Annex 1: List of requirements and recommendations from this review

Requirement:

To support user confidence and the appropriate and ongoing use of census data affected by the pandemic (including where census data are used as a data source in other statistics, such as the annual mid-year estimates), ONS should:

• provide more detail in its guidance to help users understand what weight can be placed on affected statistics in decision making.
• signpost to other relevant topic statistics available for 2021, beyond those based on census, that could also provide users with a more holistic view of a particular topic.
• explain, by census topic and geographic breakdowns, which estimates may be affected and why. For local authorities in England and Wales, the information provided should include an analysis that identifies factors or characteristics of an area that may lead to increased uncertainty for that area.

Recommendations:

1. To better inform users of any publication changes, particularly when corrections or revisions are made, ONS should consider what action it can take to improve its communication of changes.
2. To improve the accessibility of all census outputs, including bulletins, data visualisation tools and quality information, ONS should review and continue to improve website navigation informed by user views.
3. Given the insight gleaned from the Census Quality Survey on topic questions, we expect ONS to use its 2021 results, particularly for those questions with an agreement rate lower than 85%, to inform any future development of survey questions, including in the areas of employment and economic activity.
4. To enhance the navigability of census quality information, including between the range of Census 2021 outputs, ONS should review its census website to consider how the user interface can be improved.
5. To strengthen its relationship with users, ONS should be more responsive to quality advice from key stakeholders, particularly local authorities, and respond to any feedback appropriately, detailing any actions taken and explaining, where feedback was not acted on, why.
6. To aid transparency and help manage expectations, ONS should follow through with its plans to develop and publish UK-level estimates for key census categories in summer 2025. It should continue to keep users updated about anticipated timelines, what outputs are being developed and how user needs are being considered.