Code of Practice Peer Reviews:

First steps in defining a European Statistical System – wide approach

Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities Conference on Data Quality for International Organizations, Newport 27-28 April 2006 Martina Hahn, Eurostat Unit DDG-02

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Code of Practice Peer reviews

1. Context 2. Objectives 3. Scope 4. Methodology 5. Challenges 2

Code of Practice Peer reviews Context

2005 • Adoption of the Code • SPC Task Force • Self-assessments NSIs and Eurostat 2006 2007-08 • First report to EFC • Peer reviews continued • Peer reviews • Plans to extend Code to data providers other than NSIs • Monitoring of improvement actions • High level advisory body • Project „Label European Official Statistics“ • Report to EP & Council ongoing: quality improvements of processes and outputs, collection of CBMs 3

Code of Practice Peer reviews

1. Context 2. Objectives 3. Scope 4. Methodology 5. Challenges 4

Code of Practice Peer reviews Objectives

• substantiated self-assessment • sharing good practice, knowledge transfer • benchmarking • country report on compliance with (parts of the) Code • list of priority improvement actions as basis for monitoring • identification of common ESS issues • transparency of the implementation of the Code • (refined PR methodology pilot exercises) 5

Code of Practice Peer reviews

1. Context 2. Objectives 3. Scope 4. Methodology 5. Challenges 6

European Statistics Code of Practice Peer reviews Scope

• all EU-Member States + CC + EEA-EFTA • Principles 1-6, (…), 15 • Co-ordination role of the NSI • Improvement actions towards full compliance with Code 7

European Statistics Code of Practice Peer reviews

1. Context 2. Objectives 3. Scope 4. Methodology 5. Challenges 8

Code of Practice Peer reviews Methodology (1) Input

• Information package: Self-assessment and position of NSI, similar reports (ROSC, global assessment), information on compliance with EU legislation, etc.

• user satisfaction survey • 3 peers (incl. one participant from Eurostat), 3 days on-site • Interviews: NSI + other important data producer, user and respondents` representatives 9

Code of Practice Peer reviews Methodology (2) Assessment basis:

•Code of Practice: principles and indicators •Detailed questionnaire •Interview checklist by interview partner

Workshop by Eurostat for all peers

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Code of Practice Peer reviews Methodology (3) Output

• report on the basis of common format to be published • compliance status at indicator level: fully/partly/not • agreed improvement actions by country • following-up and monitoring of improvements 11

European Statistics Code of Practice Peer reviews

1. Context 2. Objectives 3. Scope 4. Methodology 5. Challenges 12

Code of Practice Peer reviews Challenges

• unprecedented exercise in terms of scope and timing • ESS co-operation, standard setting, benchmarking • quality assurance of processes and results • ensuring favourable cost-benefit ratio • risk of overlaps or inconsistencies • potential for synergies and division of tasks at international level 13