Table of Contents Section No Section Title Page 1 BACKGROUND 1 1.0. International Comparison Program 1 1.1. Data Quality Assessment Framework 1 1.1.0. Prerequisites of quality 2 1.1.1. Assurances of integrity 2 1.1.2. Methodological soundness 3 1.1.3 Accuracy and reliability 3 1.1.4. Serviceability 3 1.1.5. Accessibility 3 2 PART A: GLOBAL OFFICE ACTIVITIES 6 2.0. Prerequisites of Quality 6 2.0.1. Legal and institutional environment 6 2.0.2. Resources 8 2.0.3. Relevance 10 2.0.4. Other quality management 10 2.1. Assurances of Integrity 11 2.1.1. Professionalism 11 2.1.2. Transparency 13 2.1.3. Ethical standards 14 2.2. Methodological Soundness 15 2.2.1. Concepts and definitions 15 2.2.2. Scope 16 2.2.3. Classification/sectorization 16 2.2.4. Basis for recording 17 2.2.5. Aggregation 18 2.3. Accuracy and Reliability 19 2.3.1. Source data 19 2.3.2. Assessment of source data 22 2.3.3. Statistical techniques 23 2.3.4. Assessment and validation of intermediate data and statistical outputs 24 2.3.5. Revision studies 24 2.4. Serviceability 25 2.4.1. Periodicity and timeliness 25 2.4.2. Consistency 25 2.4.3. Revision policy and practice 26 2.5. Accessibility 27 2.5.1. Data accessibility 27 2.5.2. Metadata accessibility 28 2.5.3. Assistance to users 29 3 PART B: REGIONAL COORDINATOR ACTIVITIES 31 3.0. Prerequisites of Quality 31 3.0.1. Legal and institutional environment 31 3.0.2. Resources 33
3.0.3. Relevance 35 3.0.4. Other quality management 35 3.1. Assurances of Integrity 36 3.1.1. Professionalism 37 3.1.2. Transparency 38 3.1.3. Ethical standards 40 3.2. Methodological Soundness 40 3.2.1. Concepts and definitions 41 3.2.2. Scope 41 3.2.3. Classification/sectorization 41 3.2.4. Basis for recording 42 3.2.5. Aggregation 44 3.3. Accuracy and Reliability 44 3.3.1. Source data 44 3.3.2. Assessment of source data 47 3.3.3. Statistical techniques 48 3.3.4. Assessment and validation of intermediate data and statistical outputs 49 3.3.5. Revision studies 49 3.4. Serviceability 50 3.4.1. Periodicity and timeliness 50 3.4.2. Consistency 50 3.4.3. Revision policy and practice 51 3.5. Accessibility 52 3.5.1. Data accessibility 52 3.5.2. Metadata accessibility 54 3.5.3. Assistance to users 54 4 PART C: NATIONAL COORDINATOR ACTIVITIES 56 4.0. Prerequisites of Quality 56 4.0.1. Legal and institutional environment 56 4.0.2. Resources 58 4.0.3. Relevance 60 4.0.4. Other quality management 60 4.1. Assurances of Integrity 61 4.1.1. Professionalism 61 4.1.2. Transparency 63 4.1.3. Ethical standards 64 4.2. Methodological Soundness 65 4.2.1. Concepts and definitions 65 4.2.2. Scope 66 4.2.3. Classification/sectorization 66 4.2.4. Basis for recording 67 4.3. Accuracy and Reliability 68 4.3.1. Source data 68 4.3.2. Assessment of source data 71 4.3.3. Statistical techniques 71
4.3.4. Assessment and validation of intermediate data and statistical outputs 72 4.3.5. Revision studies 73 4.4. Serviceability 74 4.4.1. Periodicity and timeliness 74 4.4.2. Consistency 74 4.4.3. Revision policy and practice 75 4.5. Accessibility 76 4.5.1. Data accessibility 76 4.5.2. Metadata accessibility 77 4.5.3. Assistance to the Regional Coordinator 77
The ICP Handbook is compiled on the basis of internationally accepted theory and practices regarding purchasing power parities and is widely accepted as such (e.g. through adequate peer review by internationally accepted experts in the field of statistics). The ICP Handbook requirements are followed in compiling the ICP statistics. Deviations in the Handbook from internationally accepted theory and practices are explicitly agreed with the Global Manager and are kept under review (see also 5.2.1). Scope —The scope is in accord with internationally accepted standards, guidelines, or good practices. scope is broadly consistent with internationally accepted standards, guidelines or good practices The scope of ICP statistics covers the complete final expenditure components of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for all countries. The scope of the ICP statistics covers the basic headings covering final expenditures on GDP as defined in the version of the United Nations System of National Accounts (SNA) on which the ICP benchmark Round is based. GDP estimates and expenditure data for each of the basic headings are to cover the full range of economic activities and transactions that are included in the SNA production boundary. Price collection arrangements must ensure that national annual average prices, consistent with the underlying expenditure weights for each of the basic headings, are available for countries/economies participating in the benchmark study. The Global Office is to estimate purchasing power parities and volume estimates for countries/economies that do not participate in the benchmark study using internationally accepted estimation techniques. Classification/sectorization — Classification and sectorization systems are in accord with internationally accepted standards, guidelines, or good practices. systems used are broadly consistent with internationally accepted standards, guidelines, or good practices i. The classification and sectorization used in the compilation of ICP statistics are in broad conformity with internationally recommended systems.
