Bulletin of Public Information

Statistical survey program of official statistics

1. Statistical survey program of official statistics (PBSSP) is a specification that establishes topical, objective and subjective scope of statistical survey and responsibilities connected therewith. PBSSP is the fundamental reference document for getting information on a certain survey.
2. Statistical survey program of official statistics is annually determined by the Council of Ministers, in way of a Regulation.
3. Statistical Council determines the project of PBSSP for each consecutive year upon a proposal prepared by the President of CSO.
4. Statistical Council presents the project of PBSSP to the Council of Ministers not later than by June 30^th of each year.
5. The Regulation setting PBSSP determines for each survey:

1. Topic and the body conducting survey
   • Statistical survey of official statistics may refer to any area of social and economical life and phenomena occurring in it, which can be observed and analysed with statistical methods.
   • President of CSO is the agency that conducts statistical survey of official statistics.
   • The Council of Ministers may determine in PBSSP that statistical survey will be conducted by another indicated head or central agency of state administration or by the National Bank of Poland. This occurs when survey requires special knowledge that this body either has ready, or is in possession of data gathered for a different purpose.
   • The Council of Ministers may also assume that a statistical survey will be conducted by the President of CSO together with another, indicated head or central agency of state administration, other government institution, National Bank of Poland or Voivodship Governor (wojewoda).
   • The Council of Ministers may also decide that survey will be conducted by an indicated statistical office together with voivodship governor or a body of local authorities, at its motion.
2. Type of survey
   • Statistical survey of official statistics may be conducted as a complete survey of entire community, including population and housing censuses, or as a sample survey on a randomly or purposively selected sample from a given community.
3. Subjective and objective scope
   • PBSSP indicates in detail the scope of collected data and indicates subjects obliged to their transfer, among other, by types of legal and organisational form or type of activities performed.
4. Sources of statistical data
   • Official statistics is authorised to collect statistical data from all available sources (CSO reports, reports from other departments, administration information systems, expert opinions, studies, its own estimates).
   • This principle is limited with regard to data protected on ground of Laws on professional secrecy, e.g. medical or attorney-client privilege.
5. Subjects obliged to provide information and transfer statistical data or voluntarily participating in survey (subjects of national economy and individuals who do not run business activities)
   • Statistical survey may be conducted on grounds of obligatory or voluntary participation.
   • If the survey has been defined as obligatory, subjects are obliged to provide and transfer to interviewer complete and exhausting information in predefined scope, form and date.
   • In surveys conducted with participation of individuals it is forbidden, as an obligatory principle, to collect information on race, religion, personal life, philosophical and political views.
   • PBSSP defines each time the scope and form of collection of personal data necessary for a given survey (in case of population and housing censuses - a distinct Law).
   • Services of official statistics are authorised to collect for statistical purposes the following data on natural persons: name and last name, gender, date and place of birth, citizenship, marital status, date of conclusion and establishment of marriage, residential address, date of death, ID number in the system of population evidence.
   • Other data that can be identified with certain individual can be collected only when the Program indicated, as a source of statistical data, a document including personal data, which upon transfer for statistical purposes cannot be easily separated or when such identification is necessary for generalisation of statistical survey results.
6. Form of data transfer
   • Statistical data is transferred on reporting forms, questionnaires and interviewing forms or in another form.
   • Prime Minister defines, by means of a Regulation:
     1. Specimens of reporting forms and instructions for filling them out
     2. Specimens of questionnaires and interviewing forms used in statistical surveys determined by statistical survey program of official statistics.
   • Statistical reports, quoted in the Program, are transferred in written or electronic form.
7. Frequency and date of data transfer
   • Statistical surveys can be conducted as one-time, permanent or periodical surveys.
   • The Council of Ministers ensures inclusion into PBSSP surveys that have fundamental significance for observation of social and economic processes, in particular:
     • permanent surveys enabling permanent observation of major sectors of life and phenomena occurring in it,
     • periodical surveys, including population and housing censuses,
     • surveys that guarantee comparability of results in case when they refer to objects of statistical observation that are variable in time or when methodology of survey changes,
     • surveys necessary for realisation of international commitments accepted by Republic of Poland.
8. Place of statistical data transfer (e.g. CSO, statistical office in voivodshaft, where the obliged subject is seated, statistical interviewer)
9. Types of final statistical information and forms and dates of dissemination of final statistical information
   • Institution conducting survey is obliged to publish, make available and disseminate final statistical information.
   • Final statistical information are:
     • Published in CSO and publications of statistical offices
     • In publications of other agencies performing statistical survey of official statistics (upon prior approval of the President of CSO),
     • Published in Official Journal of Polish Republic "Monitor Polski" (particularly basic measures and indicators),
     • Announced in mass media,
     • Accessible in way and forms defined by the Regulation of the Prime Minister dated September 10^th, 1999 on way and forms of announcement, availability and dissemination of final statistical information.
10. Costs and ways of financing
    • Statistical surveys of official statistics are financed from state budget funds, included in part regarding the Central Statistical Office, up to the amount annually determined in PBSSP.
    • In case when PBSSP decides that another body of state administration shall conduct a survey, funds for its execution shall be included accordingly in the part that refers to that body.
    • In extraordinary cases statistical survey included in the Program may be financed from non-budgetary sources, declared by institution conducting the survey.