Istat’s Quality Guidelines - European Statistical System (ESS)

The Italian National Statistical Institute, Istat, has recently published in its website the English version of the Quality Guidelines for Statistical Processes. The Quality Guidelines were adopted by Istat in 2010, published in Italian on Istat website in 2011 and successively revised at the end of 2012, mainly to take into account the changes in the European Statistics Code of Practice.

Quality assessment, by means of statistical  auditing and self-assessment, is performed at Istat with respect to the principles stated in the Quality Guidelines since 2010.
Indeed, the Quality Guidelines contain the principles to be followed in planning, executing and assessing statistical processes. They also specify the quality requirements that statistics should be compliant with. It has been deemed valuable to issue summary - although comprehensive - Quality Guidelines. They are organized in two parts dealing respectively with Process Quality and Product Quality.

The Quality Guidelines are especially addressed to survey managers responsible of Istat's statistical production processes. However, they can be a useful reference for other Institutions within the Italian National Statistical System and for the users of statistical information.

Nevertheless, statisticians working in National Statistical Institutes or dealing with Official Statistics, in the European Statistical System and beyond, might also find an interest in reading Istat's Quality Guidelines. Thus, the Quality Guidelines have been translated into English and made available in Istat website. 

For sending comments or requests of further information, please contact Ariella Martino.

For further information:

• Istat's Quality Guidelines for Statistical Processes
• ESS contact person Ariella Martino