Scottish GovernmentScottish Government

Experience of National Statistics Experience of National Statistics AssessmentsAssessments

Janette PurbrickJanette PurbrickOffice of the Chief StatisticianOffice of the Chief Statistician

TTSAC - 28 April 2010TTSAC - 28 April 2010

Statistics and Registration Services ActStatistics and Registration Services Act UK Statistics AuthorityUK Statistics Authority http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/ Code of Practice for Official StatisticsCode of Practice for Official Statistics Official Statistics & National StatisticsOfficial Statistics & National Statistics Assessment and DesignationAssessment and Designation Pre-release access to Official Statistics Pre-release access to Official Statistics

(Scotland) Order(Scotland) Order

SG progress…SG progress… 7 NS Assessments completed7 NS Assessments completed

– Recorded Crime in ScotlandRecorded Crime in Scotland– Children Looked After StatisticsChildren Looked After Statistics– Scottish Crime and Justice SurveyScottish Crime and Justice Survey– Scottish House Condition SurveyScottish House Condition Survey– Scottish Health Survey Scottish Health Survey – Scottish Household Survey Scottish Household Survey including Travel diary, Household Transport including Travel diary, Household Transport

& Transport across Scotland& Transport across Scotland– Labour Market Stats Labour Market Stats

5 NS Assessments in progress5 NS Assessments in progress– Education Statistics Education Statistics – Patient Experience SurveysPatient Experience Surveys – Child ProtectionChild Protection– SIMDSIMD– Scottish Transport Statistics Scottish Transport Statistics

Loads due to start in next 3 years for SG…….Loads due to start in next 3 years for SG…….

Transport Stats in UK Transport Stats in UK

Already Assessed Already Assessed DfT DfT - Road Casualty Statistics - Road Casualty Statistics

- Road Freight Statistics- Road Freight Statistics

About to start: About to start: DfT DfT - Travel Surveys- Travel Surveys

- Transport Statistics - Transport Statistics Compendia Compendia

WAG WAG – Transport Statistics– Transport Statistics

NI depts NI depts – Transport Statistics – Transport Statistics

Key stages of the Key stages of the processprocess

Supplier/User/Stakeholder listSupplier/User/Stakeholder list– Gives an indication of how broad and diverse SG Gives an indication of how broad and diverse SG

user group isuser group is– Used by the Authority to issue questionnaires Used by the Authority to issue questionnaires

Written Evidence for Assessment (WEFA)Written Evidence for Assessment (WEFA)– The main part of the assessmentThe main part of the assessment– Meetings and emails to follow up WEFAMeetings and emails to follow up WEFA

Assessment ReportAssessment Report– Draft for commentDraft for comment– Final Final – Action plan neededAction plan needed

Reporting BackReporting Back

Code of Practice – some key Code of Practice – some key requirementsrequirements

Pre-announcingPre-announcing Release practicesRelease practices Unbiased commentary and Unbiased commentary and

presentationpresentation Quality AssuranceQuality Assurance Consultation/engaging with usersConsultation/engaging with users Management information/admin Management information/admin

sourcessources

Working with the Working with the AuthorityAuthority

Authority very Authority very fairfair throughout the throughout the processprocess

They stated that they wanted this They stated that they wanted this process to have “as little disruption process to have “as little disruption to your regular work as possible” to your regular work as possible”

There was negotiation around There was negotiation around timescales etctimescales etc

Statistics Liaison meetingsStatistics Liaison meetings Building TRUSTBuilding TRUST

Reflections on the Reflections on the processprocess

Clear that documentation is key to Clear that documentation is key to demonstrating good practicedemonstrating good practice

Time consuming process but not difficultTime consuming process but not difficult Overall process was really helpfulOverall process was really helpful A valuable way of self-assessing SG productsA valuable way of self-assessing SG products Makes it easier for us to form an action plan Makes it easier for us to form an action plan

for improvement to strengthen productfor improvement to strengthen product Pre-release Access Order Pre-release Access Order Know more about our products than before - Know more about our products than before -

specifically aware of products specifically aware of products strengths/weaknesses against the Code of strengths/weaknesses against the Code of Practice Practice

Brought the Code of Practice to life!Brought the Code of Practice to life!

What SG is doing NOW!What SG is doing NOW!

NOW…..look at outputs WEFA for SG productsNOW…..look at outputs WEFA for SG products Can we answer all the questions in the Can we answer all the questions in the

WEFA?WEFA? For each question are we: For each question are we: confident/partially confident/not confident… confident/partially confident/not confident…

….of meeting the Code? ….of meeting the Code? What documentation do we have/need?What documentation do we have/need? Ensure we have relevant documentation Ensure we have relevant documentation

(stakeholder lists/individuals with pre-(stakeholder lists/individuals with pre-release access/stakeholder consultation release access/stakeholder consultation material/changes to methodology etc). material/changes to methodology etc).

