Methodologies:
In all its statistical work, GASTAT applies a unified methodology suitable for the nature of each statistical product using the Statistical Procedures Guide approved by international organizations. Statistical products undergo 8 main stages, in addition to a ninth comprehensive stage, “Management”, as shown in the following diagram and explanation underneath:
The first 3 stages (Scope, Design and Organization) are a cooperative process between GASTAT and its clients, represented by developmental entities data users, while Stage 4 (Data Collection) is done through GASTAT’s cooperation with the statistical population (establishments), in order to complete data and information. The remaining stages are statistical stages in which data is classified, reviewed, and published. Then, Stage 8 (Evaluation) is conducted with clients. The Management Stage is an administrative and organizational procedure applied across all stages. These stages have been applied to Structural business statistics as follows:
First Stage: Scope
It is the starting point for the production of (structural business statistics) At this stage, workshops and meetings were held with the GASTAT’s departments related to the implementation of the survey and the department providing data for Saudi and non-Saudi male and female workers based from the administrative records of the Ministry of Commerce, General Organization for Social Insurance, and Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development in order to ensure that all the structural work statistics objectives which are summarized as follows:
1. Measuring the structure of the business sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
2. Providing data on economic activities to prepare indicators that help in knowing the growth rates of each economic activity.
3. Identifying the extent of participation of each economic activity and regions level in the process of economic development.
4. Knowing the relative importance of each economic activity.
5. Updating the series of economic data of each economic activity.
Second Stage: Design
This is the stage of designing the statistical work as an integrated product; During this stage, the statistical population is determined, the statistical frame and survey sample are designed, survey questionnaire is designed, data collection methods and tools are determined, and sampling units are identified. Stakeholders are involved in all these processes to take advantage of their insights to meet all requirements and ensure their presence within the statistical product.
The most important outcomes of this stage are:
1.Statistical population:
The target statistical population in structural business statistics consists of all economic establishments that have a commercial register and included in (ISIC4) in Saudi Arabia.
2. Statistics Sources:
The publication of structural business statistics relies on two main sources for its data, as it includes statistics from the survey of establishments (Structural business survey) conducted by the General Authority for Statistics on an annual basis, in addition to the data available at GASTAT based on the administrative records of the General Organization for Social Insurance.
2.1. First Source of the Publication: Structural Business Survey:
It is a survey conducted by the General Authority for Statistics on an annual basis and is listed under the category (Economic Statistics) in which information is collected through a representative sample of economic establishments in all administrative regions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as completing an electronic questionnaire that includes a number of questions. Indicators are provided within the survey in relation to structural business survey.
2.2. Second Source of Publication: Administrative Records:
It is the data available with GASTAT from the Administrative data of the General Organization for Social Insurance.
The following table shows the type of data provided by each source of the Structural business statistics Publication:
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Data Sources |
Entity |
Data and Indicators |
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Structural business Survey |
General Authority for Statistics |
Operating expenditures and revenues, and compensation of employee |
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Administrative Records |
Ministry of Commerce, General Organization for Social Insurance, and Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development |
Sizes of establishments, main economic activityand numbers of employees |
3.Terminologies and concepts:
Establishment: It is an economic unit with a legal personality. It has a fixed location and carries out a certain economic activity. It is owned by one or a group of individuals, company, semi-government sector, or an institution. The establishment is the smallest economic unit that may have data on employees, their compensation, expenditures, revenues, and fixed capital formations.
Economic activity: All activities performed, or services provided by the establishment in return for consideration. Sometimes, the establishment gets nothing in return, such as charities that are financed by donations.
The classification of the institutional economic activity is based on the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC4).
Employees: All (Saudi and non-Saudi) individuals who already do paid or unpaid work for the establishment as well as the owners of the establishment or their relatives or employees, whether they are full-timers or part-timers, permanent or temporary employees or male or female employees, regardless of the fact that their wages are paid on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. The definition also includes partners and members of joint stock companies, in addition to heads and members of the boards of directors. It also includes employees who are entitled to paid leave.
