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Session 4

Continuous Improvement of Quality Management Systems

3 June 2026
11:00 – 12:30
ŠIBENIK V SHOW ON MAP

Session chair
Jūratė Petrauskienė
Director General of the State Data Agency, Statistics Lithuania

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Dr. Jūratė Petrauskienė has been the Director General of the State Data Agency (Statistics Lithuania) since November 2019. She graduated from Vilnius University with a Master’s degree in Statistics and obtained her PhD in Mathematics in 2011. She has been working at Statistics Lithuania since 2004 and has been responsible for different domains of statistics: prices, quality management, development of new methods and technologies for production of official and experimental statistics, new data sources, implementation of GSBPM, and successive reorganisation of processes and the Organisational structure in the office. As Director General of Statistics Lithuania, Dr. Jūratė Petrauskienė initiated the state data reform, which included fundamental changes to the legal basis of data management, as well as massive technological changes in the institution and the state itself. Currently, Dr. Jūratė Petrauskienė is the Deputy President of the Lithuanian Union of Statistics, a member of the Advisory Council of Vilnius University Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics and, since 2024, a member of the Council of Vilnius University. Dr. Jūratė Petrauskienė is an active member of the ESS and the international statistical community. For the period of 2021–2023, she was a member of the Partnership Group of the ESSC, and since 2023 a member of ESAC; she is also a member of the International Statistical Institute (ISI) and its IAOS association, and President-Elect of IAOS for 2025–2027.

Presentation title
Process Excellence: Improving Statistical Quality Through Visibility of End-to-End Processing
PRESENTATION PAPER

Improving the quality of official statistics demands a deep understanding of the end-to-end processes underpinning their production.

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The Office for National Statistics - the UK’s largest independent producer of official statistics - is undertaking an ambitious project to strengthen quality by systematically mapping, visualising, and continuously improving the production ecosystem. The aim is to create a transparent and consistent approach that identifies risks, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement across the statistical lifecycle.

The initiative was designed to address three core objectives: to enhance process transparency; embed quality assurance throughout production; and foster a culture of continuous improvement. By mapping processes end-to-end, we sought to make implicit knowledge explicit, enabling teams to see how activities connect and where vulnerabilities may arise. This approach supports alignment with wider quality initiatives, and provides a foundation for evidence-based decision making.

Our methodology combines process mapping and detailed workflow capture from subject-matter experts, supported by risk-based assessments. Bespoke visualisation tools were created to provide clear, accessible representations of complex processes. Insights could then be used to inform targeted interventions, including redesigning workflows, clarifying roles and responsibilities, and introducing performance monitoring.

Successful implementation has taken place for several key national statistics. Process visualisation was found to improve understanding and accountability across teams, while early intervention of quality risks reduced the likelihood of errors. Streamlined workflows delivered efficiency gains without compromising accuracy or coherence. Importantly, the initiative also constituted a cultural shift: embedding continuous improvement as a shared responsibility rather than a reactive exercise.

These findings highlight that improving statistical quality through deep understanding of production is not a one-off activity, but an ongoing commitment. By institutionalising this approach, national statistical institutes can strengthen resilience and adaptability, ensuring that innovation supports rather than mimics quality. Our presentation will offer practical insights and a replicable model for embedding process-based quality improvement within official statistics production.

Main author / Presenter
Sophie Edgar-Andrews, Sam Baker
Office for National Statistics (ONS), United Kingdom

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Sophie Edgar-Andrews is a Deputy Director at the Office for National Statistics (ONS): the UK’s largest independent producer of official statistics. Her team is leading on the cross-office delivery of new ways of working and visual tools that will provide increased visibility of the end-to-end processes underpinning the production of core statistics. Sophie has a background in advanced analytics and was Head of Analytical Capability at the UK Health Security Agency prior to joining ONS in 2023. She has also led analytical teams through the COVID-19 pandemic as both a Consultant in Data Management and Analytics for the World Health Organization; and later as Head of Thematic Assessment at the Joint Biosecurity Centre. She has a PhD in Immunology and spent 5 years in academia undertaking research on HIV evolution. Sophie is is passionate about driving quality improvement holistically, through optimising infrastructure, systems, and practices. Sam Baker is a Senior Policy Advisor at the Office for National Statistics (ONS). She is part of the core team responsible for developing the Process Excellence toolkit to ensure it is fit for purpose and practicable at an organisational scale. Sam has a background in operational research and policy, and is currently on secondment to ONS from Statistics New Zealand, where she previously supported the New Zealand’s 2023 Census, developing field processes, contingency plans, and the knowledge base serving over 3000 staff. She has experience undertaking policy analysis across strategic, legislative, and operational domains, and also has an academic background in bioscience, having worked in multiple laboratory settings, where following robust processes with sound quality assurance was essential. Sam is eager to ensure Process Excellence is adopted with ease and enthusiasm, positioning production teams and their users at the centre of iteration decisions to ensure Process Excellence is a sustainable framework that maintains a fit for purpose status while producing tangible results.

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Presentation title
Innovation at Statistics Portugal: 20 Years of Evolution
PRESENTATION PAPER

Over the past two decades, the global data ecosystem has undergone a radical transformation.

