ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT

ORGANISATION DE COOPÉRATION ET DE DEVELOPMENT ÉCONOMIQUES

OECD OCDE

Workshop on improving statistics on SME’s and Entrepreneurship

OECD, 17-19 September 3003

Andreas Lindner

OECD OCDE1

In search of better SME statistics and relevant indicators for SME Policy-Makers: Towards

harmonized concepts and methodologies

STATISTICS DIRECTORATETRADE & STRUCTURAL ECONOMIC STATISTICS SECTION

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Background

• Because of its relevance across themes, “Statistics on SMEs “ is one of the two cross-cutting themes of the Bologna Process

• Clarification and harmonisation of conceptual and measurement issues are a prerequisite for accurate and comparable data on international level

• An international initiative aiming at fostering comparability and assessing better ways ways has to start at probing into national practices and compare these to other countries and country groups.

• Through these comparisons, some benefits can be expected for national authorities (exchange of approaches, know-how and solutions to problems)

• Therefore, OECD decided to invite countries and other stakeholders to share experiences and views on statistical questions relating to SMEs

• This Workshop is the forum for such an exchange• The expected key output is the elaboration of proposals and

recommendations for endorsement by Ministers at the Istanbul Conference

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Taking stockof existing SME statistics

• Which statistical strategies do countries pursue? => the Strategy Questionnaire

• A first stocktaking of data availability and inventory of definitions and framework for a more exhaustive inquiry

• Taking stock of SME data and methodologies in the EU

• SME statistics in the Observatory of European SMEs

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What needs from a user perspective?

• Canadian requirements for SME financing data

• What are the needs from a Non-European (APEC) perspective? Looking at data demand and supply and possible priorities for better meeting needs

• Legal aspects and the necessity to have also qualitative criteria in addition to quantitative variables

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Data providers: towards new approaches

• An analysis of Korean SME characteristics and proposed developments for data linking

• Some statistical issues arising from the use of different Statistical Units in Business Registers

• Canada’s experience with SME statistics, recent initiatives and need for future statistical research

• The Australian SME experience and the need to use administrative data

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Possible ways forward

• Identifying possible avenues for action and further research

• Can we condense already “fundamental” requirements from a “system” perspective?

• Which key messages can be listed already for the conclusion session of this Friday?

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Enterprise demography

• Business Demography Statistics – first results in the EU and Norway to SME data collection and need for further work

• The US experience on alternative measures of business entry and exit

• Differences in entry and exit in OECD countries – findings, impact of methodological differences and the need to link policy variables to new firm survival and growth

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The role of gender in Entrepreneurship:

• Statistics on women entrepreneurship in OECD countries

• The status of women and men’s entrepreneurship in the UNECE region

• Statistical issues and policy concerning women entrepreneurships and women-owned business in Korea

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Statistics on factors of success and entrepreneurship

• Enterprise survival and its determining factors and statistics about firm creations – the French experience

• Statistics on start-ups in Sweden• How can factors of business success

be statistically measured ? Ongoing and planned work in the EU

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The role of data linking and longitudinal analysis:

• The recent experience in the UK about data linking

• Panel discussion on experiences in other statistical offices

• Which lessons have we learnt today? Possible recommendations for follow-up and future statistical research

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Special session on Members and Non-Members

• An international comparison of SME Statistics in the CEECs

• SME statistics in Chinese Taipei – an overview and some suggestions for improvements in the future

• SME Characteristics and statistical needs in the Philippines

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Roundtable discussion and conclusions of the Workshop• Exchange of views amongst

participants on key issues requiring particular attention on– Statistical issues– Statistical strategies– Statistical methodologies

• Final conclusions of the workshop to be carried forward

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Thank you for your attention!