Chapter navigation
Our judgement
We conclude that the statistics generally meet the standards of the Code of Practice for Statistics. DE communicates quality and methods information clearly and transparently and has plans to further strengthen data collection and quality through the introduction of a new MIS.
However, we have identified further improvements where further action is needed. DE should publish a clear development plan for these statistics, explaining the scope and nature of the development and setting out the timeframe it is expected to run. Once the new MIS has been fully rolled out and DE has developed a good understanding of the impact on quality, DE should assess whether the statistics are of sufficient trustworthiness, quality and value to be published as official statistics. DE should then look to remove the ‘in development’ label and publish the statistics as official statistics as soon as practicable.
Based on the findings of this review, we have identified three recommendations that DE should address to further enhance the statistics’ Trustworthiness, Quality and Value:
- To enhance transparency and ensure users are aware of key planned developments, DE should publish information about the transition to the new MIS in the 2027 statistical release. This should include details such as what is changing, why the transition is happening and the work that is being carried out to assure the quality of data from the new system. DE should consult our Quality Assurance of Administrative Data (QAAD) framework to guide this work. In the meantime, DE should alert users about the planned change.
- To better understand and meet the needs of users, DE should plan how it will increase user engagement beyond the department. The outcomes of any user engagement activities should be communicated to users.
- To demonstrate statistical leadership and enhance transparency, DE should continue to develop and publish its annual statistical workplan required by Code 3.0.
Next steps
We expect DE to publish its annual statistical work programme by October 2026 and provide a public update on its progress implementing the MIS and addressing our recommendations by December 2026.
We will remain available to discuss plans with the team and will follow up on these recommendations to offer support and guidance as needed.