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Session 17

Embedding Quality in Practice

4 June 2026
11:00 – 12:30
ŠIBENIK III

Presentation title
Implementing measures aimed at improving quality in the activity of the State Statistics Service of Ukraine
The State Statistics Service of Ukraine (SSSU) produces and disseminates official state statistical information according to the principles of the European Statistics Code of Practice and taking into account the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics.

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For the purpose of ensuring the observance of the principles of the European Statistics Code of Practice by all members of the national statistical system at the legislation level, the Ukraine law of official statistics has article 4 “Main principles of official statistics”.

To develop and improve the quality management system, the SSSU has set up the Commission on coordination of quality management system for statistical activity. A unit for ensuring the quality of statistical activity was set up.

In line with the GAMSO model, the National model for activity of the state statistics authorities was prepared. In 2021, it was used as a basis for compiling the documentation on quality management system. Risk identification and assessment are carried out annually. The staff are questioned about the observance of the principles of the European Statistics Code of Practice.

Since 2023, the SSSU has launched the preparation of standard quality reports on the state statistical observations using the European standard SIMS and reports on administrative data quality.

Under the implementation of the Strategy to reform the state governance, the SSSU takes measures to optimize the work processes using the technique “Lean”. According to the results of anonymous questionnaire survey of staff, every year there are at least two work processes which require optimization. In order to carry out the optimization measures, a work group is set up which prepares projects on work process optimization, drafts plan for their implementation and evaluates the results of project implementation.

The SSSU regularly conducts the survey of quality management system in accordance with the Common Assessment framework (CAF). Their results are used to prepare a draft action plan on improving the quality management system and putting forward the proposals to optimize procedures and work processes.

To foster the quality culture, the technique “Objectives and Key Results” (OKR) was introduced in the SSSU. According to the OKR technique, the SSSU runs meetings with the management of independent structural units to identify aims and develop measures for their implementation for the next quarter, discusses the results of these measures performance, and plans further steps aimed at improving the activity quality.

Main author / Presenter
Nataliia Pavlenko
State Statistics Service of Ukraine

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Deputy Director, the Department for Planning, Development and International Cooperation, the State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Head, the Division for Planning and Development within which the Section for ensuring the quality of statistical activity was set up and functions now. Nataliia Pavlenko heads the SSSU Commission on coordination of the system for quality management of statistical activity. She has been working for 40 years for the statistics authorities, of which 14 years for the Statistical office in the city of Kyiv, since 1989 she works for the State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Since 2009, she is in charge of issues related to ensuring activity quality, thus meeting her job responsibilities.

Presentation title
Promoting a quality culture across the institution : Analysis of the French SSP and key improvement levers
Promoting a quality culture across the institution is a major challenge for official statistics.

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Beyond formal frameworks and tools, quality culture refers to how quality principles are understood, shared and embedded in everyday decisions and practices at all organisational levels. It shapes the consistency of trade-offs, supports continuous improvement and, ultimately, strengthens a statistical system’s ability to sustain trust and relevance in a rapidly evolving data environment.

This paper presents a structured analysis of the French Official Statistical Service (SSP) and discusses levers that may help strengthen an institution-wide quality culture. It is organised around three axes. First, it revisits the notion of quality culture in the context of official statistics and clarifies why reinforcing it matters, distinguishing a cultural dynamic (collective appropriation of principles, shared behaviours, organisational learning) from an approach focused primarily on documentary or procedural compliance.

Second, the paper offers a reading of the French SSP based on publicly available elements of its quality policy and 2022–2027 quality strategy, supplemented by internal analytical elements at a deliberately generic level. The objective is to illustrate how these documents frame ambitions for a shared quality culture and set priorities at system level, without aiming to provide an exhaustive overview of local practices.

Third, the paper will discuss potential levers to consolidate an institutional quality culture, drawing on recognised references and relevant literature. The general orientations associated with the ongoing ISO 9001 revision will be considered as one possible input among others. This analysis seeks to identify practical lines of reflection and action that can be adapted to different national contexts.

The French SSP is thus used as a case study to derive lessons and points of attention that may be useful to other statistical institutes seeking to promote a quality culture across the institution.

Main author / Presenter
Alycia Andre
INSEE

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I currently work as a quality expert at the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE), within the French Official Statistical Service. My work focuses on quality management, organisational processes and continuous improvement in official statistics. I previously worked in a highly regulated public research organisation (CEA), where I was involved in quality and audit-related activities. I have a background in quality, audit and sustainable development. My current interests include quality culture, governance and the role of quality in supporting trust and relevance in official statistics.

Presentation title
Advancing Quality Culture, Continuous Improvement, and Innovation in Official Statistics: From Concept to Maturity – PCBS Experience
Building a mature culture of quality has become a strategic objective for national statistical offices seeking to enhance trust, efficiency, and innovation in official statistics.

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This paper offers a conceptual reflection—supported by insights from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS)—on how the integration of quality culture, continuous improvement, and innovation can evolve from conceptual understanding to institutional maturity.

Drawing on the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) Maturity Model on Quality Culture in Official Statistics (2025), the paper explores how the six dimensions of quality culture, awareness and innovation, communication, data governance, quality monitoring, management commitment, and staff engagement, can be gradually embedded within a developing statistical environment. It discusses how these dimensions collectively foster a sustainable environment of learning, creativity, and accountability.

The Palestinian experience is presented as a practical reflection of how a national statistical office in a developing context can initiate this journey toward maturity. Through leadership engagement, teamwork, and capacity development, PCBS has progressively applied the principles of Total Quality Management (TQM), the PDCA cycle, and the EFQM model to strengthen institutional quality thinking. These efforts have enhanced coordination, documentation, and innovation across internal processes.