Compensation of Employees: It includes all amounts payable periodically by the establishment to its employees during the year, including salaries and wages for regular working hours and fixed bonuses given to them, in addition to all types of benefits and allowances such as housing, insurance, or transportation allowance, in addition to the social insurance premium and retirement, insurance premium against work-related injuries, remuneration for members of the Board of Directors, and finally the addition to the allowance for severance pay.
Gross fixed capital formation: It is the flows in fixed assets that explain the movement of assets inside and outside the facility and includes fixed assets that the facility acquires for use in achieving its purposes and not with the intention of selling them or introducing them as raw materials in its production operations (such as residential and non-residential buildings, transportation equipment, furniture, machinery and equipment)..
3.5. Indicators:
Structural business statistics indicators were calculated according to data sources, as follows:
a. The survey:
|
Description of the indicator |
Indicator |
|
The total financial dues paid to the employee in terms of salaries, benefits, etc. during the year |
Compensation of employees |
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All that the establishment spends as a result of practicing its economic activity during the year. |
Operating expenditures |
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They are all the revenues accrued as a result of the establishment's practice of its main activity or other secondary activities during the year. |
Operating revenues |
|
Operating revenues – operating expenditures – employees’ compensation |
Operating surplus |
|
Assets purchased - assets sold |
Gross fixed capital formation |
b. Administrative Records:
|
Description of the indicator |
Indicator |
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For Saudi males / Saudi females / non-Saudi males / non-Saudi females. |
Number of employees |
4. Used statistical classification:
Classification is defined as being an arranged set of related categories used for data collection according to similarity. It is the basis for collecting and publishing data in all statistical fields, such as economic activity, products, expenditures, jobs or health, etc. It allows for classifying data and information through putting them into meaningful categories to produce useful statistics, considering that data collection requires precise and methodological arrangement in accordance with their common features so that the statistics can be reliable and comparable. The Structural Business Statistics are subject to international standards in data collection and classification, based on the following classification:
National Classification of Economic Activities (ISIC4):
It is a statistical classification that is based on the unified international industrial classification of all economic and productive activities. It can be defined as (all the works and services practiced or annual provided by the establishments whether these services have achieved a financial return or not as in the case of charity institutions which mainly depend on donations.)
5. Design of survey’s questionnaire:
The survey’s questionnaire was drafted and designed by business statistics specialists at GASTAT. International recommendations, standards, and definitions were taken into consideration during the design of the questionnaire, which was presented to experts,specialists, and relevant entities to obtain their insights and comments. Questions were redrafted based on a specific scientific approach aimed at unifying question formats used by researchers.
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The questionnaire is divided into six sections by topic to increase its efficiency in achieving the technical standards of the work stage: |
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Employees compensation Payable for total Year |
Average number of Employees for total Year |
Aggregations for total year |
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Changes in assets |
Operating revenues |
Operating expenditures |
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The complete questionnaire can be viewed and downloaded through GASTAT’s official website |
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After being approved, the survey’s questionnaire will be transformed into an electronic questionnaire that can be handled through the advanced data collection system using computer and tablets. The system has the following features:
1. The possibility of self-completion through the link of the survey questionnaire sent to the establishments within the survey sample before the beginning of the data collection process.
2. Reaching the sample (establishment) using a communication system (Cisco Jabber).
3. Personal interviews (field) using a tablet.
4. Completing data of high-quality using data check rules and navigation (to automatically detect input errors and illogical inputs while the completion of the data is underway).
5. Establishing communication between supervising categories by exchanging comments with researchers.
6. Coverage:
6.1 Spatial coverage:
Structural business survey covers data in all 13 administrative regions of Saudi Arabia, which are: (Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah, Qassim, Eastern Region, Asir, Tabuk, Hail, Northern Borders, Jazan, Najran, Al-Baha, and Al-Jouf).
6.2 Temporal coverage:
It is done during the period set out to contacting the sampled establishments and to complete the data of the survey questionnaire. The survey data is usually assigned to the year preceding the implementation. This round of survey data will be based on the fiscal year of 2022.
