8 CHAPTER THREE DATA QUALITY ASSURANCE FRAMEWORK PRINCIPLES AND REQUIREMENTS 3.0 Introduction Tanzania adopted the comprehensive framework for statistical quality principles and associated requirements from United Nations National Quality Assurance Framework (UN-NQAF) manual for official statistics. Tanzania also addresses quality assurance with regard to the development, production and dissemination of official statistics which consist of four levels, ranging from overarching institutional and cross-institutional management and statistical production processes to the outputs. The four levels are: i. Level A: Managing the statistical system; ii. Level B: Managing the institutional environment; iii. Level C: Managing statistical processes; iv. Level D: Managing statistical Outputs. Each level contains a concise set of principles and requirements to guarantee quality in that aspect of quality assurance. These requirements are vital indicators that, when met, will ensure that provisions have been made to assure quality. A list of elements to be assured, which supports and assists the implementation of the principles and requirements are explained below.
3.1
Level A: Managing the Statistical System
The National Statistical System in Tanzania comprises the two statistical agencies known
as NBS and OCGS within a country that develop, produce and disseminate official
statistics on behalf of the Government. The coordination of this system and managing
relations with all stakeholders is a precondition for the quality and efficient production of
official statistics. Ensuring the use of statistical standards throughout the system is an
important part of this management. Managing the Statistical System has three quality
principles i.e
a) Coordinating the National Statistical System
b) Managing relationship with data users, data providers and other stakeholders
c) Managing statistical standards
9 3.1.1 Principle 1: Coordinating the National Statistical System Coordination of the work of the members of the NSS is essential for improving and maintaining the quality of official statistics. Principle 1 is supported by principle 8 of the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics. There are four quality requirements under this principle which are mainly concerned with ensuring the integrity of the statistical system in Tanzania and promoting the extent to which users trust official statistics as shown in the Table 3.1.
10 Table 3.1 Principle 1: Coordinating the National Statistics System Requirement Element to be assured Description 1.1 A statistical law establishes the responsibilities of the members of the national statistical system including its coordination. Its members are identified in a legal or formal provision. The coordination role of the NSOs or other body is defined in a statistical law Statistic law and/or its Regulations should be used as reference documents The statistical law specifies the requirements for official statistics and the scope of the NSS Members of the NSS are identified in a formal document. Responsibilities of NSS members for the development, production, and dissemination of official statistics are clearly specified in the respective laws and regulations.
1.2 There are a body and mechanisms for the coordination of the national statistical system for activities at the local, national, regional, and international level. The NSOs or other body is tasked with the coordination of the NSS. The Statistics Act or any other legal document should explicitly identify a body responsible for the coordination of the NSS and its function The NSOs and other statistical agencies have mechanisms to ensure coordination (including the exchange of data and statistics within the NSS) and the quality of official statistics. An NSS-wide (central) coordination body (which is by default part of the NSS and is typically it is the NSOs) sets, monitors, and reviews guidelines for the development, production, and dissemination of official statistics. A central coordination body establishes and maintains engagement with advisory bodies, academic institutions and other regional and international bodies as appropriate. A central coordination body coordinates data collection to improve cost- effectiveness and reduce respondent burden, in particular coordinating sample surveys. A central coordination body monitors the use of agreed standards, concepts, classifications and methods throughout the NSS. A central coordination body promotes and enhances data sharing within the NSS and liaisons with members of the extended data ecosystem regarding the sharing of data. A central coordination body promotes the sharing of technical knowledge and good statistical practices and ensures the provision of training, including on the production of official statistics and SDG indicators Processes for evaluation of the quality of the statistics are developed and
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Requirement
Element to be assured
Description
applied within the NSS.
1.3
There is a mechanism for
considering statistics produced
outside the national statistical
system, and if appropriate, for
these statistics to become
official.
The body coordinating the NSS evaluates statistics produced outside the
NSS for use as official statistics or alongside official statistics. Examples of
such statistics are some of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)
indicators.
There should be manuals/ guidelines
that explain procedures to be followed
for statistics from other agencies to be
accredited as official statistics
The NSS-wide (central) coordination body or a task force composed of
members of various statistical agencies can be given the responsibility for
the evaluation of the quality of relevant statistics outside the NSS (e.g.
some SDG indicators) as needed.
There is a unit such as a task force that discusses and provides support for
the use of new data sources within the NSS.
1.4
There is a national plan or
program for the development
and production of official
statistics.
There is a multi-annual national plan for the development and production
of official statistics which can take the form of NSDS.
Tanzania Statistics Master Plan or the
National Strategy for Development of
Statistics can be used as a guiding
document
The multi-annual national plan for the development and production of
official statistics covers the entire NSS.
The multi-annual national plan should address quality assurance.
Annual plans for the NSS members supplement the multi-annual NSS-
wide plan.
The multi-annual national plan is established in close consultation with
statistics producers, users and data providers.
The multi-annual national plan for the development and production of
official statistics is approved for implementation by an NSS-wide
governance body and/or a higher-level government or a legislative body.
The programs and activities of the multi-year national plan are monitored on a regular basis by the NSS-wide (central) coordination body
12 3.1.2 Principle 2: Managing Relationships with Data Users, Data Providers and Other Stakeholders The NSOs should build and sustain good relationships with all its key stakeholders, including users, data providers, funding agencies, senior government officials, relevant community organizations, academia, and the media. NSOs should have access to all data necessary to satisfy the information needs of society in an effective and efficient way. Principle 2 is supported mainly by principles 1 and 5 of the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics. Managing relationships with stakeholders has seven (7) requirements as shown in Table 3.2.
