Statistics Centre Abu Dhabi Charter of Code of Practices for the Exchange of Statistical Data and Other Related Work In regard to the community forums of the municipal system Document Code: TEC-COD-002 Dec 2015 Restricted: This document is the property of Statistics Centre - Abu Dhabi. Neither the whole or part of this document should be copied or used without prior written consent
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT 2. USAGE AND CONTROL OF THIS DOCUMENT 3. SCOPE OF THE DOCUMENT 4. PRINCIPLE 1 - PROFESSIONAL INDEPENDENCE 5. PRINCIPLE 2 - MANDATE FOR DATA COLLECTION 6. PRINCIPLE 3 DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN APPROPRIATE STATISTICAL CAPABILITIES 7. PRINCIPLE 4 - COMMITMENT TO QUALITY 8. PRINCIPLE 5 - STATISTICAL CONFIDENTIALITY 9. PRINCIPLE 6 - IMPARTIALITY AND OBJECTIVITY 10. PRINCIPLE 7 - SOUND METHODOLOGY & APPROPRIATE STATISTICAL PROCEDURES 11. PRINCIPLE 8 - NON-EXCESSIVE BURDEN ON RESPONDENTS 12. PRINCIPLE 9: STATISTICAL OUTPUT QUALITY 13. PRINCIPLE 10: COOPERATION & COORDINATION 14. PRINCIPLE 11: CUSTOMER SERVICE 2
1. Purpose of this Document SCAD, and its strategic partners in the Statistical System of Abu Dhabi (SSAD), play a pivotal role in supporting the development process, decision-makers, and policy-makers in Abu Dhabi. As an important component of the SSAD, SCAD has developed a Code of Practice to be implemented by all strategic partners. For the purposes of this document, Statistical Authorities represent SCAD and statistically certified Abu Dhabi Government Entities (ADGE) within the SSAD. 2. Usage and Control of this document Adherence to the provisions and requirements of this document is mandatory for all employees. This document is owned by Technical Affairs and International Cooperation Office. All inquiries and matters relating to this document will be addressed to the Advisor Technical Affairs and International Cooperation. This document has been approved by the Director General, Executive Director Strategy and Business Excellence Sector and Director Business Excellence; any amendments to the provisions of this document can be made only with the approval of the above mentioned stakeholders. Access to the document shall be restricted to read only for all users to prevent unauthorized modification of the document. In order to ensure that the document referred to by any reader is the current version, this document shall be maintained in a central electronic repository on SCAD network. The exact location of the document shall be provided to all departments/sections by the Business Excellence Department. Any copy of this document, if printed out, shall have an un-maintained status and no guarantee can be given that the policies stipulated in a printed document are in fact the policies that are required to be followed. Users of the document are therefore encouraged not to print out hard copies of the document and refer only to the electronic version. Business Excellence Department shall be responsible for the regular back up of this document. The procedures for back up of the repository shall be consistent with the procedure followed in respect of SCAD business data. Requests for updating the document (add/delete/amend) can be originated by any of the users of this policy document. The user must formally write to the Director Business Excellence, through his/ her immediate supervisor describing the suggestions and the rational for such change. Whenever an update concerns any section in the document, the Director Business Excellence in coordination with the respective requestor, will review the request and if deemed appropriate, the document will be updated upon receiving the requisite approvals. The procedure for introducing a new policy or amending an existing policy has been defined by the Business Excellence Department by the process name Develop and Update Policies in the Strategy, Governance and Control Standard Operating Procedures Manual. This document should be retained as per SCAD s defined document retention policy. 3
3. Scope of the Document This Code of Practice is applied into SCAD and its statistically certified Abu Dhabi Government Entiities within the SSAD. 4. Principle 1 - Professional Independence Professional independence of the Statistical Authorities from other policy, regulatory or administrative departments and bodies, as well as from private sector operators, ensures the credibility of Statistics. 1.1: The independence of the Statistical Authorities from political and other external interference in developing, producing and disseminating statistics is specified in law and assured for other Statistical Authorities. 1.2: The heads of Statistical Authorities have the sole responsibility for deciding on statistical methods, standards and procedures. 1.3: Statistical releases are clearly distinguished and issued separately from political/policy statements. 5. Principle 2 - Mandate for Data Collection Statistical Authorities have a clear legal mandate to collect information for statistical purposes. Administrations, enterprises and households, and the public at large may be compelled by law to allow access to or deliver data for statistical purposes at the request of Statistical Authorities. 2.1: The mandate of the Statistical Authorities to collect information for the development, production and dissemination of Statistics is specified in law. 2.2: The Statistical Authorities are allowed by law to use administrative data for statistical purposes. 6. Principle 3 Develop and Maintain Appropriate Statistical Capabilities The resources available to Statistical Authorities are sufficient to meet Statistics requirements. 3.1: Staff, financial, and computing resources, adequate both in magnitude and in quality, are available to meet current statistical needs. 4
