8697.0 - Performing Arts, Australia, 2006-07 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 27/05/2008   
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QUALITY DECLARATION - SUMMARY

    Institutional Environment
    Relevance
    Timeliness
    Accuracy
    Coherence
    Interpretability
    Accessibility

    INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT

    The statistics presented in this publication were compiled from data collected from businesses/organisations involved in performing arts operation or performing arts venue operation, in respect of the 2006–07 financial year. The collections were conducted as part of the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) business collection program for the 2006–07 reference year. The data were collected under the authority of the Census and Statistics Act 1905.

    For information about the institutional environment of the ABS, including its legislative obligations, financing and governance arrangements, and mechanisms for scrutiny of ABS operations, please see ABS Institutional Environment.
    RELEVANCE

    The main purpose of these collections was to measure the size, structure and activity of performing arts operation and performing arts venue operation in Australia during the 2006–07 financial year. Statistics of particular interest include: number of paid performances and attendances; sources of income; items of expenditure; employment data and state/territory data. Also of interest are emerging funding sources and imports and exports such as overseas touring. Data from these collections are used by government arts agencies in making funding decisions, to track the level of funding from all levels of government and track the level of government funding relative to other sources of income.
    TIMELINESS

    Collection questionnaires were mailed to performing arts operation and performing arts venue operation businesses/organisations in mid-August 2007. The ABS aims to publish estimates from its business collection program within twelve months of the end of the reference period.
    ACCURACY

    The ABS aims to produce high quality data from its industry collections while minimising the reporting burden on businesses/organisations. To achieve this, extensive effort is put into collection and questionnaire design, collection procedures and processing. Estimates were produced using number raised estimation methodology with a sample of 786 performing arts operation businesses/organisations and 350 businesses/organisations mainly involved in operating performing arts venue operation.

    Every effort was made to minimise reporting error by careful design of questionnaires, intensive training of collection analysts and efficient data processing procedures. There was an 86% response rate from all businesses/organisations that were surveyed and found to be operating during the reference period. Data were imputed for the remaining 14% of operating businesses/organisations. Imputed responses contributed 3% to the estimate of total income. For the Performing Arts Venue Operation Census, there was a 92% response rate from all businesses/organisations that were surveyed and found to be operating during the reference period. Data were imputed for the remaining 8% of operating businesses/organisations. Imputed responses contributed 6% to the estimate of total income.
    COHERENCE

    The ABS has been conducting collections of performing arts businesses/organisations periodically since 1996–97. While the ABS seeks to maximise consistency and comparability over time by minimising changes to the collections, sound collection practice requires ongoing development to maintain the integrity of the data, their relevance to the changing needs of users and the efficiency of the collection. Additionally, the irregular frequency of the collections mitigates against designing them to produce reliable estimates of change over time.

    Changes made to the collections include changes in sampling methods, concepts, data item definitions, classifications and accounting standards. For a full list of changes made between the 2002–03 Music and Theatre Production Survey and the 2006–07 Performing Arts Operation Survey, and between the 1999–2000 Performing Arts Venue Census and the 2006–07 Performing Arts Venue Operation Census, refer to the Explanatory Notes in the publication Performing Arts, Australia (cat. no. 8697.0).
    INTERPRETABILITY

    The estimates from the Performing Arts Operation Survey and the Performing Arts Venue Operation Census are only available as original series and are not seasonally or trend adjusted. Although financial estimates in this publication relate to the full twelve months, employment estimates relate to the last pay period ending in June 2007, or the last pay period of the month specified. As such, estimates of values per person employed can be affected by any fluctuations in employment during the reference period. This is particularly relevant when assessing performing arts estimates owing to fluctuations in employment caused by the event-based nature of performing arts. Volunteers include only those persons volunteering during the month of June 2007.

    Further information on terminology and other technical aspects associated with statistics from the Performing Arts Collection can be found in the publication Performing Arts, Australia (cat. no. 8697.0), which contains detailed Explanatory Notes and Glossary.
    ACCESSIBILITY

    Data from the 2006–07 Performing Arts Operation Survey and the Performing Arts Venue Operation Census are available in a variety of formats. The formats available free of charge on the ABS website are:
    • main features which include key findings commentary
    • a .pdf version of the publication
    • a spreadsheet which contains all the tables presented in the .pdf version of the publication.
      If the information you require is not available as a standard product, inquiries can be made by contacting the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070 or Sophie Vassiliou on (03) 9615 7442.