1. 3rd WGM Meeting 3 May 2018
Item 2.3 Possible standards for ESS Validation

2. Menu of the day Background ESS Methodological Handbook – Version 1.1
VTL – version 2.0
Validation report structure
WGM is invited to…

3. Background
ESS VIP 2020 Validation project adopted in 2012 and closed in 2015
In 2016, deployment phase with new name: "Validation rules and services".
Among major deliverables of the project, 3 are possible candidates for standardisation process:
2 mature enough for standardisation process,
1 probably mature later this year

4. ESS Methodological Handbook – v1.1 What?
Reference framework on ESS Data Validation with common:
definitions,
classifications,
metrics.
Main objective: provide a common language about data validation that can be used in phases:
Design,
Production.
Intended for all people involved in Validation process: survey managers, methodologists, statistical production designers, …

5. ESS Methodological Handbook – v1.1 ToC
Foreword 1 What is data validation 2 Why data validation - Relationship between validation and quality 3 How to perform data validation: validation levels and validation rules 4 Validation levels from a business perspective 5 Validation levels based on decomposition of metadata 6 Relation between validation levels from a business and a formal perspective 7 Data validation as a process 8 The data validation process life cycle 9 Metrics for data validation 10 Properties of validation rules 11 Metrics for a data validation procedure 12 Assessment of validation rules Appendix A: List of validation rules Appendix B: Glossary References

6. ESS Methodological Handbook – v1.1 Versions
Version 1 released in June 2016 by ESSnet validat Foundation
Version 1.1 released in March 2018 by ESSnet Validat Integration (LT)

7. VTL version 2.0 What?
Unambiguous, efficient and high-level language for statistical organisations to:
Communicate and exchange:
validation rules
Data transformation algorithms
Implement services:
Data validation
Data transformation
Key Principle: Well-documented and appropriately communicated validation rules

8. VTL version 2.0 Context - sponsors
Based on a generic information model that can be used with different standards: SDMX, DDI, GSIM or others
VTL is maintained by the VTL Task Force, composed of members of Eurostat, ISTAT, ECB, ILO, INEGI, Bank of Italy
The VTL Task Force works under the umbrella of the SDMX Technical Working Group

9. VTL version 2.0 Tools and services under development
ECB VTL parser and BIRD portal
ESS-NSI:
Norway Java API based on JSON-stat format
Poland VTL to SQL translator (UNECE paper)
Istat VTL Editor
Eurostat:
Sandbox: simple GUI + VTL translator to SQL
Compiler (part of Content Validation Service)
Validation Rule Manager

10. VTL version 2.0 Versions VTL 1.0: March 2015 VTL 1.1: November 2016
Collection of comments (public review)
VTL 1.1: November 2016
VTL 2.0: Published 16 April 2018 on SDMX Website (at

11. VTL version 2.0 Future
May 2018: eBNF (technical notation for implementation)
March 2019: Integration in SDMX:
Exchange of VTL rules in SDMX format,
Alignment of VTL & SDMX Information Models.
By end 2018: ESS framework:
Simplified documentation (core operators),
VTL scripts for main types of validation rules,
Tools and services.

12. Validation report structure What?
Standard Validation report structure for the ESS:
Machine-readable,
Human-readable.
Basic requirements:
Identifiability
Combinability
Aggregability
Key Principle: Well-documented and appropriately communicated validation errors

13. Validation report structure State of Play
ESSnet Validat Integration (NL) has :
Designed a generic machine readable validation report structure (see CROS)
Developed a pilot with IT components (see Github)
Provided an example of a pilot dashboard (see here)
PL has reused these components in a pilot
Eurostat :
works on the convergence of the work of the ESSnet with Eurostat cases such as National Accounts,
Will work on integrating the standard report in Validation services (STRUVAL & CONVAL)

14. WGM is invited to…
Give its opinion on including in the ESS standardisation pipeline:
the Handbook “Methodology for data validation 1.1”
VTL 2.0
Have an initial exchange on including in the ESS standardisation pipeline:
the ESS standard validation report