7. Principle 4 - Commitment to Quality Statistical Authorities are committed to quality. They systematically and regularly identify strengths and weaknesses to continuously improve process and product quality. 4.1: Procedures are in place to plan and monitor the quality of the statistical production process. 4.2: Product quality is regularly monitored, assessed with regard to possible trade-offs, and reported according to the quality criteria for statistics. 8. Principle 5 - Statistical Confidentiality The privacy of data providers (households, enterprises, administrations and other respondents), the confidentiality of the information they provide and its use only for statistical purposes are absolutely guaranteed. 5.1: Statistical confidentiality is guaranteed in law. 5.2: Staff sign legal confidentiality commitments on appointment. 5.3: Physical, technological and organizational provisions are in place to protect the security and integrity of statistical databases. 9. Principle 6 - Impartiality and Objectivity Statistical Authorities develop, produce and disseminate Statistics respecting scientific independence and in an objective, professional and transparent manner in which all users are treated equitably. 6.1: Statistics and statistical releases are compiled on an objective basis determined by statistical considerations. 6.2: Information on the methods and procedures used is publicly available. 6.3: A release calendar is made publicly available. 10. Principle 7 - Sound Methodology & Appropriate Statistical Procedures Sound methodology underpins quality statistics. This requires adequate tools, procedures and expertise. Appropriate statistical procedures, implemented from data collection to data validation, underpin quality statistics. 7.1: The overall methodological framework used for Statistics follows international standards, guidelines, and good practices. 7.2: Procedures are in place to ensure that standard concepts, definitions and classifications are consistently 5 applied throughout the Statistical Authority.
7.3: Statistical Authorities are involved in the design of administrative data in order to make administrative data more suitable for statistical purposes. 7.4: Agreements are made with owners of administrative data which set out their shared commitment to the use of these data for statistical purposes. 7.5: Statistical Authorities co-operate with owners of administrative data in assuring data quality. 11. Principle 8 - Non-excessive Burden on Respondents The reporting burden is proportionate to the needs of the users and is not excessive for respondents. The Statistical Authorities monitor the response burden and set targets for its reduction over time. 8.1: The information sought from businesses is, as far as possible, readily available from their accounts and electronic means are used where possible to facilitate its return. 8.2: Administrative sources are used whenever possible to avoid duplicating requests for information. 8.3: Statistical Authorities promote measures that enable the linking of data sources in order to reduce reporting burden. 12. Principle 9: Statistical Output Quality Relevance Statistics meet the needs of users. 9.1: Processes are in place to consult users, monitor the relevance and utility of existing statistics in meeting their needs, and consider their emerging needs and priorities. Accuracy and Reliability Statistics accurately and reliably portray reality 9.2: Source data, intermediate results and statistical outputs are regularly assessed and validated. 9.3: Sampling errors and non-sampling errors are measured and systematically documented according to the standards. Timeliness and Punctuality Statistics meet the needs of users. 9.1: Processes are in place to consult users, monitor the relevance and utility of existing statistics in meeting their needs, and consider their emerging needs and priorities. 6
Coherence and Comparability Statistics are consistent internally, over time and comparable between regions and countries; it is possible to combine and make joint use of related data from different sources. 9.6: Statistics are internally coherent, consistent and comparable over a reasonable period of time. 9.7: Statistics are compiled on the basis of common standards with respect to scope, definitions, units and classifications in the different surveys and sources. Accessibility and Clarity Statistics are presented in a clear and understandable form, released in a suitable and convenient manner, available and accessible on an impartial basis with supporting metadata and guidance. 9.8: Statistics and the corresponding metadata are presented, and archived, in a form that facilitates proper interpretation and meaningful comparisons. 9.9: Metadata are documented according to standardized metadata systems. 9.10: Users are kept informed about the quality of statistical outputs with respect to the quality criteria. 13. Principle 10: Cooperation & Coordination Cooperation & Coordination in statistics at the national and international levels contribute to the improvement of the quality of official statistics. 10.1: Mechanisms exist for coordinating the development, production and dissemination of official statistics by the Statistical Authorities and for ensuring their quality and can be compared with international practices. 10.2: International cooperation initiatives supports the development and sharing of expertise and knowledge within the Statistical Authorities and improves the quality of official statistics. 14. Principle 11: Customer Service A professional, consistent and coordinated service must be provided to the valued clients of the Statistical Authorities in government, semi-government, private sector and the public. 11.1: Consult Statistical Authority clients to assess if official statistics and related services are meeting their expectations. 11.2: Priority needs are being met and reflected in the work programme. 11.3: Requests for official statistics are centrally managed by a customer relations management team in each Statistical Authority and recorded according to the approved procedures. 11.4: Statistical Authorities in the SSAD provide recorded requests for data official statistics to SCAD and SSAD stakeholders for review on a quarterly basis 7