First%20results%20of%20the%20survey%20on%20resources%20for%20national%20accounts

1
First results of the survey on resources for
national accounts

• 10th NBS-OECD Workshop
• November 2006
• Item 7.2
• François Lequiller (OECD)-Hendrik Zorn
  (consultant)

2
Objective of the survey

• Give to head of national accounts the possibility
  to internationally compare resources devoted to
  national accounts
• Sensitive issue paper has not been put on the
  web site of OECD
• 26 countries have responded
• 16 have accepted that their response is made
  public
• 5 have accepted that their response is in OLISnet
• 2 prefer that their response remains confidential
• 3 has not been yet included in these first
  results

3
International comparability

• The survey has been organised so that to ensure
  maximum comparability
• Simple comparisons are difficult
• Not all countries compile all core national
  accounts table
• National accounts compilation can be more or less
  outsourced
• Processes of national accounts can be more or
  less complex
• Strict comparisons should thus be made on an case
  by case
• The survey contained questions that can help to
  allow such comparisons. The responses have been
  transformed into  indicators of complexity .

4
FTE staff devoted to core activities
5
Improving the comparisons

• Table 1 attached
• Qualification the smaller the staff, the more
  qualified
• Staff per million resident very different
  picture
• Size of country (population) is a factor
• Additional activities

6
Relation FTE staff/Population
7
Coverage of core/additional activities

• Table 2 attached
• Not all countries cover all activities
• First indicator of complexity IC1 number of
  tables covered
• Additional activities Table 3 attached

8
Type of work

• Two types of situations
• Complex the national accounts staff treat
  directly multiple individual units
• Simple the national accounts staff treat
  directly pre-aggregated sets
• Table 4 attached
• Second indicator of complexity IC2

9
Other characteristics of complexity

• Table 5 attached
• Staff consuming characteristics
• -Length of time series
• -Number of revisions per year
• -Regular benchmarking
• -Degree of detail of classification
• -Separate organisations ANA/QNA
• Third indicator of complexity IC3

10
Is it possible to  model  the staff?

• At this point, countries can use the results and
  compare themselves bilaterally
• Is it however possible to  model  the staff?
• The OECD National Accounts committee has
  recommended not to model the staff.

11
Other results

• Time comparisons
• Significant increase in importance of GG accounts
• But not much increase in resources devoted to GG
  accounts
• Survey contains questions on specific situations
  and projects