National Statistical Institute

Labour Statistics, Research and Development, Innovation and Information Society Department

2 Panayot Volov Street, Sofia 1038, Bulgaria

Statistics on Government Budget Allocations for R&D (GBARD) measure government support to research and development (R&D) activities, and thereby provide information about the priority governments give to different public R&D funding activities. This type of funder-based approach for reporting R&D involves identifying all the budget items that may support R&D activities and measuring or estimating their R&D content.

Main concepts and definitions used for the production of R&D statistics are given by the OECD (2015), Frascati Manual 2015: Guidelines for Collecting and Reporting Data on Research and Experimental Development, The Measurement of Scientific, Technological and Innovation Activities (FM 2015, Chapter 12), which is the internationally recognised standard methodology for collecting R&D statistics and by Eurostat’s European Business Statistics Methodological Manual on R&D Statistics (EBS Methodological Manual on R&D Statistics).

Since the beginning of 2021, the collection of R&D statistics is based on Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 2020/1197 of 30 July 2020.

The Regulation sets the framework for the collection of R&D statistics and specifies the main variables of interest and their breakdowns at predefined level of detail (Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197 of 30 July 2020 laying down technical specifications and arrangements pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European business statistics repealing 10 legal acts in the field of business statistics (europa.eu)).

Statistics on science, technology and innovation were collected until the end of 2020 based on Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 2012/995 concerning the production and development of Community statistics on science and technology.

Distribution by socioeconomic objectives (SEO) is based on the Nomenclature for the Analysis and Comparisons of Scientific Programmes and Budgets (NABS) at one digit level.

See below.

GBARD statistics are assumed to report detailed data on all the government's budget items that may support R&D activities and to measure or estimate their R&D content. For the purposes of GBARD, the Government sector comprises (a) the central (federal) government, (b) regional (state) government and (c) local (municipal) government subsectors (FM2015, Chapter 12).

Not requested.

Relevant government units within the scope of GBARD - ministries and other government units funding R&D. 

See below.

The target population is the population for which inferences are made. The frame (or frames, as sometimes several frames are used) is a device that permits access to population units. The frame population is the set of population units, which can be accessed through the frame and the survey data really refer to this population.

Not requested.

Not requested. See point 5.

Not requested. The base year for the unit Purchasing Power Standard (PPS) and PPS per inhabitant at constant prices is currently 2005. All calculations of non-basic unit (national currencies) are done by Eurostat.

Not requested.

a) Calendar year: Reference period is calendar year 2021. There is not difference between calendar year and fiscal year.

b) Fiscal year:

    Start month: January.

    End month: December.

See below.

Since the beginning of 2021, GBARD statistics are based on Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 2020/1197 of 30 July 2020 laying down technical specifications and arrangements pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European business statistics repealing 10 legal acts in the field of business statistics. The Regulation sets the framework for the collection of R&D statistics and specifies the main variables of interest and their breakdowns at predefined level of detail.  GBARD statistics were based until the end of 2020 on the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 2012/995 concerning the production and development of Community statistics on science and technology.

There is not GBARD specific statistical legislation. The production of national GBARD statistics is governed by the Statistics Act and National Statistical Programme, available at the following link: Legal Basis | National statistical institute (nsi.bg)

-          Frascati Manual 2015, Guidelines for Collecting and Reporting Data on Research and Experimental Development

-          EBS Methodological Manual on R&D Statistics

Not requested.

Confidentiality, being one of the process quality components, concerns the privacy of data providers (households, enterprises, administrations and other respondents), the confidentiality of the information they provide and the extent of its use for statistical purposes.

A property of data indicating the extent to which their unauthorised disclosure could be prejudicial or harmful to the interest of the source or other relevant parties.

a)       Confidentiality protection required by law: The national Statistics Act (Chapter 6 “Protection of secrecy”) guarantees the protection of statistical confidentiality and the use of individual data for statistical purposes only.

b)       Confidentiality commitments of survey staff: Confidentiality commitments of survey staff are specified in the national Statistics Act, Article 27.

The two criteria (national confidentiality rules) applied for defining cells with direct disclosure risk (primary confidentiality), according to which certain data cannot be made public or released, are specified in Article 25 of the national Statistics Act: ‘statistical information, which aggregates data about less than three statistical units or about a population, in which the relative share of the value of a surveyed parameter of a single unit exceeds 85 per cent of the total volume of such parameter for all units in the population’. Secondary confidentiality treatment is carried out in way making it impossible to recalculate confidential data by subtraction from row and column aggregates.

GBARD data are published in accordance with the deadline specified in the Release Calendar presenting the results of the statistical surveys carried out by the NSI, which is publicly accessible on the NSI website.

The Release Calendar presenting the results of the statistical surveys carried out by the NSI of Bulgaria is available at the following link: Release Calendar | National statistical institute (nsi.bg)

The release policy of the NSI determines the dissemination of statistical data on GBARD to all users at the same time - standard tables for free access. 

GBARD data are disseminated annually.

See below.

1) Y - Yes, N – No

See below.

