C A R I B B E A N C O M M U N I T Y S E C R E T A R I A T

THIRTY- FIRST MEETING OF

THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF

CARIBBEAN STATISTICIANS SCCS/2006/31/17

Port-of-Spain, Trinidad

6-8 November 2006 8 November 2006

2006 Progress Report

The Bermuda Department of Statistics

Presented to

The 31^st Meeting of the Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians (SCCS)

Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago

November 6^th-8^th 2006.

OUR VISION

A high performance work environment that is characterized by a culture of learning, innovation, synergy, integrity, excellence in service and professionalism.

OUR MISSION

We are committed to collect, process, analyze and provide a body of statistical information that is timely, accurate, relevant and reliable for dissemination to the Government and the general public.

TOP THREE (3) STRATEGIC GOALS

1. Build technical expertise and personal development for all staff

2. Enhance professional relationships with Government, the market place and the general public

3. Strengthen and develop operational functions and business processes

STAFFING

The Department is currently staffed with 31 persons of which, 3 are in temporary positions.

Division	Filled Posts	Vacant Posts	Temporary ≤ six months
Administration (includes Director)	4	0
Economics Statistics Division	10	0	0
Business Statistics Division	4	0	3
Social Statistics Division	3	0	0
Census & Survey Research Unit	7	0	0

ECONOMY, FINANCE AND INVESTMENT STATISTICS

System of National Accounts

Bermuda's national accounts work programme is confined to the production of the basic indicators of GDP. Due to continuous turnover over in key staff in this division since mid-2004, the focus has been on training in the foundational compilation of GDP. The overall aim is to ensure that Officers producing the national accounts estimates become solidified in the methodology and understanding of the concepts.

A lot of work has been done in strengthening relationships with data providers both in the public and private sectors, to ensure consistency in data reporting and in the provision of administrative data files. The annual Economic Activity Survey (the primary source of data for developing GDP estimates) now commands an 83% response rate. New questions pertaining to BOP financial transactions with overseas entities were incorporated in the survey to facilitate annual Balance of Payments benchmarks. To-date, GDP by industry has been produced for the years 1996 to 2004. The 2005 estimates will be completed by December 2006.

Data tables currently produced are:

· Gross Domestic Product by Kind of Economic Activity, 1996 - 2004

Annual Rates of Growth of Gross Domestic Product, 1996 - 2004
Implicit Price Deflators of Gross Domestic Product, 1996 - 2004
Percentage Distribution of Gross Domestic Product by Kind of Economic Activity

The production of the Supply and Use Table (SUT) is of particular importance to the Ministry of Finance. Therefore, following the production of the 2005 estimates of GDP in December, officers will focus on reconciling the GDP for the year 2004 using the SUT framework. A compilation manual will be developed by each officer simultaneously as they execute assigned segments of the framework.

Merchandise Trade Statistics

The trade data is compiled on a quarterly and annual basis for publication and use in the GDP and BOP estimation. In September 2006, Consultant, Mr. Sebastien Cadic, was hired for 2 weeks to put in place a framework for the analysis of trade statistics using the Eurotrace software, window-based version. The consultancy mission entailed working with Officers to install and configure the Eurotrace and Comext software on the Department's network and on officer's desktop PCs. The consultant trained staff as administrators and users of the software for the delivery of trade statistics for GDP and BOP compilation. Meetings were held with Customs Officers to discuss trade data quality issues and to identify the required format for the transmission of trade data from the Customs CAPS/DATALEX systems for upload into the Eurotrace domains. Trade data tables can now be produced based on the HS and SITC classification systems.

Tourism Satellite Account & A System of Tourism Statistics

No work has been started to establish a Tourism Satellite Account. This will be a 07/08 initiative if funding is approved.

The compilation of tourism statistics currently includes quarterly and annual visitor arrivals by country of origin, intended type of accommodation and expenditure. The Department of Tourism however compiles a range of tourism statistics not disseminated by the Department of Statistics. These include average length of stay, number of bed nights, and number of repeat visitors by income range, etc. This information is obtained from the visitor exit surveys. In an effort to enhance coverage of tourism sector statistics a quarterly restaurant survey will be introduced. A meeting was held with the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce Restaurant Division in October to share the intention of conducting such a survey. Data obtained from the quarterly survey will be published quarterly and ultimately used as a key component of the TSA.

