The QMF highlights the need for statistical surveys to be precise and well-executed, with continuous monitoring and feedback loops to identify and address potential issues. Integrating administrative data is promoted to improve quality and reduce the burden on respondents. Data confidentiality and security are also prioritised, ensuring privacy protection and statistical-only usage.

A commitment to standardised concepts, definitions, and classifications ensures consistency and comparability of data. Recognising that statistical processes are subject to errors, the document provides guidance on assessing and mitigating them to maintain the reliability of statistical estimates.

Metadata plays a key role in documenting statistical processes and enhancing user understanding. This is also complemented by clear and transparent data presentation which is key, adhering to established guidelines for text, tables, and charts.

The QMF reflects NSO’s commitment to quality, which is one of the main pillars that that distinguishes official statistics from other forms of statistics. By adhering to these principles, NSO can enhance the quality, relevance, and reliability of its statistical outputs, fostering public trust and supporting evidence-based decision-making. I trust these guidelines can also prove useful to our statistical partners that either produce their own statistics or contribute to the production of official statistics.