1. ETS Working Group: January 2006 Item 10
ETS Working Group: January 2006 Item 10. Multi-annual approach for assessment and improvement of the quality of the UOE data collection Presentation by Eurostat
Outline:
1. Objectives of multi-annual approach
2. Data needs
3. UOE quality report
4. Task-Force and time table

2. 1. Objectives of multi-annual approach
Goal : To make a concrete and practical response to policy requests with a view to filling in the framework regulation concerning the production and development of statistics on education and lifelong learning (COM(2005) 625 final).
Objectives:
- identify user needs in the context of the renewed Lisbon strategy (from Council and Commission DGs)
- derive an action plan for satisfying user needs
- adapt methodology and concepts to foreseeable changes in education systems (forward looking)

3. 1. Objectives of multi-annual approach
Scope: Focus will be on the UOE data collection;
- its relevance for full-filling policy requests,
- the comparability of the data
- coherence with other statistics
Tools:
- Fast-working Task Force for defining the multi-annual approach
- Eurostat quality report tool for analysing UOE data quality:
relevance, comparability and coherence

4. 2. Data needs
Council Conclusion of 24 May 2005 on new indicators in education and training: (annex 1 of doc. ETS 10)
Art. 9: it is desirable to develop a coherent framework of indicators and benchmarks to monitor performance and progress in the field of education and training;
Art. 10: the development of necessary data for new indicators can be a long term project, at times lasting 5-10 years;
Art. 13: full use should be made of existing data and indicators while further efforts should be made to improve their comparability, relevance and timeliness.
Art. 20: with a view to reporting back to the Council, no later than the end of 2006, to assess progress made towards the establishment of a coherent framework of indicators and benchmarks for following-up on the Lisbon objectives in the area of education and training, including a reconsideration of the suitability of existing indicators used for monitoring progress.

5. Investment efficiency. Mobility Vocational education and training
2. Data needs
Data needs of DG EAC: divided into short, medium and long-term horizons (annex 2 of doc. ETS 10). Relevance for the UOE data collection:
Investment efficiency.
Mobility
Vocational education and training
Adult learning
Languages
+ improvement of manuals and methodological notes

6. Stock-taking of on-going activities (Annex 3 of doc. ETX 10)
3. UOE quality report
Stock-taking of on-going activities (Annex 3 of doc. ETX 10)
Examples:
Separation of participants of ‘adult education programmes’
Systematic collection of data on VET
New concepts tested for measuring mobility
New data collection on survival rates and duration of tertiary studies (approximations for efficiency)
ISCED 6 coverage and comparability R&D expenditures by source and type of institution
Improved measurement of pre-primary education
List of educational goods and services
Financial aid to students

7. 3. UOE quality report
Future frame for work (Annex 4 and 6 of doc. ETS 10):
Development of statistical infrastructure to better measure relevant policy issues in the education systems by improving relevance, comparability and coherence of data;
Relevance: analyse user needs, availability of data (coverage time/geography) and completeness.
Comparability: documentation of differences between International (European) standards and national practices and proposals for their elimination. Building time series. Increased comparability between countries (deletion of footnotes).
Coherence: with other statistics: R&D statistics, LFS, national accounts

8. 3. UOE quality report
Concrete examples for possible improvements
(not exhaustive, see annex 4 of ETS 10):
Improved information on equity issues: public and private expenditure on education, types of expenditure, income of students, debt of students (financial aid to students)
Coverage of education programmes (comparability between countries)
Counting enrolments (full time, part time and full-time equivalents) and estimating first-time graduates
Differences in using ISCED (comparability between countries)
Definition of educational institutions
Reporting on teachers and academic staff

9. 4. Task-Force and time table
Mandate: elaboration of a multi-annual approach for responding to the data needs from the Council and the Commission.
Objective: To assess and improve the quality of the UOE data collection.
Deliverables: report detailing out the multi-annual approach. To be delivered to the ETS WG and discussed in June 2006.
Time table:
Comments by ETS WG delegates by 15/2.
1st meeting, week 12 (20-24 March)
2nd meeting, week 19 (8-12 May)
Report, end May
Discussion and approval at ETS WG June (planned for the June)

10. The ETS WG is invited to comment on:
The objectives of the multi-annual approach
The choice of parameters for assessing and improving the UOE data collection: relevance, comparability and coherence
The tentative list of ideas for future work
Eurostat invite the ETS WG delegates to:
Submit their ideas and suggestions for future work to Eurostat by February the 15th (so that they can be taken into account by the Task Force).
Suggest members for the Task Force.