International Trade in Services

During February and March 2006, the Balance of Payments (BOP) compilation framework was converted from the fourth edition to the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) fifth edition (BPM5) with the technical guidance of BOP consultant, Ms. Lucilla Lewis. In setting up the framework, the approach was to capture detailed transactions that would facilitate as much as possible an Extended Balance of Payments in Services (EBOPS).

The compilation approach is consistent with BPM5 with one exception - the treatment of the companies in the international exempt sector. According to BPM5 this sector should be classified as resident. Given the statutory framework of the sector in the Bermuda, businesses have been treated as non-resident which is consistent with the methodology used in the compilation of Bermuda's Gross Domestic Product.

During the three-week mission of the Consultant, meetings were held with various BOP stakeholders such as banks, travel agents, insurance companies, local property developers, law firms, architects, shipping agents and Government Departments to review BOP questionnaires, establish understanding of required data and obtain overall buy-in and support of the survey. To-date, officers have produced detailed BOP procedural and compilation manuals based on the step-by-step tasks executed in the compilation process. The manual draws on specific examples of transactions for the accounts and in citing data sources, the manual references line items in each questionnaire and non-questionnaire data sources.

Government Procurement

At this point only the detailed analysis of central and local government revenue and expenditure on goods and services is compiled for GDP estimation.

Other Economy Statistics

Labour Market Indicators (LMI)

In November 2005, an annual statistical abstract was released for the first time highlighting key labour market indicators based on survey data collected from the annual Employment Survey. These indicators comprised number of filled jobs, hours worked, median annual gross earnings, job vacancies and top occupations by sex and status.

Consumer Price Index (CPI)

The re-weighting of the CPI using expenditure weights derived from the 2004 Household Expenditure Survey was completed during the latter part of 2005. The new index was run internally to monitor and assess the overall price movement based on the revised weights. In February 2006, CPI expert, Brian Graf of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provided technical assistance in assessing the Bermuda CPI methodology and made recommendations on best practices to improve the overall delivery and quality of the series.

One month before the official release of the re-weighted index, users of the CPI were provided with a brief paper outlining the methodological improvements made to the CPI. Following this, in July the Department went live with a re-weighted and re-based CPI. During the months preceding the release of the CPI, officers conducted a thorough revision of the 'shopping basket' which included the recruitment of new retail stores, inclusion of new items in the basket and change in pricing frequency of goods and services.

Information & Communication Technologies (ICT)

ICT indicators are produced on an annual basis from data collected during the annual economic activity survey. Each participating business is asked a series of ten questions relating to use of computers, internet access, purchases of goods and services over the internet and web presence. In November 2005, the Department released an information flyer highlighting ICT household indicators for Bermuda. ICT statistics were released for the first time in the annual Facts and Figures publication.

POPULATION, DEMOGRAPHIC, SOCIAL STATISTICS

Population

A detailed report on the "Changing Face of Bermuda's Seniors" was released during the latter part of 2005. The report provides a detailed look at Bermuda's elderly population highlighting significant changes that occurred between 1950 and 2004. The main areas of analysis include the composition of the elderly population as it relates to age, sex, race, health, living accommodations and income.

Population Projections

For the first-time mid-year population projections were produced for a 30-year period, July 2000 to July 2030. A detailed analysis of the projections was prepared in report form providing a comparative analysis of the baseline population data referencing Census 2000 and projections for the year 2030. An overview is given of the demographic assumptions made and future economic and social implications for different sub-population groups. The report is titled: Bermuda's Population Projections, 2000 to 2030. Two internal procedural guides were produced, the "Methodology and Assumptions of Population Projections in Bermuda: 2000-2030; and, "Metadata for the Analysis of Characteristics of Bermuda's Families".

Household & Families

A brief analytical report was produced on the "Characteristics of Bermuda's Families". This was a first-time analysis of Bermuda's families based on detailed data captured from the 2000 Census. The report provides benchmark data on the number of families, family size and composition of families in Bermuda.

Poverty

In September 2006 the Department was given a directive from the Premier to investigate the requirements for measuring poverty and establishing a poverty line for Bermuda. The research is in progress.

Migration

Two Statisticians attended a conference hosted by the International Association of Official Statistics in Ottawa, Canada from September 6^th to 8^th 2006. The theme of the conference was People on the Move: Measuring Environmental, Social and Economic Impacts within and between nations." The conference focused on migration statistics more specifically: challenges in compiling migration statistics, integration of migrants in their new country, financial aspects of migration and environmental economy links.

