The meeting will discuss the draft Manual of the United Nations National Quality Assurance Framework (UN-NQAF) which is being developed by the Expert Group based on decision 48/106 of the United Nations Statistical Commission in March 2017. The Commission requested the Expert Group to address implementation issues, among them assuring the quality of SDG indicator data and data from new sources and new data providers. The draft chapters have been developed in virtual meetings and two rounds of formal consultations over the last year. This meeting will review the draft chapters in detail with the aim to resolve remaining issues and to make the draft Manual ready for the worldwide consultation among all countries before its finalization and submission to the 50th session of the Statistical Commission in March 2019.


For details regarding the meeting venue please contact NQAF Expert Group Secretariat (UNSD).


Tentative agenda of the meeting (as of 1. October 2018)

In general, morning sessions will be conducted from 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and afternoon sessions from 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Monday, 29 October 2018

  1. Opening and introduction
  2. Review of chapter 1-Introduction
  3. Review of chapter 2-Core recommendations
  4. Review of chapter 3-Updated UN NQAF and annex
    1. Introduction to and review of overall structure
    2. Review of principles 1 ‐ 19 and all their requirements
    3. Review of elements to be assured

Tuesday, 30 October 2018

  1. Continuation from previous day
  2. Chapter 4 ‐ Introduction and review of the overall structure
  3. Review of chapter 4, part A-Introduction to quality management, assessment tools, and risk management

Wednesday, 31 October 2018

  1. Review of chapter 4, part B-Development and implementation of NQAF
  2. Review of chapter 4, part C-Implementation of quality assurance within the national statistical system
  3. Review of chapter 4, part E-Quality assurance of SDG indicator data and statistics

Thursday, 1 November 2018

  1. Review of chapter 4, part D-Quality assurance for statistics compiled from different data sources
  2. Review of chapter 5-Quality assurance in the global statistical system
  3. Summary of discussion and next steps (Worldwide consultation, Report to the Statistical Commission, Finalization of Manual as background document)
  4. Other work: Communication, implementation strategy and capacity building
    1. Survey results and updated website
    2. Proposal for an implementation strategy and capacity building
    3. Proposal for a renewed/updated mandate of EG-NQAF
  5. Closing