7. Statistical framework of structural business survey:
• The 2022 business framework was used as a list containing all population items. This framework constitutes a basic framework for this survey and other economic research that will be conducted in the future. By using this framework, all establishments are classified according to economic activity and size at the level of Saudi Arabia and the administrative regions. The activities of these establishments are classified according to the National Classification for the Economic Activities (ISIC4).
• The required metadata were identified in order to create the statistical framework, create the test framework, verify them, and use them for the current survey round.
8. Sample Design:
1. Perfect plan is designed and documented to choose the sample units from which data will be collected with providing guarantee for obtaining efficient and highly effective indicators. Therefore, the survey population was divided into non-overlapping parts characterized by the homogeneity of their units. Every part is considered a layer, and every layer is treated as being an independent population based on several variables, the most important of which are: the administrative region, economic activityand establishment size, where a random sample would be drawn separately from every layer. At the end, all drawn sampling units will be integrated to form an aggregate sample.
2. Selecting the sample units is done on the basis of the 2022 Business Framework. In order to choose samples for surveys and statistical studies targeting establishments in general, the framework was divided into four categories on the basis of the establishment size as follows:
• Micro-establishments, including all establishments that have 1-5 employees.
• Small establishments, including all establishments that have 6-49 employees.
• Medium establishments, including all establishments that have 50-249 employees.
• Large establishments, including all establishments that have more than 250.employees
3. Perfect methodology is prepared to choose sample units in order to provide high-quality outputs with minimum burden on data providers using methods of rotation and overlap control.
4. Required metadata are specified to apply the statistical framework and to allocate and choose the sample.
5. The sample is tested, assessed and verified, and its use in the current frequency of the project is approved.
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Sampling Units of Structural Business Survey: Establishments are the sampling units which were selected from the survey sampling design. |
Third Stage: Organization
It is the final preparation stage that precedes establishment contacting and data collection. In this stage, the required workflow procedures are established for preparing structural business statistics, starting with the “collection stage “and ending with the “evaluation stage“ and the organization and grouping of those procedures. The optimal sequence of those procedures is chosen to arrive at a methodology that achieves the goals of the structural business statistics. Those procedures were also described and documented to facilitate any updates in future rounds. The statistical workflow procedures were tested and examined to ensure their compliance with the requirements of preparing structural business statistics, approve the procedures of the statistical workflow, and develop a roadmap for implementation.
Testing the efficiency of input systems and the process of transmitting, synchronizing and reviewing data through office system are the main procedures in this stage.
Fourth Stage: Data Collection
First: The sample of the survey was selected by identifying (59,284) establishments engaged in targeted economic activities as a chosen sample representing the survey population and distributed to all 13 regions of Saudi Arabia.
Second: the nominated employees were selected as researchers who contacted the establishments (Structural business survey) to collect data based on several practical and objective criteria related to the nature of the work, such as:
• Educational level.
• Personal attributes, such as: good conduct and physical and psychological fitness.
• Candidate’s success in the training program of the Structural business survey.
• The candidate shall not be under the age of 20.
Third: All candidates were qualified and trained in collecting survey data, according to the following:
• Holding a training program for researchers that included providing guidance and awareness lectures, during which the instruction manual is explained, the survey objectives and data collection method are defined, and a detailed explanation of all the questionnaire questions.
• Conducting a practical application on how to complete the online survey form.
The performance of the researchers was also tested during the training, their performance was evaluated, and the extent of their understanding of the questionnaire was verified before starting the communication and data collection process.
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The training programs offered to researchers assigned to collecting Structural business survey‘s data include Practical and hands-on lectures on technical, technological, administrative, and awareness materials that are used in data collection processes. researchers are also introduced to the survey’s goals, the data collection method. The training programs also include a detailed explanation of all questions on the questionnaire, as well as any technical and administrative tasks. researchers are also trained on how to deal with the public and how to ask the questions in record time. |
Fourth: Direct contact with the establishment in the stage of completing the survey form and data collection: through the Statistical Contact Center, GASTAT sends an introductory email about the survey to all the selected establishments within the survey sample. The email includes a link to access the survey form and user validity data (username and password) few days before the start of data collection process.
