Several factors characterise the quality of official statistics. Often, the focus is on accuracy when talking about the quality of statistics, whether the figures give a precise description of reality. For users, it is just as important that the statistics is relevant to describe the phenomenon of interest. For the statistics to be the basis for important decisions, it needs to be published timely enough. It is important that statistics provide comparisons over time and to similar developments in other countries. It must also be easy for the user to find and understand the statistics they need.

The European Statistics Code of Practice – a common framework for quality

The European Statistics Code of Practice (ES CoP) (open PDF from ec.europa.eu/eurostat) is a common framework for quality in official statistics for Europe. Norway is included through the European Economic Area Agreement. Code of Practice is based on users’ needs that official statistics need to fulfil.

The Norwegian Statistics Act and the Code of Practice sets requirements for official statistics. The Statistics Act and the Code of Practice have many similarities, where the Code of Practice is more detailed, the Statistics Act is more general.

Code of Practice sets requirements for the institutional environment, statistical processes, and statistical output. It includes 16 principles with underlying indicators. It was established in 2005 and revised in 2011 and 2017. SSB has contributed to the development of Code of Practice.

Institutional environment

1. Professional Independence

1bis. Coordination and cooperation.

2. Mandate for Data Collection and Access to Data

3. Adequacy of Resources

4. Commitment to Quality

5. Statistical Confidentiality and Data Protection

6. Impartiality and Objectivity

Statistical processes

7. Sound Methodology

8. Appropriate Statistical Procedures

9. Non-excessive Burden on Respondents

10. Cost Effectiveness

Statistical output

11. Relevance

12. Accuracy and Reliability

13. Timeliness and Punctuality

14. Coherence and Comparability

15. Accessibility and Clarity

 

Quality Assurance Framework

The Quality Assurance Framework of the European Statistical System (QAF) (open PDF from ec.europa.eu/eurostat) supports the Code of Practice with guidelines for methods, tools, and practices that are useful in implementing the Code of Practice.