Disability

Bermuda took the opportunity to participate in a conference organized by the UN Washington Group (WG) on Disability Statistics in Kampala, Uganda October 10^th to 13^th 2006. The main purpose of the meeting was to guide the development of a short set(s) of disability measures suitable for use in censuses, sample-based national surveys, or other statistical formats, for the primary purpose of informing policy on equalization of opportunities. The second priority of the Washington Group was to recommend one or more extended sets of survey items to measure disability, or guidelines for their design, to be used as components of population surveys or as supplements to specialty surveys. There were several key outcomes based on the pre-test of six questions set for use in censuses. The questions focused on four core functional domains (seeing, hearing, walking, and cognition) as well as two additional domains desired by member countries (self care and communication).

Household Projections

In August 2006, the Department of Planning requested that household projections be produced for Bermuda for use in their Bermuda Development Plan. As a result, an investigative study was carried out to seek guidance for developing household projections. A manual produced by the United Nations - Projection Methods for Integrating Variables into Development Planning, was recommended for use. Further work will be proceed in this area.

Other Social/Gender Statistics

In support of the harmonization of social/gender statistics for the CARICOM, Bermuda continues to partner with key stakeholders to produce a sustained database of current statistical data. In August correspondence was mailed to stakeholders requesting data for the most recent period with follow-up emails sent in September as a reminder. Unfortunately, very few stakeholders have responded.

The following tables have been updated thus far with either 2004 or 2005 data: population and families, health, work, information and communications, and the economy. We are making concerted efforts to follow up with updating the remaining tables where in some instances such as education performance, we will need to encourage the stakeholder to set up a data file to collect this type of information.

Developmental Work

Bermuda Standard Classification of Occupations (BSCO)

The Bermuda Standard Classification of Occupation (BSCO) is currently being updated in alignment with the International Labour Organization (ILO) Classification of Occupations. A new set of occupations reflecting new job titles were added to the classification system based on information obtained from employers in the banking, insurance, international businesses and telecommunication industries. The classification system was also amended for gender neutrality, for example where fireman was changed to firefighter, policeman to police officer and salesman to sales person.

ENVIRONMENTAL STATISTICS

Developmental Work

In support of CARICOM Social Indicators Millennium Development Goals (SIMDG) project, Bermuda launched its Environment Statistics program in 2005. In collaboration with local stakeholders, a database comprising a core set of environmental indicators was set up. Currently eleven areas are being covered, including environmental health, tourism, coastal and marine resources, biodiversity, agriculture, mineral & energy, natural disasters, water and waste.

For most areas data are currently available for 2004. Data on water and waste statistics are available for 2005. A series of meetings are being planned to meet with keys stakeholders, with a view of updating and expanding the data series.

Thus far, challenges include the need to clarify definitions and concepts used for various environmental indicators, the need to harmonize or specify classification systems used for compiling environmental health indicators, and the absence of conversion tables to convert various units of measurement. A compendium on Environmental Statistics and Indicators is planned for release mid 2007 which will be preceded by an Environmental Stakeholders workshop.

OTHER WORK PROGRAMME ACTIVITIES

Adult Literacy & Life Skills Survey

During the month of April 2006, Bermuda's first national adult literacy survey report entitled "Literacy in Bermuda, A Study of Adult Literacy and Life-Skills in Bermuda" was released to the public. A press conference was held by the Honorable Premier to announce the main findings of the survey. In September 2006, a supplementary report entitled "Young Bermudians & Literacy" was completed for dissemination.

Youth Survey

The Department has collaborated with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Education and the National Drug Council to plan a national survey of young people aged 12 to 18 years. This target population includes students in both the middle and senior high schools.

The purpose of this survey is to create a comprehensive body of statistical data on issues affecting Bermuda's youth population such as safety and security, peer pressure, family support, employment and living conditions. The baseline data collected will support initiates of the national youth development strategy and assist in the formulation and evaluation of policies on youth.

Currently, a data needs questionnaire has been mailed to roughly 60 stakeholders. The information gathered will guide the development of questions for the youth survey questionnaire. The survey will be launched during the first six months of 2007.

Omnibus Survey

Preliminary work is being carried out in collaboration with the Information Technology Office and the Central Policy Unit for the establishment of an on-going telephone survey capability that will facilitate the conduct of a quarterly Government Omnibus Survey.

