Usage of information and communication technologies in enterprises

Information Society Statistics unit

Uros Rajcevic

Methodologist.

Milana Rakica 5, Belgrade, Serbia.

Survey data refer to the use of different information-comunication technologies and devices in households.

NACE

All economic activities in the scope of Annex I of the Commission Regulation are intended to be included in the general survey, covering enterprises with 10 or more persons imployes. These activities are: NACE Rev. 2 sections C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, L and N, divisions 69-74 and 95.1.

The model questionnaire on ICT usage and e-commerce in enterprises provides a large variety of variables covering among others the following topics:

-          Access to and use of the Internet

-          E-commerce and e-business

-          ICT specialists and skills

-          ICT security

-          Artificial Intelligence.

The annual model questionnaires and the European businesses statistics compliers’ manual for ICT usage and e-commerce in enterprises comprise definitions and explanations regarding the topics of the survey.

Enterprise.

Enterprises with 10 or more persons employed.

All enterprises on terittory of Republic of Serbia without Kosovo.

2023-2024.

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Percentage.

The first quarter of the current year (for the entire research "Use of Information and Communication Technologies in RS in Enterprises" the reference period is the first quarter, only e-commerce is observed for the previous year).

Official Statistics Law.

Other authorized producers of official statistics shall be obliged to cooperate with the Office on the methodology of statistical surveys that are envisaged by annual implementation plans, and when required, they consult the Office on the methodology and databases that they determine. In case of disagreement between the authorized producers of official statistics and the Office in relation to the issues as described in paragraph 1 hereof, the Office shall be obliged to advise respectively the Government, in writing and within 30 days after the disagreement was stated. Right to access individual data of other authorized producers of official statistics.

The Office shall have the right to access individual data resulting from the surveys of other authorized producers of official statistics, in case these data are essential for conducting the activities of official statistics or for the evaluation of data quality. The right to access individual data resulting from the surveys of the National Bank of Serbia shall be granted with prior written consent by the Governor of the National Bank of Serbia. Right to access administrative data sources

The Office shall have the right to access all administrative data sources in charge of government authorities, including identification codes, if necessary, as well as the right to access the data collected by constant monitoring and observation method, unless their statistical use is explicitly prohibited by law. The holders of administrative data sources and of data collected by constant monitoring and observation method are obliged to forward the data to the Office in accordance with the adopted Plan and in a way as agreed that shall entail no extra costs for the data holders, except in cases when these data are subject to special processing.

Official Statistics Law.

Official Statistics Law.

Statistical release and publications with results from survey are avaliable on the website of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, in the part "Release Calendar".

Release calendar for the current year is avaliable to public on the web page:

http:/www.stat.gov.rs/calendar/?a=278&s=

Survey result are available:

1) SORS web-site

2) Library

Publication and survey results are available on SORS web-site under same terms for all interested users. in case of specialt requests Price Policy of SORS will be implemented. 

Data are published annualy.

Survey results for usage of ICT in enterprises does not have press release.

The book "Usage of information-communication technologies in the Republic of Serbia".

https://publikacije.stat.gov.rs/G2024/Pdf/G202416019.pdf

Most important indicators are available in database on SORS web-site. Users are able to download files to excel.

The Institute provides access to individual data without identifiers (anonymous data) which are available upon request of the user in accordance with the principles defined in the Official Statistics Law:

https://www.stat.gov.rs/media/2322/zakon_o_statisticie.pdf and the rules defined by the Rulebook on the manner and procedure of data provision produced by the Republic Statistical Office:

https://www.stat.gov.rs/en-US/o-nama/dokumenti

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1. The Methodological Manual provides guidelines and standards for the implementation of the survey in the Member States. The manual is updated and adapted every year according to the content of the model questionnaire. Furthermore, the use of the Eurostat model questionnaire improves comparability of the results of the survey among participating countries.

2. Procedure for hiring interviewers (Tender and subsequent Selection Decisions published on the Intranet)

3. Training of interviewers for ICT research

4. Continuous control of interviewers (listening, daily control of survey results)

5. Validation according to Eurostat rules

6. Preparation of a national Quality Report and reference metadata (used for quality assessment)

7. Conducting self-assessment by filling out a self-assessment questionnaire and preparing an accompanying report (self-assessment) - also for quality assessment

The Methodological Manual provides guidelines and standards for the implementation of the surveys in the Member States. It is updated every year according to the changed contents of the model questionnaires.

 For more information, please see the documents at http://www.stat.gov.rs/en-US/o-nama/sistem-upravljanja-kvalitetom.

