Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic

Cross-sectional Statistics Department

Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic

Lamačská cesta 3/C

840 05 Bratislava 

Slovakia

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.

Public administrations.

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.

R&D funds in the state budget are allocated to:

-       Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic;

-       Other ministries and central bodies;

-       Slovak Academy of Sciences.

The Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic provides R&D institutional funds to HES institutions and project funds to R&D performers in all sectors through the following agencies:  

-       Agency for the Support of Research and Development (budgetary organisation of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic);

-       Research Agency;

-       Scientific Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sports Slovak Republic and the Slovak Academy of Sciences (VEGA);

-       Cultural and Educational Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sports of the Slovak Republic (KEGA).

Other ministries and central bodies and the Slovak Academy of Sciences provide R&D funds to R&D performers under their administration.

By the GBARD survey, ministries and other central bodies are addressed (not the listed agencies), that ensure to avoid double counting.

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 the calendar year 2021.

b) Fiscal year:

    Start month:

    End month:

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.

 - Act. No. 540/2001 Coll. on State Statistics as amended - adopted by the National Council of the Slovak Republic.

- Agreement between Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic and the Ministry of Education, Science, Development and Sport of the Slovak Republic. According to this agreement the ministry collects and establishes GBARD data and provides them to the statistical office.

-          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:

          - Act No. 540/2001 on State Statisticsas amended

          - Internal regulation of the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic on the protection of confidential statistical data. 

b)       Confidentiality commitments of survey staff:

          The GBARD survey is carried out by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic. Methods ensuring confidentiality of survey data are used and confidentiality commitment of the survey staff is ensured. GBARD data are not disseminated at   

           national level.

Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic obtains aggregated data from the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the SR. The ministry ensures protection of confidential data. GBARD data are not disseminated at national level.

GBARD data are not published at national level. Therefore, release policy and release calendar for GBARD data set does not exist.

Not relevant.

Not relevant.

GBARD data are not disseminated at national level.

See below.

1) Y - Yes, N – No

See below.

1) Y – Yes, N - No 

GBARD data are available in on-line data base of Eurostat.

Not requested.

See below.

See below.

Not requested.

1) Y – Yes, N - No 

National metadata file does not exist, as GBARD data are not disseminated at national level. Methodology on GBARD statistics is provided to Eurostat in this metadata file.

Not requested.

See below.

Statistical Office of the SR has established the system of quality management. Quality manual contains description of system of quality management and fulfillment of requirements of standard ISO 9001.

The application of the Quality manual in practice ensures that all activities with impact on the quality of statistical products are planned, managed, examined, evaluated and meet the requirements accepted in the customer order. Quality manual is available at: 

https://slovak.statistics.sk/wps/wcm/connect/b28fd6cb-76cf-4477-9a97-d9789b1fa429/Prirucka_kvality_2021.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=nTynTCM&CVID=nTynTCM

The basis of the whole system of quality management is the European Statistics Code of Practice.

GBARD data compiler, the Ministry of Education Science, Research and Sport of the SR is part of other national authorities responsible for the development, production and dissemination of European statistics. Its production of statistics is in line with the Quality manual.

GBARD statistics are in line with the Frascati Manual methodology and the Eurostat´s Methodological guidelines of the FM2015 implmentation. GBARD data are compiled at chapter level of the NABS classification that breakdown is stated by the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197. Data are compiled and transmitted to Eurostat from the provisional budget and also from the final budget in the stated deadline.

In the GBARD compilation process quality guidelines and compliance monitoring is used. 

Main streghts of the GBARD statistics:

- The GBARD survey has full coverage of funding entities and the response rate is equal to 100%.

- Matching information from different sources of data, direct survey, state budget, comparison with data from R&D survey.

- Regular negotiations are conducted between the NSI and data compiler, the Ministry of Education, Science, research and sport of the SR (MESRS SR) to improve the quality of data.

- Last improvements were made in 2018, when a written guideline was provided to ministry according to Eurostat´s guidelines for implementation of FM2015 and the agreement between the NSI and MESRS SR regarding GBARD data was amended. 

Weakness:

GBARD statistics at subchapter level of the NABS classification, i.e. the optional recommendation of the Commission Regulation is available for NABS12 and NABS13 only.