At the beginning of the data collection process, the researchers either made direct phone calls to the establishments through the contact numbers available within the selected survey sample or through personal interviews (in the field) using a tablet. Then the researcher shall introduce himself/herself, clarifies the purpose of communication, explains the idea of the survey and its objectives, and takes permission to complete the required data directly using the electronic survey questionnaire. The primary data of the establishment is completed directly by the researcher with the respondent, and then the respondent can complete the remaining parts of the form by choosing one of the following two options:
1. Through the survey form link sent to the establishment before the start of the data collection process.
2. By the statistical researcher.
The survey form data is completed based on the specified time reference in order to upload and transfer the completed data of the establishment directly to the database and store them for review and processing.
5 days is allowed for the establishment that has chosen to complete its data. If this period is exceeded, the researcher shall contact the facility to remind them to complete the data, or the researcher shall complete the data himself.
Fifth: All researchers use laptops devices to collect the survey questionnaire data according to timeframes specified for navigating the survey sections and the questionnaire items.
Sixth: upload and transfer the completed data of the establishments directly to the database linked to them at GASTAT’s headquarters where they are stored in a specific way to be reviewed and processed at a later stage.
Seventh: Electronic (business rules) were applied to guarantee the accuracy, consistency, and rationality of the data entered in the Structural business survey questionnaire. They are electronic rules that identify contradictions, and they were designed by using a logical link between the answers of the questionnaire and its variables to help researchers directly identify any errors upon completing the survey data with the official in charge of data provision. Those programmed rules don’t allow any mistakes to go through when an answer contradicts with another piece of information or another answer in the questionnaire.
Eighth: The collected data were verified through being reviewed by the researcher, their inspector and the survey supervisor in the supervision area. All work areas were subjected to a monitoring and reviewing process from the Data Quality Team at GaStat’s headquarters. The Room also controls and monitors the performance of all working groups in during the data collection process, starting from the first day and until the last.
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Data Quality Team: An operations room that synchronously works with the works of surveys. It is equipped with electronic monitoring tools and tracking screens used by observers and quality specialists to review the consistency of data and to detect errors and extreme values during the data collection process. This is done by immediately following up on what is being filled out by the researcher. However, this Team is responsible for checking the researchers’ commitment to the survey’s instructions during the collection, and the correctness and logicality of the data. It also ensures implementation of the connection plan of the establishments and reviews some important indicators of the survey to ensure data accuracy. The main tasks of the Data Quality Team are: • Reviewing the collected data and sending notes to the operating teams of different levels through an automated desktop system that is linked to the researcher's computers, so they can access the feedback quickly at their working locations. • Making phone calls with the establishments in order to ask some questions of the form to check the accuracy of data completed by the researcher, and his commitment to the instructions during the calling. Also, to obtain the missing data that have not been received yet, And thanks to the respondents for their cooperation. • Answering inquiries received from researchers or respondents. |
4.2. Obtaining data from administrative records (Second source of Structural statistics):
coordinated with the authority’s departments related to the implementation of the survey and providing admin data; In order to obtain the data of the structural business Statistics Publication, which included the data of the number of Saudi and non-Saudi employees, male and female. They were saved on the authority’s databases, and auditing and reviewing processes were carried out in accordance with the scientific statistical method and recognized quality standards and referring to the data source in case of discovering errors, or having notes on the data, in coordination with the data-issuing entity.
Fifth stage: Tabulation
During this stage, raw data of the Structural business statistics are disaggregated based on the classification and coding inputs completed during the data collection process. They were disaggregated based on (ISIC4) or any other classification and coding, such as: data distribution at the level of administrative regions, qualitative and descriptive classification in terms of gender determination.
During this stage, specialists of Business Statistics Department conducted data processing and analysis based on several procedures, as follows:
• Sort and arrange data in sequence format or in different groups or categories.
• Summarize detailed data into key points or data.
• Combine many data segments and make them interconnected.
• Process missing data.
• Process unreasonable data.
• Convert data into statistically significant data.
• Organize, present, and interpret data.
