1. The European Statistics Code of Practice - a Basis for Eurostat’s Quality Assurance Framework Marie Bohatá Deputy Director General, Eurostat
...
Strategic Management Seminar, Split 2007

2. European Statistics Code of Practice
Institutional Environment (Professional independence, Mandate for data collection, Adequacy of resources, Quality commitment, Statistical confidentiality, Impartiality and objectivity)
Statistical Processes
(Sound methodology, Appropriate statistical procedures, Non-excessive burden on respondents, Cost effectiveness)
Statistical Outputs
(Relevance, Accuracy and reliability, Timeliness and punctuality, Coherence and comparability, Accessibility and clarity)

3. European Statistics Code of Practice
Self-assessments in 2005 (1)

4. European Statistics Code of Practice
Self-assessments in 2005 (2)

5. European Statistics Code of Practice
Self-assessments in 2005 (3)

6. Features of Eurostat Quality Initiatives within the Implementation of the CoP
Eurostat approach to quality based on general Total Quality Management
Objective: a permanent improvement of an organisation
Recently the focus shifted to the CoP which provides an encompassing conceptual common ground
Objective: enhancement of quality of statistics produced jointly by the ESS; institutional and legal aspects constitute an integral part of the framework

7. The Context of TQM and the CoP
User needs
Statistical
products
Production
processes
Institutional
environment
Management
systems and
leadership
Support
1 Professional independence 2 Mandate for data collection
3 Adequacy of resources 4 Quality commitment 5 Statistical
confidentiality 6 Impartiality and objectivity
7 Sound methodology 8 Appropriate statistical procedures
9 Non-excessive burden on respondents 10 Cost effectiveness
11 Relevance 12 Accuracy and reliability 13 Timeliness and
Punctuality 14 Coherence and comparability 15 Accessibility
And clarity
TQM
Code of Practice
N.B. Figure derived from draft Handbook on Data Quality Assessment Methods and Tools (DatQAM), version

8. Eurostat Quality Assurance Framework - Objectives
To establish a system of coordinated methods and tools guaranteeing adherence to minimum requirements concerning processes and outputs including some kind of assessment
To build upon existing initiatives and complement them with new approaches and tools

9. Methods and Tools for Quality Assessment
Production
processes
Statistical products
User
perception
Process
variables
Quality
indicators
reports
User satisfaction survey
Self assessments
Quality reviews
Labelling
Institutional/ legal environment
User requirements
Standards
III. Conformity
II. Evaluation
I. Documentation
Measurement
Improvement
actions
N.B. Figure derived from draft Handbook on Data Quality Assessment Methods and Tools (DatQAM), version

10. Methods and Tools for Quality Assessment
Production
processes
Statistical products
User
perception
Process
variables
Quality
indicators
reports
User satisfaction survey
Self assessments
Quality reviews
Labelling
Institutional/ legal environment
User requirements
Standards
III. Conformity
II. Evaluation
I. Documentation
Measurement
Improvement
actions
DatQAM (DESTATIS)
DESAP Checklist (DESTATIS, Lithuania)
Auditing activities in NSI’s (INE-PT)
Methods for evaluating response burden (SSB)
Handbook on process-variables (ONS)
ESS Standard Quality Indicators
Customer/ user satisfaction surveys (SCB)
ESS Quality Reports
Handbook Questionnaire development (ISTAT)
Editing and Imp in Business surveys (ISTAT)
Handbook on seasonal adjust-ment (HCSO)
Guidelines on accuracy and delays (INSEE)

11. Quality Assessment Packages
Fundamental
package
Intermediate
Advanced
Process descriptions, product documentation, quality guidelines
Quality reports
Self assessments
Quality reviews
User satisfaction surveys
Quality indicators
Key process variables
Labelling
N.B. Figure derived from draft Handbook on Data Quality Assessment Methods and Tools (DatQAM), version

12. Implementation Activities in Eurostat
Adaptation of DESAP/CCSA checklist
Definition of a methodology for quality reviews
Harmonisation and extension of quality reporting
Preparation of an approach for labelling
Office-wide synthesis management tools

13. DESAP/CCSA Adapted Checklist
Objectives of the Checklist
To provide an overall view on the quality of outputs and processes produced (part of systematic quality assurance activities)
To identify the potential quality risks and improvement actions
To allow monitoring and comparisons of the quality level over time and with caution across the domains

14. DESAP/CCSA Adapted Checklist
Resulting assessment diagram – an example

15. Methodology for Quality reviews
Different type of reviews to be developed:
Internal reviews
Self-assessments
Reviews with participation of Eurostat staff
External reviews
Including NSIs, Commission’s DGs staff, etc..
Rolling reviews (external contractors, producer/users surveys, cost assessments)
Mapping between domains/reviews
Program of reviews linked to
Methodology and program of reviews ready by the end of September

16. Harmonisation/Extension of Quality Reporting
Revision of guidelines for quality reporting
Harmonisation of Regulations in the area of quality:
Revised umbrella legislation 322/97
Standard articles in new regulations
Specification in (Commission) implementation regulations (evaluation criteria)

17. Synthetic office wide management tools
Performance scoreboard
Eurostat product and services
Structured according to quality dimensions
Quality barometer (QB)
Monitor data quality in the ESS
Accross domains/over time
Based on quality reports and quality indicators
First release in 2008

18. Objectives of Labelling
To inform and guide users
To promote the CoP among users
To position official European statistics in the information market
To enhance quality of European statistics and quality reporting

19. User satisfaction surveys
not (fully) compliant with CoP P.7-15
compliance with CoP P.7-15
statistics not (fully) compliant with CoP P.7-15
compliance with CoP P.7-15
Advanced
package
Labelling Procedure
improvement actions
Key process variables
Intermediate
package
User satisfaction surveys
Quality reviews
Quality indicators
Self assessments
Quality reports
Fundamental
package
Process descriptions, product documentation, quality quidelines
European statistics not eligible for labelling
official European statistics (compliance with CoP P.1-6)

20. Features of labelling
Eurostat relies on quality reporting by NSIs and promotes systematic quality reviews of statistical domains at national level
The assessment basis is derived from the ESS self-assessment checklist for survey managers and incorporates elements from the CoP questionnaire
Quality reviews of Eurostat domains form a crucial element. While all domains will be subject to some quality review, domains selected for labelling will undergo a more thorough exercise involving also external stakeholders
The labelling authority will be designated to grant the label and a communication and dissemination strategy will need to be carefully designed