1. Business Performance & Energy group update
Welcome to the March newsletter and many thanks to those who provided feedback on the shape and structure of the newsletter. If you have further feedback please feel free to email these suggestions to me at gary.dunnet@stats.govt.nz.
Over recent months the Business Performance section has been processing the 2007 survey responses and is looking forward to releasing the statistics through March and April. We have also been gearing up for the 2008 round of surveys (including tax credits in the Research and Development (R&D) Survey).
In December I, along with a few other colleagues from Statistics New Zealand and other government agencies, travelled to Australia to attend the Economic Measurement Group (EMG) conference that looked at the measurement of prices, productivity and R&D capitalisation. The conference was organised by the Centre of Applied Economic Research and supported by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Statistics Netherlands, Productivity Commission, and the Australian Research Council. Of particularly interest to me were the sessions on the capitalisation of R&D where Paul Schreyer from the OECD gave an introduction to the forthcoming Capital Manual, and subsequent speakers talked about the challenges of capitalising R&D – many of which were applicable here in New Zealand. This is certainly an area that will continue to be debated in the coming years.
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2. Information and communication technology programme
Internet service providers
The six-monthly Internet Service Provider (ISP) Survey measures Internet service provision in New Zealand. The survey looks at Internet subscriber information; Internet connection technology and speed; email and web content filtering; and barriers to ISP growth.
Results covering the six-month period to March 2007 were published on 2 August 2007 – Internet Service Provider Survey: March 2007.
The September 2007 ISP Survey collections have been closed and the results will be published in March 2008.
In the near future we will be revising the questionnaire. While we will continue to collect current information, we are interested in hearing from any users of the ISP data to discuss additions or modification which would better suit their needs.
For further information, contact Guannan Miao (info@stats.govt.nz)
Information and communication technology supply
The objectives of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Supply Survey are to provide the value of the overall size of the ICT Supply market and to determine the value of ICT commodities.
The ICT Supply Survey 2006/2007 is reaching the end of collection phase with the results to be published in April 2008.
The previous information release was published on 17 April 2007 – (Information and Communications Technology Supply Survey: 2005/2006)
For further information, contact Guannan Miao (info@stats.govt.nz).
Household use of ICT
Statistics New Zealand collects and publishes information about the supply and use of information and communication technology (ICT) in New Zealand.
The report Information and Communication Technology in New Zealand: 2006 was published on 22 November 2007 and contains previously unreleased data sourced from specific ICT surveys, including the Household Use of ICT Survey, and is supplemented with data from other Statistics NZ sources.
Being a biennial survey, the team is also looking at finalising the collection quarter for the next Household use of ICT survey due out in the field in 2008/2009.
For further information, contact Korena Cunningham (info@stats.govt.nz).
Government use of ICT
The Government Use of ICT Survey is a biannual survey that collects information about the use of different ICT by government organisations, and will give an indication of how new technologies are facilitating government activities.
The survey is currently being reviewed, ahead of going into the field in August this year.
For further information, contact Meighan Ragg (info@stats.govt.nz)
Business use of ICT
Data regarding New Zealand businesses’ use of ICT is collected biennially, as one of three modules within the annual Business Operations Survey (BOS). The initial BOS results were published in April and can be found here. The ICT in New Zealand 2006 report has investigated the data further including comparison and contrast with government organisations from the Government use of ICT survey (2006).
The team is also investigating the relationships between the business use of ICT data and the other general business performance data that is enabled by the modular design of the BOS survey.
For further information, contact Hamish Hill (info@stats.govt.nz).
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3. Business operations
The Business Operations Survey (BOS) is a modular survey, developed by Statistics NZ to give current and accurate information on how New Zealand businesses operate, and what is important to their success. The Business Performance Newsletter - August 2005 has more information on the background to this survey.
The BOS 2005 questionnaire had modules on innovation and business practices, while the 2006 questionnaire included modules on business use of ICT and employment practices. The current BOS 2007 questionnaire includes modules on innovation and international engagement (exporting, importing and overseas operations). Results are now being processed and will be published from April 2008.
The 2008 questionnaire is currently being developed and will include the existing module on business use of ICT, together with a new module to examine the impact of skills shortages on businesses.
A range of outputs have been produced using BOS data.
For further information, contact Hamish Hill (info@stats.govt.nz).
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4. Screen industry
The Statistics New Zealand Screen Industry Survey collects information used to measure the size and nature of the screen industry in New Zealand. The survey is a census of all businesses operating within all aspects of the screen production, broadcasting, exhibition and distribution sectors of the economy.
Information received through the first collection is currently in the process of micro- and macro-editing with initial results to be released in May 2008.
To ensure the survey is delivering data to support the original objectives, along with capturing changes within the industry, we are reviewing the survey for potential changes to the 2008 financial year survey.
For further information contact Deborah Harkin (info@stats.govt.nz).
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5. Research and development
The latest report for research and development (R&D) was released in September 2007. This report provides detailed information on R&D activity for the 2006 reference year. The report can be found here.
The next R&D survey, will run in 2008 and development areas for this next survey include:
- Tax credit implementation from 2008/2009 may influence the R&D data, so we are reviewing this process.
- Revised Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classifications have created the need to align our data collection with these new classifications, effecting the kind of entities that will be in scope for future surveys.
- The future scope of the higher education component of the collection.
- The feasibility of using survey data for a future R&D extension to National Accounts.
We have also been dealing with data requests regarding R&D information for various governmental departments.
For further information, contact Ritesh Anand (info@stats.govt.nz).
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6. Biotechnology
The Biotechnology Survey is a biannual survey that collects information about the use, application and funding of biotechnology. The survey also collects information about partnerships, alliances, employment and recruitment within the field.
The 2007 Biotechnology survey has been in the field since August last year. Data processing is currently underway, with the first release of information scheduled for April this year, with a more detailed release scheduled for June.
For further information, contact Meighan Ragg (info@stats.govt.nz).
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7. Improved Business Understanding via Longitudinal Database Development
The Improved Business Understanding via Longitudinal Database Development (IBULDD) Project concluded in December 2007 and delivered the prototype Longitudinal Business Database (LBD). The first Statistics New Zealand release using the LBD, Potential Outputs from the Longitudinal Business Database , was published in December.
Interest in IBULDD and the LBD continues to be strong across government and in the research community.
A number of areas of research are underway and these will be expanded on in the next newsletter.
For further information, contact Julia Gretton (info@stats.govt.nz).
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8. Who’s who in Business Performance
Gary Dunnet, Manager Business Performance and Agriculture
Stephanie Cropp, ICT Project Manager
Korena Cunningham, ICT Project Leader and Statistical Analyst
Guannan Miao, Internet Service Providers, ICT Supply Project Leader and Statistical Analyst
Geoff Hobbs, ICT Statistical Analyst
Deborah Harkin, Screen Industry Project Leader and Statistical Analyst
Will Lu, Screen Industry Statistical Analyst
Hamish Hill, Science and Technology Project Manager
Meighan Ragg, Biotechnology and Government Use of ICT Project Leader and Statistical Analyst
Ritesh Anand, Research and Development Project Leaderand Statistical Analyst
Catherine Li, Business Operations Statistical Analyst
Kathy Jackson, Business Operation Statistical Analyst
Elizabeth Chisholm, Questionnaire Design
Julia Gretton, IBULDD Statistical Analyst
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