Helen, our Head of Development and Impact at the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR), reflects on why the principles of the Code have endured and flourished, even as the social and technical landscape has changed around them.
OSR has recently refreshed its Code of Practice for Statistics, which sets the standards for the production and onward communication of official statistics across government.
Code 3.0, the new Code, has evolved in several important ways since the previous edition, reflecting substantial changes in the data landscape. These include an increased demand for statistics from users, and developments in the ways that statistics are produced and disseminated. However, the core principles of the Code – Trustworthiness, Quality and Value (TQV) – remain, providing the framework for a Code that ensures statistics serve the public good.
The principles of TQV are simple:
Trustworthiness is about building confidence in the people and organisations that produce statistics and data.
Quality is about using data and methods that produce assured statistics.
Value is about ensuring statistics support society’s needs for information.
Since the TQV framework was introduced in Code 2.0, it has become firmly embedded across the statistical system. This includes within OSR – forgive me if I’m wrong, but I’m not sure any other government analytical standards have made it onto a team-leaver’s gift hoodie!
So, what is it about TQV that lends itself to this persistence (and devotion)? I have a three-part theory:
1. TQV is intuitive
Given common definitions and understanding of these concepts, it’s hard to imagine that many people would consider trustworthiness, quality and value bad things to see in statistics, or indeed to see in most things in life! Committing to uphold the standards of Trustworthiness, Quality and Value when producing and communicating statistics should mean, for an end user, that the numbers they’re using to inform their understanding and decisions are reliable tools to understand the world. Would anyone ask for the contrary?
2. TQV is universal
TQV provides an ethical framework that can support the publication of any kind of analysis or evidence. It is relevant for, and can be used by, anyone in any organisation who wants to ensure that the information they provide is relevant, informative and impactful. TQV does not prescribe a particular way of producing or presenting statistics; instead, the focus is on building public confidence and delivering public good, which allows for and encourages the adoption of new and innovative approaches. And TQV remains robust in the face of threats to the public good, helping organisations to demonstrate their commitment to public interest and to mitigate concerns about misinformation.
3. TQV is easy to remember!
This sounds frivolous, but it’s important. I’ve worked as a government statistician for 5 years and a regulator of statistics for 6, and I still don’t know every practice of the Code off by heart. There is probably a statistician out there that does, but I haven’t met them yet. However, I can remember TQV. My understanding of what these concepts mean and the outcomes they can support, even at a high level, has consistently enabled me to make informed decisions and act, advise and (I hope) inspire others to act in a way that is consistent with working towards serving the public good. I think others out there, in many different roles relating to data and statistics, could say the same.
So, there you have it – my theory on why TQV is so powerful. We’d love to hear your own views and experiences of using the refreshed Code. If you’d like to get in touch, please email regulation@statistics.gov.uk.