The Standards for Official Statistics describe the standards and practices required to ensure statistics serve the public good.
Building confidence in the people and organisations that produce statistics and data 
Trustworthiness
Show integrity
1. Producers must act with integrity, working and communicating in honest, objective and professional ways, and challenging misuse – so that the public can have confidence in the behaviours of those involved in handling and using data and statistics
1.1 Act professionally, work collaboratively and behave responsibly
1.2 Handle data and statistics with honesty and integrity, in ways that serve the public good
1.3 Present statistics impartially and objectively, ensuring statistical communication is balanced and does not mislead. Provide clear explanations to support appropriate interpretation of key messages
1.4 Monitor the use of your statistics. Challenge notable misuse of the statistics or raise concerns with the Office for Statistics Regulation
Lead responsibly
2. Producers must lead responsibly and make impartial decisions about statistics, under the direction and authority of the Chief Statistician/Head of Profession for Statistics – so that the public can have confidence in the independent and objective nature of statistics
2.1 Promote the requirements of the Code of Practice across the organisation, including at the most senior levels of leadership
2.2 Provide impartial advice on the use of statistics, and foster an evidence-based approach to decision making
2.3 Apply impartial, professional judgement to decide methods, standards and procedures, as well as the content, timing, frequency and mode of release for regular and ad hoc statistics with the approval of the Chief Statistician/Head of Profession for Statistics
2.4 Seek the approval of the Chief Statistician/Head of Profession for Statistics for major revisions to statistics; new official statistics and official statistics in development; to cease the production of official statistics that are no longer viable or required; and when seeking a change to the accreditation of official statistics
2.5 Publish a statement of compliance outlining how the statistics are produced in line with the core principles of Trustworthiness, Quality and Value
2.6 Apply good business practices in managing resources. Raise any concerns with senior leaders about inadequate funds to deliver key statistical priorities that are in line with the standards of the Code
2.7 Recruit suitably skilled staff and apply an appropriate competency framework. Have clear roles and responsibilities for these staff
2.8 Provide sufficient resources and time to enable staff to develop skills, knowledge and competencies, including training on applying the Code, secure data handling and quality management
2.9 Where needed, seek the advice of the National Statistician or the relevant Chief Statistician on professional matters, including any concerns about statistical independence
2.10 Periodically review adherence to the Code with the advice of the Chief Statistician/Head of Profession for Statistics. Promptly report serious concerns about meeting the Code to the Director General for Regulation
Be transparent
3. Producers must release the statistics in a transparent way, at a standard time (usually 9.30am), and pre-announce the date and timing of the release – so that the public can have confidence in how and when the statistics are released
3.1 Pre-announce the release of statistics with the time and date in a 12-month release calendar. Give a specific release date and time four weeks ahead where possible
3.2 Agree changes to pre-announced release dates or times with the Chief Statistician/Head of Profession for Statistics and announce promptly, explaining the reasons
3.3 Limit access before public release to those involved in the production of the statistics and the preparation of the output, and for quality assurance and operational purposes. Maintain a list of those who have access before the statistics are finalised. Give no public indication of the statistics before release and do not share without prior permission of the Chief Statistician/Head of Profession for Statistics
3.4 Act in line with the relevant pre-release access rules and principles set out in legislation when circulating official statistics in their final form
3.5 Release on a timely basis, meeting the needs of users as far as possible and as soon as the statistics are ready, under the guidance of the Chief Statistician/Head of Profession for Statistics
3.6 Release at the standard time of 9.30am on a weekday unless an alternative release time is agreed with the Director General for Regulation
3.7 Advise on the appropriate use of statistics in policy and ministerial statements and ensure links to source statistics are given. Ensure policy and ministerial statements are not included in the release of official statistics
3.8 Provide a straightforward way for users to contact the producer team
3.9 Release revisions and corrections of errors transparently and as soon as possible in line with the organisation’s published policy, being clear about the nature and scale of change
3.10 Ensure the status of the statistics is clear in the release – state whether they are accredited official statistics, official statistics or official statistics in development, and if the accreditation has been removed, draw users’ attention to the loss of accreditation
3.11 Be transparent about your approach to the orderly release of statistics in a published release practice policy
Manage data responsibly
4. Producers must manage data and statistics safely and securely and be open about how data will be used and protected – so that the public can be confident about providing their own information for official statistics
