The new ESS Metadata and Quality Reporting Handbook Joint DIME / ITDG Plenary meeting 24 February 2015, Luxembourg The new ESS Metadata and Quality Reporting Handbook Zsuzsanna Kovács European Commission, DG Eurostat – D4. Government Finance Statistics – Risk and quality management

Content Introduction, context The ESS Handbook for Quality Reports (EHQR) – The original, 2009 edition The first update: 2014 edition The new ESS Metadata and Quality Reporting Handbook (EMQH) – Need for a more extensive Handbook Next steps First project outlines

Introduction, context Elaboration of the Single Integrated Metadata Structure (SIMS) and the 2014 edition of EHQR: outcomes of the work of the ESS Task Force (TF) on Quality Reporting Mandate: to streamline and rationalise quality reporting in the ESS, by taking forward the recommendations of the Sponsorship on Quality (SoQ) Sub-group of the WG on Quality, with the participation of EE,FI,FR,DE,IT,NL,SI,UK 3 physical meetings and electronic way of working With these results: recommendations of the Sponsorship on Quality are considered as implemented

EHQR – the original, 2009 edition Prepared by 2 external experts in contractual arrangements: Michael Colledge and Jörgen Dalén Main achivements of the Handbook Describes a detailed information on quality and structures it in line with the different quality criteria Provides a coherent reporting structure for all quality reports of the ESS Distinguishes 6 types of statistical processes and provides specific quality reporting guidelines to each of them Provides concrete examples and explanations, illustrations 4

EHQR – the first update: 2014 edition Objectives were To actualise the content on quality and quality reporting To include the latest achievements in this field (updated quality indicators, SIMS, etc) To make the examples and illustrations more up-to-date To give a better readability to the text Approved at the joint DIME/ITDG meeting of 26-27 March 2014 http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/quality/documents/ESS_Handbook_for_Quality_Reports_2 014.pdf 5

EMQH – need for a more extensive Handbook Proposal of the 2nd update was also approved at the DIME/ITDG meeting Time-frame suggested: 2-3 years' time Scope and objectives identified: To extend the scope of the Handbook by including the ESS reference metadata reporting To fully align the content and the structure with SIMS, and therefore To transform it in an extensive "ESS Metadata and Quality Reporting Handbook" To include international references, where relevant

EMQH – next steps Considering the volume and complexity of the EHQR + the objectives planned => the second, more thourough update Will be an important exercise Whose modalities have to be clearly defined and agreed upon from the very beginning: involvement, roles, responsibilities, outsourcing or not, etc A close co-operation of the Quality and Metadata WGs is the key element of this project First consultations Metadata TF on 7-8 October 2014 and Quality WG on 2 December 2014

EMQH – first project outlines To be launched in the second half of 2015 Drafting of the Handbook to be outsourced and the Terms of Reference to be drafted by a joint Metadata - Quality TF The deliverables at the different stages of the contract to be verified and approved by the TF and a Eurostat Review Group, composed of the representatives of the ESS.VIP projects concerned and some statistical domains Project linked to / forming part of ESS.VIP.QUAL / work package on quality reporting

If you have questions / comments to share with us, please contact us @ estat-quality@ec.europa.eu estat-metadata@ec.europa.eu Thank you for your attention!