1. Urban Audit Quality Check of 2003 Urban Audit Data
Eurostat Working Group on Regional Statistics 3-5 November 2004
Willibald Croi, Landsis g.e.i.e. (Luxembourg)
supported by Prof. Risto LEHTONEN, University Jyväskylä (Finland)

2. Control Methods Checking of variables totals with provided aggregates
Checking of indicator values against control limits
Time line controls
Interactive check

3. Control Methods Systematic controls Uni- and multi-variate controls
Controls at each spatial level
Controls across spatial levels
Controls for each year/period
Controls across years/periods

4. Checking of variable totals against provided aggregates
Example: UK001 (London); 2001; Total Resident Population; DE1040V = DE1002V+DE1003V (Male + female)
City Level:
= 
LUZ Level:
= 
SCD Level: (ex. UK001D05007 Highgate)
= 
National Level:
= 
Kernel level:
= 
(Tolerances for estimates or rounding included)

5. Checking of indicator values against control limits
Fixed ranges of accepted values according to common sense Ex.: EC3060I Proportion of HH reliant on Social Security:
Accepted values in range of 6-49% (GHK control)
Out of in total 1269 values, 643 are out of range…

6. Checking of indicator values against control limits
Acceptable ranges of indicator values calculated using descriptive statistics
Mean, SD of indicator values calculated per period, per country, per groups of countries (EU12, EU15) at all spatial levels (i.e. city, LUZ, SCD1 & 2)
iterative process (excluding obvious outliers, e.g. value >100% in proportions)
depending on relevance and data availability
Individual values compared to ranges of +-x*SD from mean

7. Checking of indicator values against control limits
Acceptable range = Mean +-3*SD (according to indicator)

8. Time line controls
Average growth rates will be calculated and cross/checked with national growth rates
Depending on number of available data

9. Time line controls
Ex.: SA1023V Average price for a house per m – 2000 Finland:

10. Interactive checks  Individual controls
Values that might not be controlled by systematic procedures:
Values not yet controlled (missing value of an age group for a specific spatial unit, too few years available etc.)
no meaning of means and SD
 Individual controls

11. Error Reports Each record “out of control” will be flagged “?”
Lists will be discussed, checked and agreed by Eurostat before sending to NUACs
Lists of values to be controlled will contain meta data on the control procedure
NUACS are in charge to validate (update or confirm) the data
Guidelines concerning the procedure will be given

12. Schedule Two phases:  Workplan 1. Phase October – December 2004
Error localisation started with implementation of systematic controls
Error reports expected for week 49 (end Nov.)
Validated data from NUACs expected by Eurostat before the end of the year
2. Phase May – June 2005:
control of data received since October 2004

13. Thank you for your Patience !