Processes are in place to focus on quality i. There is recognition throughout the office of the Regional Coordinator that quality builds trust and thus is a cornerstone of statistical work. Management is sensitive to all dimensions of data quality, and promotes a shared concern for quality throughout the office of the Regional Coordinator (e.g., mission statement emphasizes importance of quality, managers are held accountable for achieving quality). Staff training programs emphasize the importance of quality and give staff an understanding as to how quality may be achieved. The Regional Coordinator provides an infrastructure for quality by recognizing trade-offs, economies of scale, and interrelations between datasets. The Regional Coordinator has implemented externally recognized processes or activities that focus on quality (e.g., Total Quality Management, ISO 9000, quality initiatives within the UN-sponsored Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities, and independent evaluations). Information is publicly available on the Regional Coordinator’s commitment to quality, including information about trade-offs affecting the statistical work program. Processes are in place to monitor the quality of the statistical program i. Measures are in place for a systematic monitoring and review of quality. Monitoring processes are in place to inform managers on the quality achieved in the regional component of the ICP benchmark Round (e.g., data gaps, editing rates, revisions history, adherence to timetables). National Coordinators have access to expert guidance on the quality of their statistics and on strategies for improving data production. Periodic reviews are undertaken to identify steps necessary to maintain or improve quality in future ICP Rounds. Processes are in place to deal with quality considerations in planning the statistical program i. In planning the regional component of the ICP, quality issues (including implicit and explicit trade-offs among the dimensions of quality) are considered. Quality issues, such as the following, are addressed explicitly and taken into account in the work program planning process: - quality improvements identified during ongoing monitoring and in periodic reviews;
Unusual or unexpected differences among PPPs (e.g. arising from incorrect weighting data) are investigated. Comparisons with data from previous ICP rounds are used to check the credibility of the latest results. 3.3.5. Revision studies — Revisions, as a gauge of reliability, are tracked and mined for the information they may provide. 3.3.5.1. Studies and analyses of revisions between initial and final results are carried out routinely and used internally to inform statistical processes (see also 4.3.3) i. Revision studies are undertaken on a regular basis. Studies assess the initial estimates for the regional component of the ICP Round against revised or final estimates and comprise: - studies of scale (magnitude of revision and number of time series revised) - studies of direction of revisions. Studies investigate the sources of errors, omissions, and fluctuations in the data and explain the methods of revising the data. ii. Measures are undertaken to incorporate the findings from revision studies in data compilation. Findings from revision studies are used to define the optimal publication cycle that is largely driven by the availability of country data. Findings from revision studies are used to refine preliminary data and data collection programs for the subsequent ICP benchmark Rounds. Adequate documentation on revisions is well maintained and includes description of causes of revisions, methods used to incorporate new data sources, the consultations that took place with countries, and the way data are adjusted. Serviceability Statistics, with adequate periodicity and timeliness, are consistent and follow a predictable revisions policy. Periodicity and timeliness — Periodicity and timeliness follow internationally agreed understandings. Periodicity follows agreed understandings i. The periodicity of the statistics follows understandings reached at the United Nations Statistical Commission.