Improving the quality of administrative data used for Official Statistics – Recent experiences in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi October 2014 Nancy McBeth and Khaled Al Hashmi IAOS 2014, Da Nang Vietnam

Contents 1.Introduction to Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates 2.Statistical System of Abu Dhabi (SSAD) 3.Pilot Data Quality Assessment Process 4.Key Findings 5.Implications for SSAD Strategy 6.Lessons and Recommendations 2

Introduction to Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi – largest of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE) UAE - established in 1971, major producer of oil and gas; major transport hub and tourism destination Statistics Centre Abu Dhabi - SCAD has four main functions: –Develop and organize a statistical system for Abu Dhabi. –Contribute to the UAE’s national statistical system. –Provide official statistics related to the conditions of the Abu Dhabi society. –Support decision makers in Abu Dhabi.

2. Statistical System of Abu Dhabi 4

5 SSAD Vision Leading statistical system providing relevant, accurate statistics to meet the needs of users and inform Abu Dhabi’s development agenda Strategic Objectives 1. Build the statistical capability of entities in the SSAD 2. Elevate the quality of data and statistical products 3. Improve user orientation of the SSAD 4. Drive continuous improvement through management and coordination of the SSAD 5. Ensure adequate oversight, representation and governance of statistical activity Producers Products Users Management Governance CapabilityQuality ServiceCoordination Oversight SSAD Strategic Initiatives Future Strategy of Statistical System of Abu Dhabi sustainable statistical system use of official statistics in decision making profile of Abu Dhabi globally world class systems Priorities

6 Future Strategy of Statistical System of Abu Dhabi SSAD Standards and Guidelines Handbook Quality Assurance & Audit for SCAD + ADGE, QA Function ADGE Statistical Accreditation Certification process for surveys and statistics production Define Scope and Revise SLAs between SCAD and ADGE SSAD StrategySSAD Quality Initiatives

7 Quality Assessment framework Pilot project – 43 datasets provided by 23 Abu Dhabi Government and Federal entities Two stage assessment: a) Internal SCAD assessment b) Final assessment prepared after discussions with sub-set of entities Action Plans developed between SCAD and sub-set of Entities 2 3. Pilot Data Quality Assessment Process 4 3 1

8 Based on DESAP – and adjusted for local conditions Relevance Accuracy Timeliness & Punctuality Accessibility & Clarity Comparability Coherence Pilot Data Quality Framework – Quality Components

4. Key Findings 9. Components of Quality Relevance Accuracy Timeliness & Punctuality Accessibility & Clarity Comparability Coherence Key Findings Nearly all relevant. More work needed to understand user satisfaction 25% of datasets frequently delivered late. Nearly 20% of datasets significant lag. SCAD Outputs are generally delivered to deadlines 75% of datasets - limited or no metadata supplied, resulting in poor metadata provided to Users. Nearly all datasets are eventually released as statistics Comparable over time – but more work needed to compare and contrast data with other datasets Generally internally coherent 25% of datasets with significant under coverage. Errors in approximately 50%

Key Results – Overall Quality 10 Scale: 1 Poor 5 Very Good

Example of High Quality 11 Scale: 1 Poor 5 Very Good

Example of Poorer Quality 12 Scale: 1 Poor 5 Very Good

Quality Issues within Entities 13 ComponentIssuePossible Causes within Entities AccuracySignificant under- coverage Limited IT functionality Outsource contracts with no or limited quality checks Timeliness and Punctuality Significant lags Data delivery delays Limited IT functionality Time needed for data review Data supply timeframes not aligned with SCAD Metadata SupplyPoor metadata supplyStruggle to source metadata from their providers Metadata needs to be enhanced to meet statistical requirements

14 Metadata frameworks Quality Manual and Guidelines Timeliness and Accuracy Improvement Projects in entities Review and strengthen Service Level Agreements (SLAs) Develop and implement the Statistical System of Abu Dhabi (SSAD) Actions to improve the Quality of Administrative Data

Implications for SSAD Strategy 1. Build the statistical capability of entities in the SSAD 2. Elevate the quality of data and statistical products 3. Improve user orientation of the SSAD 4. Drive continuous improvement through management and coordination of the SSAD 5. Ensure adequate oversight, representation and governance of statistical activity Producers Products Users Management Governance Capability Quality ServiceCoordination Oversight SSAD Strategic Initiatives SSAD Vision Leading statistical system providing relevant, accurate statistics to meet the needs of users and inform Abu Dhabi’s development agenda sustainable statistical system use of official statistics in decision making profile of Abu Dhabi globally world class systems Priorities Strategic Objectives

6. Lessons and Recommendations DESAP model can be adapted Data quality is a joint responsibility between the providing entity and the Statistics Office Quality assessment - combination of in-house resources and data providers Pilot, reflect, revise Manage data quality improvements in the context of the wider system 16 LessonsRecommendations Base Quality Assessment frameworks and tools on International practices, but adapt to local conditions Develop and implement Data Quality Assessments - Don’t be afraid to start Improving Data Quality, one of the many activities to enhancing relationships with data providers

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