Publish where applicablePublish where applicable Start now…save time later!Start now…save time later!

Factor in…Factor in…

We need time/notice to prepare We need time/notice to prepare briefing for Ministers/Comms re final briefing for Ministers/Comms re final report findingsreport findings

How do we best inform stakeholders How do we best inform stakeholders and users about the Authority and the and users about the Authority and the assessment process?assessment process?

Assessment is now part of what we Assessment is now part of what we do and is reflected in our business do and is reflected in our business plansplans

After assessmentAfter assessment

Respond to Respond to requirementsrequirements and set up and set up plan of actionplan of action

Consider Consider suggestedsuggested improvements for improvements for the next publication the next publication

Keep Ministers involvedKeep Ministers involved Authority feedback on all 74 Code Authority feedback on all 74 Code

practices. Detailed and extremely practices. Detailed and extremely useful.useful.

Involve users/suppliers/stakeholdersInvolve users/suppliers/stakeholders

Things coming up in SG Things coming up in SG assessments to date…assessments to date…

Reporting back on user engagementReporting back on user engagement Setting statistics more in context – referring to Setting statistics more in context – referring to

current targets etc.current targets etc. Ensuring commentary impartialEnsuring commentary impartial Publishing Statement of Administrative SourcesPublishing Statement of Administrative Sources Publishing procedures on confidentiality & Publishing procedures on confidentiality &

revisionsrevisions Improving Ministerial statements on statistics and Improving Ministerial statements on statistics and

ensuring their separation from the Statisticsensuring their separation from the Statistics Survey interview lengthSurvey interview length Abbreviations Abbreviations Comparability (UK , 4 nations)Comparability (UK , 4 nations)

What it means for TTSACWhat it means for TTSAC

Users, Suppliers, Stakeholders are very Users, Suppliers, Stakeholders are very important in the Assessment processimportant in the Assessment process

As such, Carol Ann will be asked to provide As such, Carol Ann will be asked to provide contact details to the Authority.contact details to the Authority.

May be asked for steer of such users etcMay be asked for steer of such users etc Scotstat register has proved usefulScotstat register has proved useful Open invitation on Authority’s websiteOpen invitation on Authority’s website This committee, as well as the Authority, This committee, as well as the Authority,

will find the views of users, suppliers and will find the views of users, suppliers and stakeholders of use! stakeholders of use!

CompendiaCompendia

SG no experience of compendium SG no experience of compendium publications assessmentpublications assessment

Opened dialogue with UK Statistics Opened dialogue with UK Statistics Authority for adviceAuthority for advice

Lessons learned from Assessments 5 Lessons learned from Assessments 5 and 22 which are compendium and 22 which are compendium assessments:assessments:– DECC UK Energy Indicators DECC UK Energy Indicators – DEFRA Agriculture in the UKDEFRA Agriculture in the UK

“ Assessments of compendium publications against the Code of Practice relate

to the processes involved in preparing the publication, rather than in producing

the statistics that are included. Those sets of statistics will normally be subject

to separate assessment.” UK Statistics Authority, July 2009

“Designation of a compendium publication as National Statistics therefore means that the producer body has, for example: identified and met user needs in terms of the content of the publication; considered the appropriateness of each series for inclusion; and written appropriate

commentary.” UK Statistics Authority, July 2009

From Assessments 5 & 22….From Assessments 5 & 22…. improved citation of data sources publish information on the methods adopted in

the collection and production of these statistics users must be informed about data quality via a

clear statement on data quality in the publication indicate whether provisional or final data are

being used, and when any updates will be available via a statement on revisions

investigate the costs and benefits of setting up formal agreements with the data owners, so that information on unscheduled corrections and revisions to source data can be reflected in the publication

SummarySummary SG been through the complete process a SG been through the complete process a

number of times now (but not a compendium number of times now (but not a compendium assessment)assessment)

Good working relationship with the Edinburgh Good working relationship with the Edinburgh office of the Authority including SG piloting office of the Authority including SG piloting assessment process and evidence formsassessment process and evidence forms

Internal help available for the assessmentInternal help available for the assessment TTSAC (and Scotstat) very important to TTSAC (and Scotstat) very important to

processprocess All other Transport Statistics’ users, All other Transport Statistics’ users,

suppliers, stakeholders also importantsuppliers, stakeholders also important