Abstract

Tensions in Accessing Business Data for Official Statistics: Lessons from the Netherlands
Sofie de Wilde de Ligny, Iryna Susha

Official statistics aim to provide high-quality information and are understood to be essential for effective and informed decision-making for tackling societal challenges (European Commission 2022). Accordingly, official statistics play a pivotal role in Data-Driven Decision-Making (DDDM) as an evidence-based approach to policymaking. However, the data needed for DDDM is in fact no longer solely in the domain of the public sector, but increasingly in the hands of businesses. As such, the increasing demand and the availability of privately held data prompted the debate and practice of business-to-government data sharing for official statistics (B2G4S) in the past years (European Statistical System 2021).

The EU is exploring possible mechanisms to further institutionalize B2G4S and strengthen national statistical offices (NSO) and their “data agency” vis-à-vis the private sector. Successful B2G initiatives often highlight the value of partnerships, search for mutual gains, and mutual benefits, and the recognition of differing interests between public and private actors (e.g. Klievink et al. 2018; Susha et al. 2019). In contrast to that, recent research has introduced a more critical perspective by highlighting the power dynamics between governments and businesses regarding data access (Micheli 2022; Mercille 2021). Although valuable, this research remains largely conceptual and exploratory, underscoring the need for more in-depth theoretical and empirical examination of these tensions regarding B2G4S.

Accordingly, this study addresses this gap by investigating the tensions surrounding NSO access to business data specifically for the purpose of creating official statistics. Hence, this study seeks to answer the main question: How can we explain the tensions between NSOs and businesses regarding B2G data sharing for societal challenges? In order to collect an empirical and in-depth understanding of the tensions, the methodological approach of this study includes the analysis of various use cases of B2G4S, collected at Statistics Netherlands (CBS). The data collection includes in-depth interviews with representatives from CBS and a private sector company providing the data, besides regulatory frameworks and other company information. As such, this empirical study aims to offer a crucial perspective on understanding the tensions in B2G4S, the role and value of business data in the production of official statistics, and its implications for government decision-making on societal challenges.