Abstract
A positive aspect of Statistics Finlands position and its relationship with the government is the role the agency has as the co-ordinator of official statistics. Total centralisation may not be the status to strive for, but a statistical office should maintain a co-ordinating role.
A further positive aspect is that administrative data can be used in the compilation of statistics. This ensures that the response burden is kept within reasonable limits. Co-operation with the re-spondents improves the quality of statistics and keeps response rates high.
It is equally important for a statistical office to maintain continuous contacts with central and local governments, industrial organisations and the media. This increases the knowledge and consciousness of statistics which, in turn, influence response willingness. A system for providing feedback on statistics is an essential element in the creation of good co-operation.
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