1) Y – Yes, N - No 

GBARD data set is available in online database - Information System for online requests for statistical information  (INFOSTAT) - at the following link: https://infostat.nsi.bg/infostat/pages/module.jsf?x_2=89

Not requested.

See below.

See below.

Not requested.

1) Y – Yes, N - No 

National reference metadata file is available on NSI website. Government budget allocations for R&D (GBARD) | National statistical institute (nsi.bg)

Not requested.

See below.

NSI of Bulgaria follows the recommendations on organization and quality management provided in the European Statistics Code of Practice (CoP) and implements the guidelines given in the European Statistical System Quality Assurance Framework (QAF). As part of the European Statistical System (ESS), NSI of Bulgaria endorses the Quality Declaration of the ESS.

Quality management system established in NSI (respectively of R&D statistics domain) is in conformity with the requirements of ISO 9001:2015.    

More information on the quality assurance and procedures that describe the quality policy in NSI of Bulgaria can be found on the NSI website at the following link: Quality | National statistical institute (nsi.bg)

The overall assessment of the GBARD statistical outputs is good - data availability and accuracy rate is 100%; timeliness and punctuality is fully in line with these legally required  by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197; coherence between preliminary and final GBARD data is excellent as both data series are obtained from one and the same survey source.

See below.

1)       Users' class codification

1- Institutions:
• European level: Commission (DGs, Secretariat General), Council, European Parliament, ECB, other European agencies etc.
• in Member States, at the national or regional level: Ministries of Economy or Finance, other ministries (for sectoral comparisons), National Statistical Institutes and other statistical agencies (norms, training, etc.), and
• International organisations: OECD, UN, IMF, ILO, etc.

2- Social actors: Employers’ associations, trade unions, lobbies, among others, at the European, national or regional level.

3- Media: International or regional media – specialized or for the general public – interested both in figures and analyses or comments. The media are the main channels of statistics to the general public.

4- Researchers and students (Researchers and students need statistics, analyses, ad hoc services, access to specific data.)

5- Enterprises or businesses (Either for their own market analysis, their marketing strategy (large enterprises) or because they offer consultancy services)

6- Other (User class defined for national purposes, different from the previous classes.)

To evaluate if users' needs have been satisfied, the best way is to use user satisfaction surveys.

See below.

100%.

Completeness is assessed via comparison of the data delivered against the requirements of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 2020/1197.

1)  Criteria: Obligatory data (provisional budget and final budget). Only 'Very Good' = 100% and 'Very Poor' <100% apply.

2)  Criteria: Optional data (final budget). 'Very Good' = 100%; 'Good' = >75%;'Satisfactory' 50 to 75%%; 'Poor' 25 to 50%; 'Very Poor' 0 to 25%.

See below.

1) Availability of the data: N: No, data are not available, Y: Yes, data are available + start year.

2) Time of compilation: T is assumed to represent the end of reference period, x expresses the number of months after (positive) or before (negative) T when data is compiled

1) Availability of the data: N: No, data are not available, Y: Yes, data are available + start year.

2) Time of compilation: T is assumed to represent the end of reference period, x expresses the number of months after (positive) or before (negative) T when data is compiled

1) Stage: P - provisional, F - final. 

2) Availability of the data: No, data are not available, Y: Yes, data are available + start year.

3) Time of compilation: T is assumed to represent the end of reference period, x expresses the number of months after (positive) or before (negative) T when data is compiled

Accuracy in the statistical sense denotes the closeness of computations or estimates to the exact or true values. Statistics are not equal with the true values because of variability (the statistics change from implementation to implementation of the survey due to random effects) and bias (the average of the possible values of the statistics from implementation to implementation is not equal to the true value due to systematic effects).

Several types of statistical errors occur during the survey process. The following typology of errors has been adopted:

1. Sampling errors. These only affect sample surveys. They are due to the fact that only a subset of the population, usually randomly selected, is enumerated.

2. Non-sampling errors. Non-sampling errors affect sample surveys and complete enumerations alike and comprise:

a) Coverage errors,

b) Measurement errors,

c) Non response errors and

d) Processing errors.

Model assumption errors should be treated under the heading of the respective error they are trying to reduce.

1)  Ranking of the type(s) of errors that result in over/under-estimation, from the most important source of error (1) to the least important source of error (5) In the event that errors of a particular type do not exist, is used the sign ‘-‘.

2)  The perceived direction of the ‘overall’ error using the signs “+” for over estimation, “-” for under estimation and “+/-” when assumption of the direction of the error cannot be made for GBARD.

1) High level of coverage (At least all national or federal ministries and the ministries and agencies responsible for R&D funding at state or regional level). High rate of response (>90%) in data collection. All figures broken down by NABS.  

2) If at least one out of the three criteria described above would not be fully met.

3) In the event that the rate of response would be lower than 80% even by meeting the two remaining criteria.

4) In the event that the average rate of response would be lower than 70% and at least one of the two remaining criteria would not be met.

5) If all the three criteria described above are not met.

Not requested.