At European level, the recommended use of the annual Eurostat model questionnaire aims at improving comparability of the results among the countries that conduct the survey on ICT usage and e-commerce in enterprises. Moreover, the European businesses statistics compilers’ manual for ICT usage and e-commerce in enterprises provides guidelines and clarifications for the implementation of the surveys.

At national level:

Indicators of ICT usage in enterprises are produced in accordance with methodological requirements and standards. Data are compared with previous and corresponding period and checks with different source are made.  The publication schedule is fixed and announced in advance.

RATEL, Government institutions, public sector.

RATEL (Republic Agency for Electronic Communications) has evaluated positively the data quality on the ICT usage in enterprises.

Detailed information is available in “ Annex I. Completeness “ - related to questionnaire, coverage, additional questions, regional data.

 (Quality report)

A) Reliability of breakdowns to be used for the calculation of European aggregates

Please indicate for both the general survey and for micro-enterprises the breakdowns to be used for the calculation of European aggregates that have a sufficiently high quality to be released at national level by introducing an "x" in the column next to the Y/N responses.

Note: In the case there is a grant agreement that foresees that certain breakdowns will be provided with sufficiently high quality to allow their release at national level, the following table should reflect the grant agreement ("x" next to "Yes" for the respective breakdowns).

In the case data for few variables/breakdowns cannot be released - although the particular breakdowns had been taken into account in the sampling design as foreseen in the grant agreement - it is expected that the breakdowns are marked with "Yes", data are accordingly flagged as unreliable and explanations should be provided in point 6.1. (B) (below)

In all cases, data will be evaluated for completeness and compliance with the terms in the grant agreement (if applicable) and the current quality report; additional clarifications may be requested.

(Quality report)

B) Comments on reliability and representativeness of results and completeness of dataset

These comments should reflect standard errors reported for the indicators and breakdowns in section 6.2.1 (Sampling error - indicators) and the breakdowns for European aggregates, as well as other accuracy measurements. The estimated standard error should not exceed 2pp for the overall proportions and should not exceed 5pp for the proportions related to the different subgroups of the population (for those NACE aggregates for the calculation and dissemination of national aggregates). If problems were found, these could have implications for future surveys (e.g. need to improve sampling design, to increase sample sizes, to increase the response rates etc.).

[1] Please note that if data were not flagged as unreliable they will be released

(Quality report)

Calculation of the standard error

Various methods can be used for the calculation of the standard error for an estimated proportion. The aim is to incorporate into the standard error the sampling variability but also variability due to unit non-response, item non-response (imputation), calibration etc. In case of census / take-all strata, the aim is to calculate the standard errors comprising the variability due to unit non-response and item non-response.

Please, describe below the approach which you have followed. This information will help Eurostat to evaluate the comparability of the standard errors supplied in the previous section by the different statistical institutes participating in the survey.

Please fill in the sub-concepts below.

The survey is being conducted in March, while the research results are published at the end of the third week of September.

All data are sent to Eurostat in time.

The data is available at the NUTS2 level.

Time series 2009-2024. For information: there are interrupt series, the reasons for the break of the series are:

- change the Eurostat questionnaire and eject certain variables from the questionnaire

- change the scope of certain variables, some variables are divided into two different variables, thus eliminating the possibility of a time series

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N/A.

Not avaliable.

https://www.stat.gov.rs/media/2283/opsta-politika-revizije-rzs-1.pdf

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Survey is conducted on two-stage strtified random sample. Gross sample size is 1720 enterprises, response rate is 93.9%, or 1615 enterprises. Statistical data source.

Annual survey.

 The survey is conducted through a telephone survey, (CATI) method of data collection on IST. The questionnaire was formulated according to the Eurostat methodology, where it was previously tested and accepted by all member states and candidates. The interviewer training is conducted according to the instructions for using the data entry program in IST.

Data quality checks are done by manual revision of questionnaires and procedures of logical control. Collected data are first checked and verified during the process of data entering. After that quality checking is carried out by using a set of strict manual and electronic logical and calculation controls. Reports that fail to meet the quality standards are subject to verification and are corrected as required.

Obtained results from the actual reporting period are compared with the previous and the corresponding reporting period of the previous year. If inconsistencies are detected the data must be verified at micro level again by using raw data of the questionnaire and possibly changed.

For logical control and corrections of errors is used Integrated Survey Tool (IST). IST is a software package that includes the process of data entry, logical control and production of output tables.

 Whi=Nh/mh  Nh- number of units in Farme in strata h; mh -number of responded units in strata h; Whi - weight for unit i in strata h

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