What factors influence the perception of administrative work?

When it comes to developing recommendations for action for limiting administrative work, knowledge about both the perception of work and the actual work is important. This topic was investigated using the example of the Programme for the Promotion of Grassland-Based Milk and Meat Production (GMMP). A survey of 892 farmers revealed that the perception of administrative work does not correlate with the actual work. On the other hand, complaints regarding checks of the Proof of Ecological Performance (PEP) certificate lead to farmers giving higher estimates for their administrative work. Furthermore, farmers who find the new reforms over the course of the complete AP 14–17 package difficult to understand perceive their additional administrative work as significantly higher. Thus, in order to reduce perceived administrative work, not only should data acquisition be simplified, but the understanding and transparency of agricultural policy should also be improved.