This paper proposes a structured conceptual framework inspired by both international models (ISO 9001:2015, EFQM, UNSD Maturity Model) and local lessons from Palestine. It highlights the importance of viewing quality as a shared organizational mindset that drives modernization and user trust in official statistics.

Aligned with the Q2026 theme “Official Statistics: Enhancing Trust, Shaping the Future,” this paper fits within Track 1 – Institutional Framework for Quality Management (subtheme: Fostering a culture of quality within the organization) and intersects with Track 2 – New Trends and Challenges for Quality (subtheme: Innovation and methodological quality assurance).

Main author / Presenter
Daliah Shahin
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics

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Iam the Head of the Quality Systems Department at the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS). She works in the field of quality management systems, with a particular focus on the application of ISO standards, institutional quality control, and ensuring the quality of administrative records within official statistics. I have professional experience in quality assurance, process improvement, and the application of quality frameworks across various statistical processes. Her work contributes to fostering a culture of quality, supporting continuous improvement initiatives, and enhancing the reliability and accessibility of administrative data sources. My participation in the conference reflects a theoretical and practical perspective on developing a robust culture of quality and innovation in official statistics, based on international quality frameworks and national institutional experiences.

Presentation title
Continuous Improvement System at the CZSO: Domain Specific Methodological Audits
The evaluation phase is integral to the cyclical nature of the GSBPM, supporting the statistical organization's commitment to continuous improvement.

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Evaluation typically utilizes varied input from core processes, obtained through both automated sources (such as information systems) and manual methods (including surveys and feedback records from external and internal users, as well as employee suggestions).

Auditing represents a structured approach to information collection aimed at continuous improvement. It is defined as a systematic, independent, and documented process for assessing an organization's conformity with general quality standards and its internal quality system, while also considering stakeholder requirements and relevant internal and external factors. In this context, the relationship between an ISO-standard audit and the Evaluation phase of the GSBPM is characterized by both overlap and synergy; the ISO audit serves as a specific instrument or activity that can contribute to achieving the broader objectives of the GSBPM Evaluation phase.

A standard internal auditor, generally trained in financial or general internal auditing, may assist with audits of official statistics; however, conducting a comprehensive, independent methodological audit requires specialized knowledge or the collaboration of a team with relevant expertise. Auditing official statistics production processes and products is a distinct discipline that exceeds the parameters of conventional financial or compliance audits.

This paper aims to describe the system of domain-specific methodological audits implemented by the Czech Statistical Office, which addresses the inherent knowledge constraints faced by standard auditors. It outlines the primary objectives of methodological audits, their comprehensive scope encompassing the entire statistical production process, as well as the assessment of statistical output quality. Furthermore, it details the composition of audit teams, which combine external specialists with independent internal users, and provides a general overview of this specific auditing process, including the development and execution of improvement action plans.

Main author / Presenter
Egor Sidorov
Czech Statistical Office

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Director of the Executive Office of the President of the Czech Statistical Office since 2010. Responsible for external and internal communication, information support of the top management, analytical activities, support for innovations, bylaw development, strategic, process, and risk management.

Presentation title
Digital Assessments as a Standardized Procedure for Analysis and Quality Evaluation of Statistical Production Processes
Digital Assessments are a mandatory procedure for the structured analysis, evaluation and further development of statistical production processes within the German Statistical System.

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This procedure identifies deviations between actual statistical subject-matter workflows and standard to-be processes, assesses the level of digitalization and highlights modernization potentials. Thereby Digital Assessments support key objectives of digital transformation, including automation, integrated end-to-end digital process chains, the use of standardized tools and the application of modern data sources and technologies, such as AI-supported methods. As a result, Digital Assessments make a central contribution to the strategic development of statistical production and strengthen the ability of the German Statistical System to implement future modernization requirements in a systematical and quality-assured manner.

Digital Assessments are applied both in new development projects and in change projects involving existing IT systems and statistical workflows. While they contribute to the design of future-oriented to-be (in German: SOLL) processes along the standard reference models in new developments, in existing applications they primarily serve to analyze and evaluate unavoidable or historically evolved deviations and to examine whether methodological or technical enhancements can reduce these deviations.

As part of the further development of the Digital Assessments concept, the core elements of the procedure were fundamentally revised. The streamlining of Digital Assessments was achieved through reductions in methodological efforts, documentation and resource requirements. Specifically, for example, the scope of templates was reduced from fourteen to two core templates per GMAS phase (GMAS is the German business process model of official statistics, equivalent to the GSBPM), and the focus was placed more strongly on the identification and evaluation of deviations from the standard to-be processes and tools. At the same time, the roles responsible for the overall procedure and their deployment were defined, with methodological expertise being explicitly emphasized in order to systematically incorporate innovation potentials—such as the use of register data, advanced statistical methods and machine learning.

The Digital Assessments concept thus provides an efficient, consistent and at the same time methodologically robust procedure that supports both new and existing statistical processes and sustainably promotes the digital modernization of official statistics.

This paper introduces the concept of the Digital Assessments and its streamlining within the German Statistical System.

Main author / Presenter
Arijana Amina Ramic
Federal Statistical Office of Germany

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Arijana Amina Ramic studied mathematics and information technologies and has been working in official statistics for a total of 20 years. She has been working for the past 10 years at the Federal Statistical Office of Germany, where she is mainly responsible for the improvement of the quality of the statistical products through the improvement and modernization of the statistical processes and tools. Thus, she is jointly responsible for the standardization, automation and optimization of various subprocesses of the whole statistical production process as well as of the tools used based on the new conceptual ideas and results of digital assessments in decentralized statistics. She is included through different aspects and projects in the development of the Statistical Data Ware House as well as in the development of the standardized statistical production process within the German Statistical System.