How to apply the Code voluntarily

The voluntary application (VA) approach is flexible and entirely optional.

Voluntary application of the Code is an ongoing commitment, but making that commitment will help you produce outputs that are high quality, useful for supporting decisions, and well respected.

If you choose to adopt and apply the three pillars of the Code, we ask that you publish a statement about why you think users can be reassured that the statistics produced by your organisation achieve Trustworthiness, Quality and Value.

Organisations on our list of voluntary adopters have all published statements that you can look at as examples.

When deciding whether you want to adopt the code, it is helpful to:

  • understand the three pillars
  • review the approach to producing and publishing statistics in relation to the pillars
  • consider if there are ways of improving practice

If you’d like to find out more, have a look at our Guide to Voluntary Application