NSCB Resolution No. 6
Series of 2004

REVIEW AND CLEARANCE OF ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTING FORMS
FOR STATISTICAL PURPOSES

WHEAREAS, the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), as the policy making and coordinating body on statistical matters in the country pursuant to Executive Order (EO) No. 121, implements several mechanisms for the maintenance of an efficient statistical system capable of providing data that are timely, accurate, sufficient and useful to the various sectors of the Philippine economy;

WHEREAS, one of the mechanisms implemented by the NSCB is the Statistical Survey Review and Clearance System (SSRCS), as provided for by NSCB Resolution No. 4, series of 1988, and Memorandum Circular No. 4-88 and 4-95, which involves the substantive review of the technical aspects of censuses and surveys conducted by government agencies to: (a) ensure sound design for data collection; (b) minimize the burden required upon respondents; (c) effect economy in statistical data collection; (d) eliminate unnecessary duplication of statistical data collection; and (e) achieve coordination of government statistical activities;

WHEREAS, the SSRCS does not cover administrative reporting forms prescribed by government agencies as part or by-product of their administrative or regulatory functions which are rich sources of data that are vital in policy formulation, planning and decision making in the public and private sectors and can be used to supplement existing data collection schemes and for the construction of sampling frames;

WHEREAS, the Philippine Statistical System as defined under EO 121 includes all departments, bureaus, offices, agencies, and instrumentalities of the national and local governments and all government-owned and –controlled corporations and their subsidiaries that are engaged in statistical activities either as their primary function or as part of their administrative and regulatory functions;

WHEREAS, worldwide trends indicate greater utilization of administrative reporting forms for statistical purposes in view of the limited resources available for censuses and surveys and recognizing the advantages for using these forms such as low budgetary requirements and response burden and completeness of coverage;

WHEREAS, while there are advantages in using administrative reporting forms for statistical purposes, there are technical issues in the compilation of statistics using these forms, such as reliability, consistency and comparability, that need to be resolved to ensure the quality of the data to be generated as well as to improve the generation of data from these forms;

WHEREAS, at the local level, there is a need to harmonize and standardize the administrative reporting systems of the different local government units, including the concepts and definitions used, so that the data generated can be integrated with those at the national level as provided for by EO 135 which called for the establishment of a well-coordinated local statistical system;

WHEREAS, the concept and objectives of the SSRCS can be applied to administrative reporting forms in order that the generation of administrative-based statistics conform with the quality standards governing official statistics;

WHEREAS, the Task Force on Import Statistics recommended the expansion of the SSRCS to include administrative record systems, in particular the Automated Export Declaration System (AEDS) to resolve the issues on exports data;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AS IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED that the NSCB Technical Staff implement a review and clearance system for administrative reporting forms which provide inputs to the compilation of official statistics to be known as the Administrative Reporting Forms Review and Clearance System for Statistical Purposes; and

BE IT RESOLVED FURTHER that:

(1) The NSCB Technical Staff conduct further consultations with other agencies prior to the implementation of the system and in the preparation of the implementing guidelines and procedures which will be made an integral part of a Memorandum Circular;

(2) The Memorandum Circular on the review and clearance of administrative reporting forms for statistical purposes be issued enjoining the cooperation of government agencies and instrumentalities at the national and local levels; and

(3) The NSCB Technical Staff, in consideration of the number of administrative reporting forms in use, come up with a timetable of review of these forms with priority given to the AEDS as recommended by the Task Force on Import Statistics.

Approved this 5th day of March 2004, in Pasig City.

Attested by:

ROMULO A. VIROLA
Secretary General