4.1 Be ethical in how you collect, access, use and share data to serve the public good and be transparent about your approach in a published data management policy
4.2 Consider evidence on the degree to which the collection and use of data for sensitive topics are viewed as acceptable by society, particularly when planning new data collections or exploring new statistical methodologies or in periods of substantial change that impacts an official statistic. Explain your decisions
4.3 Always consider the rights of data subjects and manage in ways that are consistent with data protection legislation. Clearly explain their rights and how their information will be used and protected when collected for statistical purposes
4.4 Keep and handle data safely and securely. Follow all relevant statutory obligations governing the collection, storage, sharing, access, linking and analysis of data. Be transparent about breaches of privacy and act publicly in addressing weaknesses
4.5 Protect the confidentiality of individual and business information when producing statistics. Be transparent about the choices made in line with the producer’s published confidentiality policy and apply appropriate disclosure control methods before release
4.6 Hold regular reviews of the data management arrangements used and share best practice across the organisation to ensure data protection procedures remain effective. Keep pace with changing circumstances such as technological advances
Data and methods that produce assured statistics 
Quality
Prioritise quality
5. Producers must support a quality culture that promotes good practice and encourages learning and improvement, under the direction of the Chief Statistician/Head of Profession for Statistics – so that the public can have confidence that published statistics are produced by organisations that continuously improve quality standards
5.1 Promote and apply appropriate quality standards, taking account of how quality can change
5.2 Provide a supportive environment to enable staff to propose improvements in ways of working and raise quality concerns
5.3 Promote the sharing of good practice and examples of effective quality management. Learn from both mistakes and good practice and conduct timely reviews of quality concerns
5.4 Work collaboratively with data supply partners, other producers, topic experts and other partners to develop a common understanding of quality matters. Welcome and seek their input on ways to improve quality
5.5 Periodically review the effectiveness of your processes and quality management approach and be open about findings and planned improvements
5.6 Keep up to date with possible ways to improve the statistics. Innovate where possible to keep statistics relevant and useful. Collaborate across professions and organisations where appropriate
5.7 Assess the added value of potential improvements to methods and consider the impact on the statistics, including in relation to comparability and coherence
5.8 Publish your quality management approach and explain how it aligns with your organisation’s commitment to data quality
Be rigorous
6. Producers must use suitable data sources and sound methods, and assure the quality of the statistics across the production and release processes – so that the public can have confidence that the statistics are produced in robust ways and fit for their intended purpose
6.1 Produce statistics to a suitable level of quality that means they meet their intended uses and are not misleading
6.2 Use the most suitable data for what needs to be measured. Monitor for changes in the data sources and potential bias in the data. Explain any issues and their implications for use of the data in producing statistics
6.3 Check the suitability and availability of existing data from governmental and non-governmental sources before collecting new data. Ensure that opportunities for data sharing, data linkage, cross-analysis of sources and the reuse of data are taken wherever feasible
6.4 Maintain constructive relationships with those involved in the data provision, statistics preparation and quality assurance processes. Be clear about your data supply and quality requirements and understand how these will be met. Where possible, provide feedback to data suppliers on your use of their data
6.5 Ensure the burden on those providing their information is proportionate to the anticipated benefits
6.6 Use data that are coherent when aggregated, consistent over time and comparable across and within geographies at regional, national and local levels, where possible. Seek to design new statistics in ways that achieve UK comparability and improve consistency and coherence with related statistics
6.7 Base methods on national or international good practice, scientific principles or professional consensus. Identify potential bias and address limitations. Use recognised standards, classifications and definitions. Explain reasons for deviations from these standards and any related implications for use
6.8 Collaborate with experts, other analysts and statistics producers in the UK and internationally where appropriate and share best practice
6.9 Use a proportionate quality assurance approach across production and release processes. Validate statistics through comparison with other relevant statistics and data sources where possible
6.10 Verify that the statistics are representative and of suitable quality and monitor relevant quality dimensions for both input data and the statistics, such as completeness and validity, accuracy and reliability, coherence and comparability, and timeliness. Quantify statistical error, including bias, and produce measures of confidence where possible
6.11 Regularly review strengths and limitations in the data and statistics, including the continued suitability of data sources and methods. Be open about your decisions and reasons for change
