Model Quality Report in Business Statistics
Mats Bergdahl, Ole Black, Russell Bowater,
Ray Chambers, Pam Davies, David Draper, Eva Elvers,
Susan Full, David Holmes, Pär Lundqvist,
Sixten Lundström, Lennart Nordberg, John Perry,
Mark Pont, Mike Prestwood, Ian Richardson,
Chris Skinner, Paul Smith, Ceri Underwood, Mark Williams
General Editors: Pam Davies, Paul Smith
Volume II
Comparison of Variance Estimation Software and
Methods
Preface
The Model Quality Report in Business Statistics project was set up to develop a detailed
description of the methods for assessing the quality of surveys, with particular application in
the context of business surveys, and then to apply these methods in some example surveys to
evaluate their quality. The work was specified and initiated by Eurostat following on from the
Working Group on Quality of Business Statsitics. It was funded by Eurostat under SUP-COM
1997, lot 6, and has been undertaken by a consortium of the UK Office for National
Statistics, Statistics Sweden, the University of Southampton and the University of Bath, with
the Office for National Statistics managing the contract.
The report is divided into four volumes, of which this is the second. This volume deals with
the software available for variance estimation in sample surveys, comparing a range of
packages and methods, and evaluating some of their properties through a simulation study
using a known population
Other volumes of the report contain:
• a review and development of the theory and methods for assessing quality in business
surveys (volume I);
• example assessments of quality for an annual and a monthly business survey from
Sweden and the UK (volume III);
• guidelines for and experiences of implementing the methods (volume IV).
An outline of the chapters in the report is given on the following pages.
Acknowledgements
Apart from the authors, several other people have made large contributions without which
this report would not have reached its current form. In particular we would like to mention
Tim Jones, A