Since the beginning of the restrictions related to direct contacts (because of COVID-19), the Statistics Poland has been conducting changes in the organization of work to protect the health of employees and respondents. We informed public about changes on:
- the website,
- on the reporting portal,
- in social media,
- in e-mails to the media
- during interviews carrying out (via telephone)
- on the letter of President Of Statistics Poland which we sent to respondents of pilot census (we had pilot census in April).
At the same time, we ensured that information about changes is communicated on an ongoing basis within the organization - for this purpose we use Intranet and internal mailing.
In addition to informing about the remote method of survey implementation (we cancelled direct interviews), we have extended the deadline for submitting certain reports by business entities. The deadlines have been extended so as not to disturb the implementation of the surveys and the development of results.
We constantly inform external data users and the public about all changes.
Employees carrying out surveys are supported by Programming and Coordination of Statistical Surveys and Education and Communication Department (we inform them about the core of information that should convey to respondents during interviews). E.g. it was information on how to conduct conversations, information on the sources of contact data used by public statistics for the implementation of surveys (mainly phone numbers) and how to respond to difficult questions from respondents.
Statistics Poland regularly supports public administration and other ministries in information policy. For the needs of other ministries, we urgently answer questions about data, and if necessary, we prepare detailed calculations for them needs. The information mainly concerns the labor market, demography and the activities of business entities. We also respond to media demand without undue delay.
We are also actively involved in inter-ministerial work on analytical tools that helps public administration and entrepreneurs in making strategic decisions in the current situation and give the opportunity to analyze the economic situation of the country. In reference to this, we have started cooperation with the Government Center for Security and also with the Ministry of Development ( which started work together with McKinsey on the development of an analytical dashboard). Earlier, we started its own work on an economic dashboard, which in a synthetic way will present dynamic information on data visualizations and data on people infected with COVID, who died because of it and who are in quarantine. We are currently finishing work in this area - the launch of the dashboard is planned for the end of May.
Additionally we started work on the special website where we will share all data sets about Covid influence on polish economy. We planned to share this website from May 22.
At the same time, Statistics Poland care about the quality of the data presented and how other institutions present statistical data, we monitor activity in social media, we respond to comments on an ongoing basis and clarify issues incomprehensible to the media or public opinion.
The new situation we have to face is also the time to reorganize the research, which, due to the information needs of society, requires more frequent publication or supplementation of information on COVID issues. (e.g. as regards the causes of death, in the first month of the epidemic we implemented WHO recommendations to add an additional code / COVID marking for the cause of death).
Statistics Poland also quickly made decisions to introduce additional questions to some surveys related to the impact of COVID on some branches of the economy. We received first results in this regard from the Business tendency in manufacturing, construction, trade and services survey (we published first data, about business tendency in March, on April 22). We continue this survey with additional questions about influence of COVID.
We have also included additional questions related to COVID in company surveys (including employment). In addition, in current Statistic`s Poland signal information we published additional information on the number of entities according to National Official Business Register - REGON, from which analysts can already read the decline in newly registered business entities.
Please see our information with additional questions about COVID:
- Business tendency in manufacturing, construction, trade and services 2000-2020 (April 2020). With in-depth presentation of results in accommodation and food service activities:
- Consumer tendency - April 2020:
- Border traffic at the external border of the European Union in the 1st quarter of 2020:
- Tourism in Poland in the face of COVID-19 pandemic: