EU Code of Practice Peer Review 2006 – 8 :A Peer’s PerspectiveFrank Nolan

Office for National Statistics UK

Q2008 2

Contents

What I plan to cover

• Peer Review Process

• Challenges

• Lessons

Q2008 3

Code of Practice

• 15 Principles• 3 sections

– Governance– Processes– Outputs

• Many Indicators

Q2008 4

1. The Peer Review Process

Q2008 5

Peer Review Objectives

• Enhance accountability and Build trust in the integrity of the ESS, its processes and outputs

• Transparency• Sharing Best Practice

Q2008 6

Peer Review Scope

• The NSI of the country– NOT other producers (Central Bank)

• EU statistics– Difficult in practice to not consider all

• Principles 1 – 6 and 15– Assessment for all 15 principles

Q2008 7

Peer Review Outcome

• Published Report– Agreed with team– Agreed with Eurostat Desk– Agreed with NSI

• Best Practice

• Improvement Actions

Q2008 8

Peer Review Team

• Three members– Two from NSIs– One from Eurostat– Not from reviewed NSI

• Senior staff - experienced

Q2008 9

Peer Reviewers Training

• One Day in Brussels

• Interactive sessions

• Common Understanding Principles

• Common Understanding grading Fully met / largely met / partly met / not met

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Peer Review Work Programme

• Preliminary Reading– NSI documentation– NSI web site, etc

• Preliminary meeting• 3 Day visit to NSI

• Post visit writing• Post visit agreement on report

Q2008 11

Peer Review NSI Visit

• Interviews with– Director General– Executive staff– Users – Bank, Treasury– Trade unions, Employers organisations– Media– Statistical Council– Junior staff

• On behalf of EU

Q2008 12

Peer Review Work Allocation

• Principles 1-6 and 15– 2 or 3 for each reviewer– Read, Question, Write up

• Best Practice / Coordination roles

• Team leader – leads discussions, meetings– Guiding and Sign Off of Report– Coordinates with NSI and Eurostat

Q2008 13

Peer Review Documentation

• A Peers Guide– Version 2

• Administrative instructions• Report template• Guide to questions for each indicator and

interviewee

• A Country Guide

Q2008 14

2. Challenges

Q2008 15

Lack of Time

• Additional to current full time job• Considerable material to read before visit• Considerable amount of material to assimilate

in three days• The NSI visit was just the beginning of the

end!

Q2008 16

Lack of Time Example - Reading

• Countries self assessment• Comparison with all self assessments• Statistical Law• Statistical Policies• Statistical plans and programmes• Annual reports• User survey results• Statistical releases• Web site

Q2008 17

Lack of Time Example - Cyprus

• Tuesday Night meeting in Nicosia• Wednesday meeting with Director and senior staff• Meeting with confidentiality committee• Meeting with Data Dissemination Officer• Meeting with Ministry of Agriculture, Civil Registry,

Inland Revenue• Thursday – 8 hours of meetings including media,

Bank, Ministry of Finance, users, junior staff• Thursday – draft, collate and agree Improvement

actions • Thursday – draft overview

Q2008 18

Lack of Time Example - Cyprus

• Fridaypresent overview to Director and full senior

management team

Discuss each of six Principles and related improvement

• Friday Discuss overview and improvement actions with Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance

Q2008 19

Languages and Culture

• Review conducted in English• Materials translated into English• Not how we do it at home

• Lack of common English in teams

Q2008 20

Dynamic nature of the process

• Self Assessment taken late 2005 – some time before visit

• Continuous Improvement

• Improvement Actions sometimes undertaken immediately

Q2008 21

Static Nature of process

• Law and legislation

• Staffing and Finance

• Methods

• Information technology

Q2008 22

Sorting What is Important

• Large amount of information collected

• Decisions on what is important for Code??

• Decisions on what is achievable

Q2008 23

3. Lessons

Q2008 24

Did it Add Value??

• Gave an overview• Created some changes• Created awareness across NSIs• Highlighted strengths and limitations• Added knowledge / shared best practice• Provided a focus on quality within NSI

• Provided a base for increased Trust

Q2008 25

The NSI Agenda

What NSIs want out of the process

• More money

• More staff / updated IT

• International recognition – doing well [league table – most points]

• Changes –next slide

Q2008 26

The NSI Agenda

What NSIs want out of the process

• Changes– New Statistical Law – Iceland– Higher status of DG – Cyprus

• Impetus– The kick to get things started / finished

Q2008 27

Other People’s Agenda

What Others want out of the process

• Changes– Less macro economic forecasting – Norway Bank– More access to unit record data ….

Q2008 28

Other Lessons

• Significant commitment from NSI senior managers – a lot of time

• Excellent hospitality

• EU commitments were often significant for small countries

Q2008 29

Thanks to;

the teams that I worked with,– The Eurostat staff, Martina and Solvegia; and– to the staff of Statistics Iceland, Statistics Norway

and Cystat.

• Thank You