Not requested.

Non-sampling errors occur in all phases of a survey. They add to the sampling errors (if present) and contribute to decreasing overall accuracy. It is important to assess their relative weight in the total error and devote appropriate resources for their control and assessment.

Coverage errors are due to divergences between the target population and the frame population. The frame population is the set of target population members that has a chance to be selected into the survey sample. It is a listing of all items in the population from which the sample is drawn that contains contact details as well as sufficient information to perform stratification and sampling.

a)      Description/assessment of coverage errors: There are not coverage errors - no divergences between the target population and the population actually surveyed.

b)      Measures taken to reduce their effect: No need of such measures.

GBARD data are not collected from units that do not belong to the target population.

Not requested.

Measurement errors occur during data collection and generate bias by recording values different than the true ones. The survey questionnaire used for data collection may have led to the recording of wrong values.

a)      Description/assessment of measurement errors: There are not indications that such type of errors exist in GBARD survey.

b)      Measures taken to reduce their effect: In order respondents correctly to understand and apply GBARD concepts, the questionnaire is attended with explanatory notes fully in line with FM2015 recommendations. The NSI staff conducting the GBARD survey is experienced and well trained.

Non response errors: occur when a survey failed to collect data on all survey variables from all the population units designated for data collection in a sample or complete enumeration.

a) Problems in obtaining data from targeted information providers: There are not non-response errors. 100% response rate is achieved.

b) Measures taken to reduce their effect: The targeted data providers that do not return the filled in GBARD questionnaires within the deadlines defined are shortly after that reminded by phone or by e-mail.

c) Effect of non-response errors on the produced statistics: None.

Not requested.

Not requested.

Between data collection and the beginning of statistical analysis, data must undergo a certain processing: coding, data entry, data editing, imputation, etc. Errors introduced at these stages are called processing errors. Data editing identifies inconsistencies or errors in the data.

a)       Data processing and editing processes: During data processing and editing processes several types of data edits are applied: validity edits, range edits, consistency edits, historical edits.

b)       Description of errors: Estimates for processing errors are not available, but they are considered negligible due to extensive arithmetic and logical checking control applied.

c)       Measures taken to reduce their effect: Processing errors are minimized by means of controls and data checking.

Model assumption errors occur when the assumptions made for the estimation of parameters, models, the testing of statistical hypotheses, etc., are violated. As a result, the quality of the resulting statistics is affected (e.g. degrees of confidence might be inflated).

Description/assessment: Not applicable.

Timeliness and punctuality refer to time and dates, but in a different manner: the timeliness of statistics reflects the length of time between their availability and the event or phenomenon they describe. Punctuality refers to the time lag between the release date of the data and the target date on which they should have been delivered, with reference to dates announced in the official release calendar.

Date of first release of national data: 30 June 2022.

Date of first release of national data: 30 June 2022.

Punctuality refers to the time lag between the release date of data and the target date on which they were scheduled for release as announced officially.

Punctuality of time schedule of data release = (Actual date of the data release) - (Scheduled date of the data release)

See below.

Not requested.

The following table lists a number of key survey concepts and conceptual issues; it gives reference to the Commission Regulation No 2020/1197, Frascati manual and the EBS Methodological Manual on R&D Statistics paragraphs with recommendations about these concepts / issues.

GBARD encompass all spending allocations met from sources of government revenue foreseen within the budget, such as taxation. Spending allocations by extra-budgetary government entities are within the scope only to the extent that their funds are allocated through the budgetary process (FM2015 §12.9). The following table lists a number of key methodological issues, which may affect the international comparability of national GBARD statistics.

See below.

See below.

1)       Breaks years are years for which data are not fully comparable to the previous period.

Existing variation between the two data series (GBARD and Government-financed GERD) are due to the reasons specified in FM §12.77.

Not requested.

Not requested.

This part compares GBARD statistics from the provisional and final budget for the reference year.

The assessment of costs associated with a statistical product is a rather complicated task since there must exist a mechanism for appointing portions of shared costs (for instance shared IT resources and dissemination channels) and overheads (office space, utility bills etc). The assessment must become detailed and clear enough so that international comparisons among agencies of different structures are feasible. 

1)       The shares of the figures given in the first column that are accounted for by payments to private firms or other Government agencies.

1)        T = the time required to provide the information, including time spent assembling information prior to completing a form or taking part in interview and the time taken up by any subsequent contacts after receipt of the questionnaire (‘Re-contact time’)

GBARD data are not revised.

Not requested.

Not requested.

a)      Provisional data: GBARD survey.

b)      Final data: GBARD survey.

c)      General University Funds (GUF): GBARD survey.

See 12.3.3.

See below.

1) Time of data collection (T+x): T is assumed to represent the end of reference period. x expresses the number of months after (positive) or before (negative) T when data is collected.

Direct data collection.

During data validation process several types of checks are carried out including valid values checks, consistency and completeness checks, comparisons with data from the previous GBARD surveys.

See below.

0%. Imputation is not performed.

See below.

Not requested.

Not requested.