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 UN NQAF Manual

 

Please find enclosed on this website 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 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 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, the United Nations National Quality Assurance Framework (UN NQAF) contained in Chapter 3 and Annex A of the Manual fully corresponds to and replaces the UN NQAF template and guidelines of 2012. 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.

The unofficial translation of the UN NQAF Manual into French, Russian and Spanish is now available (manuscript subject to final editing) NEW


Meetings and Events

Workshop on the Implementation of a National Quality Assurance Framework for Official Statistics in countries of the Africa Region

6-9 December 2022   Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The Workshop will train participants from national statistical offices on quality assurance and its implementation throughout the national statistical system and support the development of additional guidelines on quality assurance. The Workshop will provide an overview of the contents of the Manual and the UN National Quality Assurance Framework, review and discuss the implementation of quality assurance in participating countries and discuss quality assurance in the case when new and administrative data sources are being used. The sharing of experiences will also support the development of further implementation guidance.


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Side Event of the 53rd Session of United Nations Statistical Commission: Roadmap for the implementation of NQAF and additional checklists

10 February 2022   New York

During the 53rd Session of United Nations Statistical Commission, the Expert Group on National Quality Assurance Frameworks (EG-NQAF) organized a side event titled " Roadmap for the implementation of NQAF and additional checklists". It presented the work on additional tools to support countries in implementing their national quality assurance framework (NQAF) and in achieving quality improvements. It introduced a roadmap for the implementation of the national quality assurance framework developed by the Expert Group and guidance on the development of additional quality assurance checklists for specific purposes. In addition, South Africa and the Philippines presented their own journey and ongoing efforts towards the implementation of their national quality assurance framework. Over 70 participants attended this side event.


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International Workshop on the implementation of NQAF and GSBPM

10 - 11 January 2022   Virtual event

The workshop aims to increase the knowledge of participants of the Asia and the Pacific region in the implementation of the national quality assurance framework (NQAF) and the Generic Statistical Business Process Model (GSBPM). This workshop is organized by the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), in collaboration with the Government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) through the National Bureau of Statistics of China, and with support of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.


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Side Event of the 51st Session of United Nations Statistical Commission: Quality assurance as a tool of official statistics in the new emerging data ecosystem

4 Mar 2020   New York

During the 51st Session of United Nations Statistical Commission, the Expert Group on National Quality Assurance Frameworks (EG-NQAF) and the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) organized a side event titled "Quality assurance as a tool of official statistics in the new emerging data ecosystem". The event brought together 60 participants to discuss how quality assurance and the new United Nations National Quality Assurance Frameworks Manual for Official Statistics, as an operational and strategic tool, can support countries in safeguarding the role of official statistics as a trusted source of information in a changing environment.


Please find enclosed a brief summary of the side event: SUMMARY NEW

All presentations are available at the below link:

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Workshop on the Implementation of a National Quality Assurance Framework for Official Statistics in countries of Eastern-Europe/Central-Asia Region

10 - 13 Dec 2019   Belgrade, Serbia

The Workshop aims at training participants from national statistical offices of the Eastern-Europe/Central-Asia 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.


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Workshop on the Implementation of a National Quality Assurance Framework for Official Statistics in countries of the Africa Region

14 - 18 Oct 2019   Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

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.


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