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For Statistics Portugal (INE), this period represents a profound evolution, where innovation transitioned from a peripheral activity into a core, cross-cutting pillar. This journey has reshaped our processes, methodologies, and corporate culture, ensuring that official statistics remain a fundamental pillar of democracy in an era of rapid change. The National Data Infrastructure (IND) stands as the primary catalyst for this trajectory. More than a technological upgrade, the IND represents a holistic paradigm shift. By leveraging interoperability and the intensive use of administrative and other data, it has moved the NSI from traditional survey-based models toward a modern, integrated data-driven approach. This evolution has not only enhanced production efficiency but also enabled the creation of new, more granular statistical products. The current proliferation of data and the speed of information transmission—while posing significant challenges regarding misinformation—have provided Statistics Portugal with the opportunity to reinforce its role as a robust and credible information source. Through institutional examples and practical use cases, this presentation explores how strategic innovation and technical interoperability have been operationalized. We will demonstrate how this evolution provided the "rapid reaction" capability essential during global shocks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and how it continues to define a modern, resilient model for official statistics in the 21st century.

Main author / Presenter
Paulo Saraiva
Statistics Portugal (INE)

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**Paulo Saraiva** is **Data Management Director at Statistics Portugal**, where he leads the strategic coordination of data collection, administrative data integration, and the development of integrated data infrastructures for official statistics. He oversees the end to end management of survey, census, and administrative data, with a strong focus on quality, efficiency, and coherence across statistical processes. His work centres on the modernisation of statistical production, including the transition towards multi source statistics, the reduction of respondent burden, and the reuse of data for multiple purposes. He is actively involved in governance, interoperability, and ethical frameworks, ensuring innovation is aligned with legal requirements, data protection, and public trust. Paulo contributes to international statistical cooperation, notably within UNECE and HLG MOS, and brings an engineering background that supports a systems oriented and pragmatic approach to data management. Sofia Rodrigues, with a degree in management, is the Head of the Administrative and Business Data Unit at Statistics Portugal. Throughout her professional career, she has extensive experience in several statistical fields, including National Accounts; Planning; Business Registers and Business Statistics. Since 2019, she has been responsible for managing the team focused on collecting and analysing data from companies and institutions through online surveys, and administrative and other sources. Her work supports the production of official statistics and the provision of reliable and accessible data for scientic research. Portuguese representative of the European Inovation Network.

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Presentation title
Building a Culture of Quality in Official Statistics: Methodological and Technical Approaches at Croatian Bureau of Statistics
PRESENTATION

Quality in official statistics is a fundamental condition for credibility, public trust and evidence based decision making.

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Legally and methodologically, quality requires that national and European statistics are developed, produced and disseminated in accordance with harmonised standards, internationally comparable definitions and uniform methodological approaches. From the user perspective, quality means receiving clear, transparent and comprehensive information on the background, methodology and key quality dimensions of statistical outputs, enabling correct interpretation and appropriate use. The Croatian Bureau of Statistics (CBS) is firmly committed to ensuring quality statistical production for both national and European purposes. This commitment is grounded in the principles of the European Statistical System (ESS), the European Statistics Code of Practice and the ESS Quality Assurance Framework. Within this framework, quality is understood as a multidimensional concept that evolves through continuous interaction with users, systematic feedback mechanisms and the ongoing optimisation of statistical processes, methods and products. Building and maintaining a strong quality culture across the institution requires an integrated quality management system that encompasses all organisational levels. This includes strategic planning, operational coordination and the implementation of individual statistical processes aligned with the Generic Statistical Business Process Model (GSBPM). Such an approach promotes transparency, continuous improvement and active staff engagement, ensuring that quality principles are embedded in everyday statistical work. Quality reporting plays a central role in reinforcing this culture. CBS systematically prepares quality reports using harmonised ESMS, ESQRS and SIMS structures, supported by a dedicated quality reporting application. Reporting in accordance with the SIMS framework is detailed and seeks to provide a comprehensive and standardised description of statistical processes, methodologies, data sources, quality indicators and quality assurance measures. To support this work, CBS uses the POMI quality reporting system, which brings together quality reporting structures within a single environment and supports consistency, completeness and efficient management of quality metadata across statistical domains. In addition, CBS is engaged in the further development of its data and metadata exchange systems. The implementation of the latest version of SDMX (Statistical Data and Metadata eXchange) supports increased standardisation, automation and interoperability of statistical processes. By adopting updated SDMX standards, CBS seeks to improve the efficiency of data exchange with national and international partners and to support the consistent and transparent communication of quality-related metadata. Through coordinated efforts, CBS strengthens user trust, supports informed decision-making, enhances reliability and credibility of official statistics, and adapts to evolving requirements of statistics and quality standards.

Main author / Presenter
Snježana Mikša
Croatian Bureau of Statistics (CBS)

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Snježana Mikša is a Senior IT Technician at the Croatian Bureau of Statistics (CBS). She provides technical support for the POMI quality reporting application, helps transfer and update data, optimises system functionalities, and supports standardised reporting processes such as SIMS and ESQRS. Snježana also trains statisticians to use the system efficiently, contributing to reliable, consistent, and accessible quality metadata. Ivana Krušec is a Senior Advisor in the CBS Quality Department. She coordinates quality report preparation, monitors deadlines according to the Quality Reporting Calendar, and provides guidance to statisticians. Ivana fosters transparent and complete reporting, offers methodological support, and helps statisticians address challenges. Through close collaboration, they represent a team that listens to user needs, tackles challenges, and develops simpler, more efficient solutions, ensuring higher-quality, more user-friendly statistical outputs.

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