Value: Standards for Official Statistics with related practices

8. Producers must put users at the centre of decision making about the statistics, listening to and acting on feedback, and be transparent about statistical planning

so that the public can have confidence that statistics are relevant and useful

• Ensure statistics support informed and effective decision making. Involve users in deciding on your work programme, including when statistics are started, stopped or changed, being clear on where and why user needs can and cannot be met, such as addressing information gaps
• Be open about your public engagement strategy and how you work with stakeholders, including users and potential users of statistics outside of your organisation
• Maintain a dialogue with a range of users. Be deliberate and proactive in engaging stakeholders and accountable to users
• Be open about your annual statistical work programme and how you make the best use of available human, financial and technical resources
• Use a variety of methods to engage with users that are suited to different types and preferences of users. Use evidence of stakeholders’ interests and consider new and innovative ways to engage that better meet the needs of users and potential users
• Review user satisfaction routinely, considering the relevance, timeliness, accessibility, clarity and accuracy of the statistics and data
• Involve users in the ongoing development and testing of statistics

9. Producers must ensure the statistics are accessible and freely available to all  

so that the public can have confidence that there is equal access to official statistics and the value of data are maximised

• Provide free and equal access to regular and ad hoc published statistics
• Make sure statistics, data and other relevant information, such as metadata, coding and guidance, are easily accessible, and account for the needs of users with disabilities, in line with accessibility legislation
• Provide data at the greatest level that is practical to support use. Enable data and statistics to be shared, accessed and linked, using common data standards
• Support the reuse of data and statistics. Release useful supplementary analyses, and statistics and data from commonly asked queries

10. Producers must clearly present the statistics to support appropriate interpretation, collaborating with other producers and experts to develop fuller insight for key topics

so that the public can have confidence that the statistics support understanding and use

• Release relevant, clear and unambiguous statistics, data and related information that are suitable for all types of users
• Communicate the statistics in a way that helps users understand issues and empowers them to make better decisions
• Provide a clear description of the main messages with suitable data visualisations. Help users interpret complex results without undue emphasis on a single message
• Provide comparisons to support interpretation and signpost other relevant statistics. Explain the consistency and coherence with other related statistics and sources
• Advise and support users. Anticipate misunderstandings by pointing out potential misinterpretations. Clarify the meaning of the statistics when they are used inappropriately
• Collaborate with other producers across the UK and subject experts to provide appropriate context and insight on the statistical topic
• Improve ways of disseminating and presenting the statistics. Look to better meet the needs of different types of users and potential users

Related information

Understanding the Code and how it supports the public good: an introduction to the core concepts of Trustworthiness, Quality and Value

Guiding Principles from the Code: these principles explain how anyone working with data can put TQV into practice, in a wide range of settings

Standards for Intelligent Transparency: these standards set out what public bodies need to do to ensure an open, clear and accessible approach to the publication and communication of data, statistics and wider analysis

Guidance hub: information that supports use of the Code, including understanding and delivery of the principles and standards

Back to the standards hub