Data of Structural business statistics are presented in right tables in order to summarize, understand, as well as extract their results. Moreover, to compare them with other data, and to obtain statistical significance about the selected community. However, referring to such data indicated in tables is much easier than going back to check the original questionnaire that may include some data like names and addresses of establishments and data providers, which might violate the confidentiality of the statistical data. One of the most important procedures of data processing is “data anonymization”. To keep data confidential, GASTAT removed all identifiers from the entered dataset either data of survey. The name, address, and other identifiers of the establishment owner will be hidden for individual’s privacy.
Sixth stage: Revision
First: Verifying data outputs:
After reviewing and verifying the accumulated data of the Structural business statistics, GASTAT conducted at this stage processes of calculating and extracting results and uploading and storing them on the database. The final reviewing processes were conducted by specialists in business statistics using modern technologies and software designed for the purposes of reviewing and checking.
Second: Handling of confidential data:
Pursuant to Royal Decree No.23 dated 07/12/1397, GASTAT is committed to the absolute confidentiality of all completed data and not using them except for statistical purposes. Therefore, data are safely stored on GASTAT’s servers.
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Under no circumstances can that be allowed to disclose about any data of the establishments. It is worth mentioning that the publications are statistical tables at the level of Saudi Arabia and its administrative regions and main cities depending on their features. |
Seventh stage: Publication
First: Preparation and Process of the Results Designed for Publishing:
During this stage, GASTAT downloaded the data results from the database of Structural business statistics. Then, publishing tables and charts of data and indicators, metadata, and methodology were all prepared and processed to be published in both languages English and Arabic.
Second: Preparing Media Kit and Announcing the Date of the Release:
The publication date of the Publication is already set up by GASTAT on its official website at the beginning of the Calendar Year. During this period, the Authority is preparing the media kits to announce the date of releasing the Publication through media, in addition to its various platforms on social networking sites. The Publication will be published firstly on GASTAT’s official website in different formats, such as Excel format to be easily reached for all clients and those who are interested in the publication in general. It will be uploaded on the website’s statistics library as well.
Third: Communicate with the clients and provide them with publication:
GASTAT believed in the importance of communication with the clients, therefore, once the Publication is released, GASTAT will communicate with the clients and provide them with the Publication. GASTAT will receive the questions and enquiries about the Publication and its results through its various channels. Requests and enquiries are received through:
• GASTAT’s official website www.stats.gov.sa
• GASTAT’s official e-mail info@stats.gov.sa
• Client support’s email cs@stats.gov.sa
• Visiting GASTAT head office in Riyadh or in one of its branches in Saudi Arabia.
• Official letters.
• Statistical phone (920020081)
Eighth stage: Evaluation
All GASTAT’s clients who used the results of the Publication will be contacted again in order to assess the entire statistical process. This is done for improvement purposes in order to obtain high-quality data. The improvements include methodologies, procedures and systems, statisticians’ skill level, as well as statistical work frameworks. This stage is carried out with data users and GASTAT clients according to the following steps:
First: Collecting measurable evaluation inputs:
The most important comments and notes are collected and documented from their sources in different stages, for example comments and notes given by data collectors and their supervisors. Also, notes written by specialists responsible for reviewing, auditing, and analyzing data collected from the team or administrative regions. Finally, comments and notes collected and documented by data users after publishing the Publication, or social media comments and clients’ feedback sent to GASTAT through its main channels.
Second: Evaluation procedure:
It is done by analyzing the collected evaluation inputs and comparing the results of this analysis with the ones predicted previously. Therefore, a number of possible improvements and solutions are identified and discussed with specialists, experts, and concerned partners. During this step, clients' performances and satisfaction levels of using the results of Structural business statistics are measured. Based on these procedures, the recommendations for obtaining high quality data for the next statistic
s are all agreed upon.
Ninth stage: Management
It is a comprehensive stage that is required to carry out each stage of structural business statistics production. During this stage, the plan was set, which includes the feasibility study, risk management, financing methods, in addition to expenditure mechanisms. The plan also covered the development of performance indicators, quality criteria, and manpower map required for production. Through this plan, the implementation process of the tasks assigned to different departments at each stage will be followed up and reported to ensure that GASTAT meets its clients’ requirements.