several stages. Stage one covers the development of the experimental labour input and capital series which, when combined, result in a MFP index series. This stage of the project is currently nearing completion. Stage two will involve undertaking a quality adjustment review followed by publication of an official MFP series. At present this is tentatively set for November 2005. Statistics New Zealand is also planning to research the feasibility and issues involved in developing industry level MFP measures.
The 2001 OECD Productivity Manual provides guidance on the development, implementation and measurement of productivity statistics. The Statistics New Zealand project is adopting these guidelines to enable international comparisons of New Zealand's productivity levels once the official series is released. A number of international agencies have already developed MFP measures as part of their systems of national accounts. Statistics New Zealand is working with the Australian Bureau of Statistics to ensure the New Zealand measures will be consistent and comparable with the Australian data.
For further information, contact Janet Dickson (janet.dickson@stats.govt.nz).
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8. Innovation Survey 2003
The Innovation Survey measures the contribution made by technological innovation to the New Zealand economy, by collecting information on innovative activity in New Zealand businesses.
This survey was commissioned by the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology (MoRST) and conducted for the first time as a dedicated survey in 2003.
Innovation data was previously collected as part of the Business Practices Survey 2001. A full report on the 2001 survey results is available.
Development work for the next innovation collection is currently underway. The next survey is scheduled to be collected in the latter half of 2005 with the initial release of results due in the first half of 2006.
For further information, contact Hamish Hill (hamish.hill@stats.govt.nz).
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9. Business Practices Survey 2001
The Business Practices Survey (BPS) is an economy-wide survey measuring the adoption of various business practices by New Zealand firms. The survey collects information on businesses’ use of information technology, innovation and management practices.
The BPS was commissioned by the Ministry of Economic Development (MED) and the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology (MoRST). The survey was conducted for the first time in 2001. The following reports were produced using results from the survey and are available on the Statistics New Zealand and MED websites:
Development work for the next collection of business practices information in 2005 is currently underway. The next survey is scheduled to be collected in the latter half of 2005 with the initial release of results due in the first half of 2006.
For further information, contact Hamish Hill (hamish.hill@stats.govt.nz).
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10. Who's who in Business Performance
Eileen Basher, Manager (eileen.basher@stats.govt.nz)
Gareth Meech, Project Leader Surveys (gareth.meech@stats.govt.nz)
Hamish Hill, Innovation and Business Financing Project Leader (hamish.hill@stats.govt.nz)
Nicholas Cox, R&D and Biotechnology Project Leader (nicholas.cox@stats.govt.nz)
Lisa Hardie, Screen Industry Project Leader (lisa.hardie@stats.govt.nz)
Pranesh Prasad, ISP and ICT Project Leader (pranesh.prasad@stats.govt.nz)
Janet Dickson, Research Coordinator (janet.dickson@stats.govt.nz)
Carmel Tuya, Statistical Analyst, Biotechnology and ICT (carmel.tuya@stats.govt.nz)
Daniel Martin, Statistical Analyst, R&D and Business Finance (daniel.martin@stats.govt.nz)
Matt Welham, Statistical Analyst, Questionnaire Design (matt.welham@stats.govt.nz)
Helen Grant, Statistical Analyst, Questionnaire Design (helen.grant@stats.govt.nz)
Irene Rix, Statistical Analyst, Questionnaire Design (irene.rix@stats.govt.nz)
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