A business analyst has been identified to develop a population frame using variables from various data bases residing with the Parliamentary Registry Office, the Transport Control Department and the Land Valuation Department. Suitable software will be selected to facilitate the Computer Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI) data collection method.

Economic Empowerment Zone (EEZ) Household Survey and Establishment Survey

In the November 2005 Throne Speech, the Government of Bermuda highlighted its determination to develop an Economic Empowerment Zone (EEZ). As a result, the Department of Statistics was commissioned by the Bermuda Small Business Development Corporation (BSBDC) to conduct a survey of households and business establishments in the area.

Economic Empowerment Zone (EEZ) Household Survey and Establishment Survey

A media database was set up to facilitate an annual comprehensive analysis of the economy and also broaden officer's knowledge of the Bermuda economy. Officers rotate on a monthly basis to collect news articles that may either provide information for a more quality measurement of economic, social or business indicators, or that may draw reference to the statistical outputs produced by the Department.

MODERNISATION OF NATIONAL STATISTICAL SYSTEMS

In January 2006, an Information Technology Officer was hired to review business processes and procedures with the aim of developing and implementing an information system that supports the broader departmental strategic plan.

STRENGTHENING OF STATISTICAL CAPACITY

TRAINING

January 24^th - 26^th 2006 - Workshop, Surveys from Start to Finish

February 28^th - March 2^nd 2006 - Workshop, Surveys from Start to Finish

July 3^rd - August 11^th, 2006 - CARICOM Demographic Analysis Workshop

August 7^th - 10^th, 2006 - CARICOM Demographic Analysis Workshop

September 18^th - 22^nd, 2006 -Workshop, DevInfo 5.0 Regional Training

MEETINGS

September 6^th - 8^th, 2006 Conference of the International Association of Official Statistics (IAOS), Ottawa, Canada

Theme: People on the Move: Measuring Environment, Social and Economic Impacts within and between Nations, 2 Officers

October 10^th - 13^th, United Nations, Washington Group Sixth Meeting on Disability Statistics, Kampala, Uganda

REGULAR WORK PROGRAMME

The regular work programme continues to consist of conducting the on-going surveys for data collection, compilation and dissemination. These include:

· Monthly Survey of Retail Sales

· Monthly Survey of Consumer Prices

· Monthly Survey of Overseas Spending by Residents

· Quarterly Survey of Construction Activity

· Quarterly Survey of Hotel Gross Receipts

· Quarterly Balance of Payments Survey

· Quarterly Hotel Employment Survey

· Annual Employment Survey

· Annual Economic Activity Survey

CONSULTANCY SERVICES PROVIDED

· Department of Foster Care Services - implemented a review and update of the Foster Fee Schedule. Used the price data collected for the Consumer Price Index to update average prices of goods and services purchased by foster families.

· Department of Health - provided consultancy services to the Health Promotion Coordinator in survey planning, questionnaire design and data processing for a national health survey. The survey targeted 1,650 households and covered health and behavioral issues for adults, and children 10 years and younger. Data was processed and tables produced using the SPSS software. A draft analytical report is in progress.

· Department of Human Resources -conducted a Customer Service Improvement Survey, targeting civil servants to obtain feedback about the quality of HR services provided. A web-based survey questionnaire was designed using the SNAP software which provided respondents with the option of completing the survey in paper form or on-line. The data was captured in SNAP and processed using SPSS.

· Ministry of Works and Engineering, Waste Management Section - provided assistance in sample design for a waste disposal survey. Developed a data-capture application using MS Access and produced a series of cross tabulations for use in analysis.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Two Officers completed their studies obtaining a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration; and, a Diploma in Computer Network Administration

The January 2006 issue of The Statistical Journal of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), Volume 22 Number 2, 2005, contained the article titled "Computer Assisted Personal Interview - The Bermuda Experience". This article reported the experiences of the Department of Statistics in piloting the use of handheld computers (PDAs) during the conduct of the 2004 Household Expenditure Survey. The article was authored by 2 Officers in the Department.

06/07 ONGOING PROJECTS

Development of a population frame for the conduct of a Government Omnibus Survey
On-line filing of Employment Survey as a pilot study for Census 2010
Establishment of a Poverty Line for Bermuda.
Development of Environmental statistics work programme
Update of SUT, 2004 GDP reconciliation.

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