The management of identification registers by statistical offices

Abstract

The growing use of electronic data processing in the maintenance of administrative registers opens up an important road to statistical data collection provided that the registered units are included in the registers with a unique registration number and are classified in accordance with official nomenclatures. Statistical offices certainly have an important role to play in the definitions of units to be registered and of the nomenclatures and codes to be used. But under which conditions should statistical offices undertake to manage interadministrative identification registers? This seems to be the case if the statistical office adds significant ‘statistical’ value to the definition and classification of the units concerned. Most typical illustrations of this situation can be found in the identification registers of enterprises and establishments. It should be noted that the keeping of interadministrative registers creates a heavy work load, as it is embedded in a legal and regulatory context which stipulates the meeting of fixed deadlines, reliability and confidentiality criteria, as well as the adaptation to specific management needs of privileged users.

INSEE of France has assembled relevant experience in this regard. INSEE keeps an identification register of enterprises and establishments (SIRENE), a register of individuals (RIP), and uses a localization register (RIVOLI) kept by the fiscal administration.