Guidance about Assessment

This page contains links to guidance about assessment and designation.

The producer handbook describes the assessment process in a way that helps producers to understand the various aspects of assessment. The assessment process includes collecting evidence about compliance with different practices in the Code from statistical producers in two ways - evidence relating to the organisation as a whole, and evidence relating to practices relating to specific outputs - the latest templates for each of these are linked on the right.

The remaining links are to relevant Statistics Authority statements clarifying various aspects of assessment and designation, as follows:

"Statement on Assessment and Designation" briefly describes the assessment process and explains what designation means and doesn't mean.

"Criteria for not awarding the National Statistics designation" outlines two broad grounds for not awarding the National Statistics designation.

"Criteria for deciding upon the format of an Assessment Report" describes the circumstances under which the Authority will decide to produce a shortened report in respect of any assessment.

"Statement on Value for Money" describes the Authority's approach to raising the profile of the concept of Value for Money in Assessment reports. 

"Principles and Procedures for Assessment" lists the broad principles underpinning assessment, published alongside the Code of Practice for Official Statistics in January 2009.

"Statement on Compliance with Standards for Statistical Releases" describes the Authority's arrangements, from July 2011, for including additional detail in Assessment Reports about the quality of statistical release.