B. Focusing on an integrated approach
12.4. Part III pays a special attention to the promotion of an integrated approach to compilation. As described in part II, there are several groups of data sources that can be used in the compilation process. This raises the issue of how to properly integrate data from various sources. Chapter 13 provides guidance on that topic by discussing issues and good practices in the consolidation and merging of data, and exploring the possibilities of compilation using data generated in other statistical domains. It also proposes a number of different approaches, taking into account the suitability for economies and considering differences in compilation systems.
12.5. Chapter 14 proposes to integrate data sources for compiling resident/non-resident trade in services statistics. For example, for travel, linking with tourism statistics is proposed to develop coherent sets of data. Such integration focuses on the breakdown by purpose of travel and type of product consumed for compiling the supplementary item “tourism-related services” in travel and passenger transport. In the case of data for modes of supply, such an approach would enable compilers to arrive at more detailed estimates of the mode 2 supply of services, in particular, travel by type of product consumed and linking to tourism statistics (i.e., tourism-related consumption/expenditure as suggested in the international transactions reporting system (ITRS) 2008 and the Manual on Statistics of International Trade in Services 2010 (MSITS 2010), chapter 14, section C), and using customs data or merchant category codes from credit card data. The scope of different statistical domains must be taken into account when integrating data from different sources.
12.6. Chapter 15, while focusing mainly on compilation issues related to FATS, also gives a special attention to the possibility of using or reusing existing data by linking with microlevel information, for example, through business registers (with a common identifier) for the compilation of FATS. Consideration should also be given to using data from structural business statistics (SBS) to further develop international services data by mode of supply for modes 1 and 4, as well as to combine SBS information with FATS to gather more insight into mode 3.
Next: C. Phased implementation of the recommendations on data compilation