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Table 3.2
Principle 2: Managing Relationships with Data Users, Data Providers and Other Stakeholders
Requirement
Element to be assured
Description
2.1
Stakeholders are identified
and consulted regarding
their interests, needs and
obligations.
The statistical agencies clearly identify all their stakeholders.
Evidence of user-producer workshops being
convened before and after particular statistics
production should be documented
There are processes in place to consult stakeholders on their concerns,
interests, needs and obligations.
Stakeholders are kept informed on actions taken to address their needs
and concerns.
2.2
The statistical agencies have
a strategy and institutional
arrangements to engage
with their users.
User needs and how to engage with users are reflected in the statistical
agencies’ strategies such as the strategy for the development of statistical
outputs, the dissemination strategy as well as for NSS wide relevant
strategies such as the NSDS.
There should be a user
engagement/communication strategy or
similar kind of guiding policy or strategy
Service agreements or similar arrangements with the main users of the
statistics are in place (e.g. with respect to what will be supplied by the
agency, the quality of the statistics, the dissemination format etc.).
Statistical agencies have press offices, hotlines and a central email
contact that responds to all user inquiries in a timely manner.
Users can engage with statistical agencies and request information in
their preferred way of communication such as through telephone, email
and other common means of communication.
There are processes and arrangements (such as a user committees) in
place for users to advise statistical agencies about their emerging needs
and priorities and during the development of new or review of existing
statistics.
There are subject domain specific user committees
2.3
The statistical agencies
continuously maintain and
develop cooperation with
funding agencies, academic
institutions and
international statistical
The statistical agency’s workplan and budget are shared with the
funding agency as appropriate to ensure mutual understanding of
funding requirements and trade-offs.
It is required to have MoUs, project documents
or any legal binding documents agreed
between NBS/OCGS and these institutions
Statistical agencies maintain and develop cooperation with the scientific
community to develop new statistics, improve methodology and to
promote the use of statistics.
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Requirement
Element to be assured
Description
organizations, as
appropriate.
Statistical
agencies
cooperate
with
international
and
regional
organizations in the area of statistics and with the statistical
organizations of other countries
2.4
The National Statistical
Office and, if appropriate,
other statistical agencies
have the legal authority or
some other formal provision
to collect data for the
development, production
and dissemination of official
statistics.
The statistical law provides appropriate provisions to guarantee the
NSO and if appropriate other statistical agencies the right to collect data
for statistical purposes through surveys and censuses.
The Statistics Acts should have a provision that
allows the NSOs to collect data
Based on the legislation, the statistical agencies are able to apply
appropriate sanctions such as fines if response to obligatory statistical
surveys or censuses is not received.
2.5
The National Statistical
Office and, if appropriate,
other statistical agencies
have the legal authority or
some other formal provision
to obtain administrative data
and adequate access to these
data from other government
agencies for statistical
purposes.
The statistical law provides appropriate provisions to guarantee the
NSO and if appropriate other statistical agencies the right to obtain or
access administrative data in a timely manner.
Statistic Act and/or its associated regulations
should have a provision that allows the NSOs
to access administrative data from other
government institutions
Where statistical agencies do not have a legal right to obtain
administrative data, memorandum of understandings are in place that
provide such access.
The statistical agencies’ access to administrative data are free of charge.
Agreements with owners of administrative data are in place to
operationalize data access describing technical conditions for access and
the possibility to link the data with data from other administrative data
sources.
The statistical agencies are involved in the design and development of
administrative data sets, in order to make them suitable for statistical
purposes; this involvement extends to the possible discontinuation of
such data sets.
2.6
The national statistical office
and, if appropriate, other
statistical agencies have the
legal authority or some other
formal provision and related
agreements to access and
The statistical law provides appropriate provisions to guarantee the
NSO and, if appropriate, other statistical agencies the right to timely
obtain or access data held by private corporations or other non-
governmental organizations (NGOs) for statistical purposes (e.g. all
corporations that provide services to individuals and legal entities
residing in the country).
Statistics Act and/or its associated regulations
should have a provision that allows the NSOs
to access data from non-state actors.
Alternatively, there should be MoUs or other
legal binding documents that allow for NSOs
to access such data
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Requirement
Element to be assured
Description
use data (including “big
data”) maintained by private
corporations or other non-
governmental organizations
for statistical purposes on a
regular basis, including for
testing and experimentation.
The statistical law foresees adequate sanctions to ensure access to
privately-held data where appropriate (such as fines for not granting
such access).
Where statistical agencies do not have a legal right to obtain access to
data maintained by corporations or other NGOs, memoranda of
understanding are in place that provide such access.
The statistical agencies consider the relevance and the scope of data
requested
The access and use of privately-held data follow procedures agreed
between the statistical agencies and owners or holders of the data
2.7
The national statistical office
cooperates with and
provides support and
guidance to data providers.
The NSO regularly consults with data providers and maintains
cooperation with the providers of administrative data and with
corporations, businesses and other organizations that hold data to
strengthen the statistical value and usage of these sources
There should be MoUs, minutes of consultative
meetings which justify existence of such
cooperation
Quality reports for administrative data are developed in cooperation
with the NSO and the data owner and describe accuracy, completeness,
timeliness, and punctuality, among other things
Holders of administrative data, businesses and other organizations
receive feedback on the quality of the data provided allowing for further
improvements
Partnership agreements with data providers are in place