Report from the Working Group on Quality with focus on the next round of peer reviews Task Force Peer reviews and quality Eurostat DIME – Directors of Methodology 2-3 July 2019

Contents Introduction ESS TF PR meeting of 14-15 May 2019 WG Q meeting of 12 June 2019 Roadmap and next steps ESS Handbook on Quality and Metadata Reporting

1. Introduction Mandate ESS TF PR adopted in February 2019 ESS TF PR - Strategic issues leading to general methodology 1st meeting May 2019 - To be adopted by ESSC October 2019 WG Q - Detailed methodology and design of instruments 3 Subgroups - Entire methodology and instruments to be adopted by ESSC May 2020 First peer review of Eurostat in 2nd half of 2020

2. ESS TF PR meeting of 14-15 May 2019 Number of meetings and topics: 1st meeting of 14-15 May 2019: Objectives, scope, ONAs involvement, roadmap 2nd meeting of 8 July 2019: Composition PR teams, first ideas on a communication strategy, comparability of reports 3rd meeting in February 2020: Detailed communication strategy 4th meeting in March/April 2020: Supporting tools and instruments prepared by the WG Q

2. ESS TF PR meeting of 14-15 May 2019 First meeting: Objectives: To review the compliance/alignment of the European Statistical System (ESS) with the European statistics Code of Practice (ESCoP) to demonstrate to both the ESS and external stakeholders that the ESS is a system based on the principles of the ESCoP. To help NSIs and Eurostat to further improve and develop the national statistical systems (NSS) by indicating future-oriented recommendations.

2. ESS TF PR meeting of 14-15 May 2019 Scope: All ESCoP principles to be reviewed – Compliance to be reported, as well as progress achieved since the previous round to demonstrate advancement – Approach to combine audit-like and PR methodology Self-assessment phase to cover all ESCoP principles – PR phase to cover carefully selected principles to be reviewed in more detail – Selection by PR experts to be based on potentially problematic areas identified in SAQ, areas identified as “less positive” in previous round and areas for which improvement actions were difficult – Professional independence + new areas in the ESCoP to be covered in both A priori, no different weights on certain principles in different countries – Flexibility to PR teams to reviewing some principles in more detail than others, requiring good preparation and training of PR experts

2. ESS TF PR meeting in May 2019 ESS partnership might be introduced in the overall context – Idea to be further reflected on is whether some recommendations to be addressed to ESS in general (access to data or statistical confidentiality) Statistical domains will not be assessed While PR to be addressed to NSS, there is a need to clearly identify which recommendation is addressed to which authority/institution (NSIs, ONAs, government, other) – If recommendations addressed to institutions outside the ESS, such as government, there is a need to reflect on who should demonstrate compliance and how Documents and material already gathered in previous rounds of peer reviews should be used to the maximum extent, in order to ease the burden on the NSIs

2. ESS TF PR meeting in May 2019 ONAs involvement: Involvement of all ONAs is essential – NSIs should have a degree of flexibility to organise ONAs involvement and dealing with their responses Peer reviews should help both NSIs and ONAs – They will reinforce relations, coordination role of NSIs and ONAs will feel more involved in the NSS and get feedback from the peer review Single SAQ for each country, addressed to NSIs having a coordination role in the national statistical system – NSI and all ONAs producing European statistics to be covered in self-assessment phase and a reduced number of ONAs could be invited for peer reviewing phase, to be decided by the NSI – NSIs define the ONAs that are producing European statistics

3. WG Q of 12 June 2019 Discussions on the 3rd round of peer reviews: Feedback on conclusions from ESS TF PR Tasks delegated to the WG Q, formation of subgroups and roadmap 3 subgroups – 22 volunteers – max 10/subgroup First exchange of views on the development of the SAQ

3. WG Q of 12 June 2019 Tasks delegated to the WG Q and formation of subgroups develop the self-assessment questionnaire (subgroup 1 - Dec 2019) develop guidelines and other support tools (subgroup 2 – Jan. 2020) develop the methodology package develop templates agenda of peer review visits, reports and a menu of possible recommendations (subgroup 3 – Feb. 2020) develop training material for the experts and NSIs support Eurostat in reporting on the process and the results provide overall feedback on the process and draw lessons support follow-up process, incl. template for improvement actions

4. Roadmap and next steps After 2nd ESS TFPR meeting Eurostat will draft overall methodology to be endorsed by the ESSC in Oct. 2019 After the tasks of 3 subgroups are finalised in Feb. 2020 Eurostat drafts methodology package mid-March 2020 Presentation 4th meeting ESS TF PR in mid-March 2020 Consultation DIME – March/April 2020 ESSC endorsement methodology package 14 May 2020 First peer review of Eurostat in 2nd half of 2020

5. ESS Handbook on Quality and Metadata Reporting The treatment of comments received in the third consultation round was discussed via videoconference with the experts in the WG Q meeting of 12 June 2019 The final version of the EHQMR is due on 1 July Eurostat's internal consultations: 1) Coordination Group on Quality – written consultation 2) Directors’ Meeting Endorsement by Member States NSIs 1) DIME 2) ESSC

Thank you! Any questions?