Methodology
Quality Assurance
This website provides information on how to develop and implement a National Quality Assurance Framework (NQAF). A NQAF is a coherent and holistic system for statistical quality management which assures trust and quality of official statistics across the entire national statistical system.
The new UN NQAF Manual
Please find enclosed on this website the unedited (white cover) version of the United Nations National Quality Assurance Frameworks Manual for Official Statistics (UN NQAF Manual). The manual and the recommendations contained therein were adopted by the United Nations Statistical Commission at its 50th session in March 2019 and (decision 50/106). The Statistical Commission welcomed the UN NQAF Manual as an important contribution in guiding countries in the implementation of a national quality assurance framework, including for new data sources, new data providers, and for data and statistics of the Sustainable Development Goal indicators. The Manual was developed by the Expert Group on National Quality Assurance Frameworks (EG-NQAF) which has been re-established by the Statistical Commission at its 48th session in March 2017.
The UN NQAF Manual builds on and replaces the generic United Nations National Quality Assurance Framework template and guidelines (UN NQAF template and guidelines) adopted in 2012. Specifically, Chapter 3 and Annex A of the UN NQAF Manual fully correspond to and replace the UN NQAF template and guidelines of 2012. The other chapters of the UN NQAF Manual are new. In Chapter 2 the manual provides recommendations, Chapters 4 to 8 provide implementation guidance and Chapter 9 provides additional information and references regarding quality assurance in the global context.
Additional materials and information
This website also presents additional materials such as an inventory of national and international quality references that has been updated, information on the Expert Group on NQAF, quality terminology references and some further background information. According to its further programme of work endorsed by the Statistical Commission the Expert Group plans to develop and provide additional materials and tools to support the implementation of a national quality assurance framework in countries. The Expert Group will meet in early July 2019 to address this task.
Meetings and Events
Workshop on the Implementation of a National Quality Assurance Framework for Official Statistics in countries of the Africa Region
The Workshop aims at training participants from national statistical offices of the Africa region on quality assurance and the development of a national quality assurance framework and its implementation throughout the national statistical system, with special focus on quality assurance of data from new sources, new providers and SDG indicator data and statistics.
Second meeting of the Expert Group on National Quality Assurance Frameworks (EG-NQAF)
The meeting will review the workplan of the Expert Group and its implementation plan for the UN NQAF Manual, work on the development of a checklist for self-assessment and other tools and develop a plan for an ongoing engagement with countries.