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 % for mandatory data.

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:

           Institutions mentioned in the FM2015 are fully covered.

b)      Measures taken to reduce their effect:

Institutions funding R&D from the state budget are covered, they all belong to the target population.  GBARD data are not collected from units not included in the FM2015 definition.

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:

           Data were checked during the collection and recording procedure and corrected. All required units provided the GBARD data.

           Number of units addressed by the GBARD questionnaire is small (16), there is no specific software for data collection and editing. Analysis of the editing phase is not available.

b)      Measures taken to reduce their effect:

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:

    Problems in obtaining data from targeted information providers usually does not occur.

b) Measures taken to reduce their effect:

    Non-response error does not exist. Number of data provider is small, they all may be connected.

c) Effect of non-response errors on the produced statistics:

    Non-response error does not exist.

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:

           Processing and editing errors are corrected immediately after their emergence.

b)      Description of errors:

           E.g. computing errors when aggregations are calculated.

c)       Measures taken to reduce their effect:

          More attention to calculation.

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: T+6 

Date of first release of national data: T+12

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)

No delay.

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.

Until 2001, GBARD covered S&T activities, while GERD covered only R&D activities and did not cover institutions under Ministry of Defence of the SR.

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’)

Final GBARD data are not revised after T+12. The national R&D survey has annual periodicity, R&D data are available for comparison when GBARD data are compiled.

Not requested.

Not requested.

R&D funds from the state budget are allocated to:

-       Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic;

-       Other ministries and central bodies;

-       Slovak Academy of Sciences.

The Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic provides R&D institutional funds to HES institutions and project funds to R&D performers in all sectors through the following agencies:  

-       Agency for the Support of Research and Development (budgetary organisation of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic);

-       Research Agency;

-       Scientific Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sports Slovak Republic and the Slovak Academy of Sciences (VEGA);

-       Cultural and Educational Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sports of the Slovak Republic (KEGA).

Other ministries and central bodies and the Slovak Academy of Sciences provide R&D funds to R&D performers under their administration.

By the GBARD questionnaire, the ministries and other central bodies are addressed only, not the listed agencies, that ensure to avoide a double reporting of funds.

a)       Provisional data:

          Direct survey + budget analysis.

b)      Final data:

          Direct survey + budget analysis.

c)       General University Funds (GUF):

GUF consists of funds for R&D activities received by/transferred to higher education institutions from the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the SR (MESRS SR) that is formally responsible for education policy and related funding in the country, i.e. they are funds from the state budget and include only R&D funding in terms of FM 2015. 

GUF funding institutions are the following:

1)    Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic;

2)    Scientific Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sports Slovak Republic and the Slovak Academy of Sciences (VEGA) - it is an internal grant system, which provides for a mutually coordinated procedure for the selection and evaluation of basic research projects solved by higher education institutions and scientific institutes of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS). It proposes the ministry and the SAS the amount of subsidy to be provided for the solution of selected new and ongoing scientific projects from institutional funds.

3)    Cultural and Educational Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sports of the Slovak Republic (KEGA) - it is an internal grant system focused on the financial support of applied research projects in the field of education, pedagogy and creative and interpretative art solved by researchers from public universities.

Funding listed above under point 1 from the MESRS SR is “institutional funding” and subsidies provided by agencies VEGA a KEGA (points 2 and 3) are “project funding” but all three are provided to higher education institutions as transfers, so they are included in the GUF.

The wording of GUF is not used in either the ministry or the higher education institutions. They are using the term „subsidies to public higher education institutions from the state budget“.  The GUF is part of these funds devoted to R&D. 

The MESRS SR prepares annually for R&D subsidies to the public HES institutions the breakdown of subsidies from the state budget based on the provisions of Act no. 131/2002 Coll. on Higher Education Institutions and on its Amendments and on the stated methodology for allocation. From this document, the list of HES institutions that are allowed to receive GUF funds is also available.

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.

GBARD survey.

- Confronting budget data with the GBARD survey, communication with budget entities.

- Comparison of GBARD statistics and R&D statistics, meetings of both statistics producers are organised to discuss possible inconsistencies. 

See below.

No imputed data.

See below.

Not requested.

Not requested.