2. National Statistics and official statistics labelling

The call for evidence asked respondents to consider whether to:

a) move from the current National Statistics badge to one for accredited official statistics

b) introduce a new badge for official statistics and a new badge for official statistics in development.

To help analyse the views we received to these questions, we categorised respondents as a producer (an official statistics analyst or producer organisation), or as a non-producer (a user or other stakeholder), to further consider the patterns of response.

While there were 51 responses to the call for evidence, there was a relatively high level of non-response to the four badge questions (that is, 21-23 respondents did not respond to the badge questions), particularly among non-producers (with 20-22 non-responding users or other stakeholders).

It was a small study and not generalisable to the whole population, but we have found the responses informative in guiding our decision making.

a) Replacing the National Statistics badge with an accredited official statistics badge

What you told us

Among those who responded to the question about the existing National Statistics badge, there was majority support for adopting the language of ‘accredited official statistics’ in place of ‘National Statistics’.

OSR’s response

We consider this feedback, combined with evidence gathered in our National Statistics Designation Review and Refresh project, which showed that the term ‘National Statistics’ is not well understood by users of statistics, as sufficient reassurance to adopt the change of wording in the badge design.

Outcome and next steps

OSR will replace the National Statistics badge with one for accredited official statistics.

We will develop a plan for the launch of the new badge in consultation with Heads of Profession for Statistics. The date of the launch is to be agreed: we will publish updates on our website in due course.

b) Badges for official statistics and official statistics in development

What you told us

The badges proposed for official statistics and official statistics in development produced contrasting reactions between respondents in producer organisations compared with respondents described as users and other stakeholders.

Producers who responded to the questions showed strong support for introducing the new badges, while the picture was more mixed for other respondents. While there was a slight preference for introducing the new proposed badges among non-producer respondents among those who answered, there was a high level of non-response to the badge questions. In addition, three key stakeholder organisations specifically warned against the adoption of badges for official statistics without independent verification of compliance.

OSR response

OSR intended for the new proposed badges for official statistics to clarify provenance of the statistics for users. The high levels of non-response could suggest a lack of interest among users, while some of the comments received indicate that a badge for non-accredited official statistics may be inferred as conveying approval by the regulator that is not warranted.

Given these findings, we conclude that we do not have sufficient reassurance that introducing badges for official statistics and official statistics in development will help users to understand the nature of official statistics in the way we would like, or that users will be appropriately guided by them.

Outcome and next steps

OSR will not introduce badges for official statistics and official statistics in development. It will instead require the use of clear written labels for official statistics and official statistics in development on these statistics.

OSR will prepare guidance for producers on the labelling of official statistics alongside the plans for the adoption of the new AOS badge.