Quality work
Statistics Sweden’s quality policy (pdf)
Statistical quality
Issues related to the quality of the statistics and how it can be improved have always been central to Statistics Sweden. Information on the quality of the statistics to the users of the statistics is reported for the quality components relevance, accuracy, timeliness and punctuality, availability and clarity as well as comparability and coherence. These quality components are described in the quality handbook.
In cooperation with international experts, Statistics Sweden has developed a system called ASPIRE (A System for Product Improvement, Review and Evaluation) to evaluate the accuracy in statistics. External reviewers perform evaluations for a selection of Statistics Sweden’s most important statistical products. Based on these evaluations the reviewers give recommendations to improve the accuracy in the statistics.
A manual is now available to provide guidance for new reviewers and a reference for more experienced reviewers. The manual also gives a general description of the work with ASPIRE at Statistics Sweden.
A System for Product Improvement, Review and Evaluation, ASPIRE - a manual (pdf)
The review team presents the annual results of the evaluations in a report to Statistics Sweden. The overall results are also presented in Statistics annual report.
A Twelfth Application of ASPIRE for Statistics Sweden (pdf)
Statistics Sweden has reviewed the ASPIRE approach together with the ASPIRE team of international experts. The objective of the review was to further develop the ASPIRE approach by addressing identified weaknesses, while maintaining identified strengths of the previous approach. Other important objectives were to strengthen the connection between ASPIRE and the Evaluation of the Quality of Official Statistics (SOS-Q), applicable to all statistical agencies in Sweden, and to learn from the quality review approaches used by other statistical offices. The final report presents the recommendations for a revised ASPIRE approach which is more fit for purpose for Statistics Sweden.
ASPIRE review 2023 - final report (pdf)
Process quality
Statistics Sweden produces statistics in a process-oriented manner and increasingly uses standardised operating procedures, methods and tools. These are described in an internal information and support system.
Statistics Sweden is conducting regular internal quality audits to validate and provide a basis for improvements in its operations.
Organisational quality
The framework consists of Statistics Sweden’s management process, which takes its starting point in how external requirements and requests are handled until finalised by external reporting. Planning and follow-up of operations, finances, and human resources as well as risk management ensure that the agency meets the goals and solves the task that are ultimately governed by the Directive and Appropriations instructions.
Principles and guidelines for statistics work
Statistics Sweden meets the UN Fundamental Principles for Official Statistics, and its operations are conducted in line with the International Statistical Institute’s (ISI) Declaration on Professional Ethics and the Swedish Statistical Association’s code of ethics for statisticians and statistical operations.
Statistics Sweden complies with the European Statistics Code of Practice, which is the cornerstone of the common quality framework of the European statistical system. The Code of Practice contains principles covering the institutional environment, statistical processes and statistical outputs.
European Statistics Code of Practice (pdf)
How the quality work is organised
Statistics Sweden’s managers are responsible for the quality work at each unit and department. The heads of each department are assisted by a quality coach, who works part-time to support managers and employees on quality issues. Statistics Sweden’s quality manager is in charge of evaluating the quality management system and coordinating the internal quality audits.