Be open about quality
7. Producers must prominently explain the quality of the statistics, including strengths and limitations, and communicate the uncertainty in estimates – so that the public can have confidence in using the statistics to make decisions and take actions
7.1 Prominently communicate the quality of the statistics and the strengths and limitations that impact their use, reflecting the needs of different types of users
7.2 Report on the key quality dimensions, such as accuracy and timeliness, and, where possible, give estimates of error and confidence for the statistics. Summarise how uncertainty in the estimates may impact use by using qualifying words, numbers or graphics
7.3 Explain the nature of data sources and why they were selected, anticipating possible areas of misunderstanding or misuse. Prominently communicate limitations in the underlying data and explain their impact on the statistics
7.4 Be clear about the methods used. Explain quality issues related to the methods, systems and processes, including the extent to which the statistics are representative and comparable across the UK and internationally. Describe potential bias and steps taken to address it
7.5 Give advance notice to users of planned changes to methods and sources that will impact the statistics. Explain the nature and extent of the change, and provide a consistent back series where possible
7.6 Clearly flag where statistics are being developed and tested. Be transparent about developments, outlining the plans and expected outcomes, as well as the opportunities for users to be involved in the evaluation of the statistics
Value
Statistics that support society’s needs for information
Be relevant
8. Producers must put users at the centre of decision making about the statistics, listening and responding to feedback, and be transparent about statistical planning – so that the public can have confidence that statistics are relevant and useful
8.1 Be accountable to users by providing the means for users to engage meaningfully in open and constructive ways, enabling questions to be asked and providing prompt responses
8.2 Actively engage key users of your statistics, such as those in academia, business, civil society, the media and public bodies, to identify the most important questions the statistics need to answer. Report on the findings and your decisions in your annual statistical work programme
8.3 Gain views from a range of users to inform decisions 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. Involve users in the ongoing development and testing of statistics
8.4 Review user satisfaction routinely, considering the relevance, timeliness, accessibility, clarity and accuracy of the statistics and data. Provide feedback to users about your findings and resulting actions
8.5 Publish your public involvement and engagement strategy. Be clear how you engage with users inside and outside of your organisation, as well as other stakeholders with an interest in the statistics, such as intermediaries and community groups
8.6 Consider new and innovative ways to engage that better meet the needs of users and potential users
Be clear
9. 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
9.1 Release relevant, clear statistics, data and related information that are suitable for different types of users
9.2 Communicate the statistics in a way that helps users understand issues and support them to make appropriately informed decisions. Provide a clear description of the main messages with suitable data visualisations
9.3 Provide comparisons to support interpretation and signpost other relevant statistics, including within the UK and internationally. Explain the consistency and coherence with other related statistics and sources
9.4 Explain how the statistics add value and serve the public good, to demonstrate and help users and potential users understand how they could inform decision making
9.5 Aid understanding by highlighting potential misinterpretations. Clarify the meaning of the statistics when they are used inappropriately
9.6 Collaborate with other producers across the UK and subject experts to provide appropriate context and insight on the statistical topic
9.7 Give advance notice of material changes to the content of releases, such as the removal of data tables or variables, and any change in the frequency of release
9.8 Consider new ways to present data where appropriate. Improve ways of disseminating and presenting the statistics. Look to better meet the needs of different types of users and potential users
Be accessible
10. Producers must ensure 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
10.1 Provide free and equal access to regular and ad hoc published statistics
10.2 Make sure statistics, data and related guidance are easily accessible. Provide other relevant information, such as metadata and coding where appropriate
10.3 Account for the needs of disabled people, using accessible communication formats and means which should work with commonly used assistive technologies and be in line with accessibility legislation
10.4 Provide data at the greatest level of detail that is practical to support use. Publish useful supplementary analyses and statistics and data from commonly asked queries
10.5 Support the reuse of data and statistics, preventing barriers to use where possible. Ensure statistics are reproducible. Support data and statistics to be shared, accessed and linked, using common data standards with associated metadata
10.6 Be transparent about any supplementary statistical services that you provide and, where you decide to charge, publish your pricing policy
10.7 Ensure that statistics continue to be publicly available, such as through web or data archiving
