Quality champions
Quality champions aim to raise the quality of official statistics produced by government departments.
Their main responsibilities are to:
- share guidance and best practice related to quality with their department
- keep colleagues up to date with developments relating to quality
- act as their department’s central point of contact for advice on quality
- identify areas within their department where extra support is needed in terms of improving statistical quality
- attend and actively participate in quality champion meetings
- share their experiences with the quality champion network
The network of quality champions across the Government Statistical Service (GSS) supports the statistical Heads of Profession and the Quality Centre, a GSS-facing team which sits within the Best Practice and Impact division within the Office for National Statistics. The Quality Centre manages the quality champion network.
Want to be a quality champion?
Each government department can nominate a quality champion (or several champions) to work with the network of quality champions who meet on a quarterly basis.
If you would like to be a quality champion please email: gsshelp@statistics.gov.uk
Purpose
The purpose of the quality champions network is to support statistical Heads of Profession (HoP) in their requirements under the Code of Practice for Statistics to report, maintain and improve the quality of statistics across the Government Statistical Service (GSS).
The network provides crucial links both across government departments and with the GSS Quality Centre. Through sharing knowledge and best practice across the GSS, the network helps to ensure that the GSS produces high quality statistics.
A specific aim of the quality champions network is to help deliver the GSS Quality Strategy, including promoting innovative methods, ensuring data is of sufficient quality and implementing reproducible analysis.
The work of the quality champions network applies across all statistical products, datasets and data tables produced and published across the GSS, either regularly or irregularly.
Roles and responsibilities
To share best practice in my department by
- ensuring my HoP and colleagues within my department are kept up to date with guidance produced by the Quality Centre and any other developments relating to quality
- acting as the central point of contact within my department for advice on quality
- considering producing internal guidance documents on quality for my department – the Quality Centre have many examples of these from across the GSS which can be shared
To support my HoP in ensuring delivery of the GSS Quality Strategy within my department by
- working with my HoP and consult with all GSS members in my department to produce an action plan outlining what activities will take place in my department to achieve the GSS aims within the strategy
- working with my HoP to provide biannual updates to the Quality Centre on these actions to enable progress of the strategy to be tracked
To identify areas where support is needed from the Quality Centre by:
- working with my HoP to identify any quality issues with new data sources and review the approach to quality reporting and quality assurance within my department
- seeking support from the Quality Centre in these areas where it is needed
The following support can be provided by the Quality Centre:
- training courses on quality
- consultancy service
To attend quality champion network meetings and share best practice by:
- attending and actively participate in quarterly champion meetings
- submitting an agenda item or presenting at the quarterly champion meeting to showcase developments or practice in my department relating to quality or to discuss a challenge
- building links with champions in other departments to share knowledge
Membership
The group membership will consist of representatives from departments across the GSS who are responsible for statistical inputs and outputs.
To be a quality champion, you need to commit to the role outlined on this page. This may require you to get permission from your line manager or HoP.
Benefits
The network is for the benefit of the GSS and all users of government statistics.
The main benefit to statistical producers is an increase in compliance with the quality aspects of the Code of Practice for Statistics. High quality statistics build trust in our statistics and in us as statistical producers and inform sound policy decisions for the public good.
The quality champions network provides a space for champions to share their experience, learn from others and support the wider analytical community. On a personal level, being a quality champion is a great corporate objective as it is an important “big picture” contribution to the civil service and a significant development opportunity.
Scope
In scope:
- Advising and encouraging teams responsible for statistical outputs to follow the quality principles in the Code of Practice for Statistics
- Promoting best practice
- Facilitating discussion and knowledge sharing
- Building links across departments
In addition to statistical outputs quality champions will need oversight of a variety of products which form part of the statistical process, including data, management information, modelling etc.
Out of scope:
- Enforcement of the Code of Practice for Statistics
It is not the intention of the quality champions network to seek to enforce compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics. Instead the network aims to promote good practice and offer support and advice to make compliance easier to achieve.
Communication
The primary form of communication between the GSS Quality Centre and the quality champions will be through email correspondence, quarterly meetings, and quarterly updates. There may also be opportunities to hold workshops and events for quality champions.
Charter
The Quality Centre have produced a GSS Quality Champions Charter to help quality champions to understand their role. Email gsshelp@statistics.gov.uk if you would like a copy of this.
Acronym | Department | Surname | First name |
---|---|---|---|
BEIS | Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy | Christopherson | Olivia |
BEIS | Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy | Kelly | Steve |
Cabinet Office | Cabinet Office | Stillwell | Darren |
Cabinet Office | Cabinet Office | Jolly | Tobias |
DCMS | Department for Digital. Culture, Media and Sport | Deda | Wilmah |
DEFRA | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | Martell | Eleanor |
DEFRA | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | Woodend | Andrew |
DfE | Department for Education | Lakhani | Shyam |
DfID | Department for International Development | McLeod | Paula |
DfT | Department for Transport | Williamson | Katherine |
DH | Department for Health and Social Care | Batley | Mike |
DIT | Department for International Trade | Ariwa | Jess |
DIT | Department for International Trade | Julienne | Olivia |
DWP | Department for Work and Pensions | Watson | Laura |
DWP | Department for Work and Pensions | Pearce | Adam |
DWP | Department for Work and Pensions | Rass | Sandy |
FSA | Food Standards Agency | Clifford | Robin |
Gambling Commission | Gambling Commission | Barnfield-Tubb | Jennifer |
HMRC | HM Revenue & Customs | Brunning | Matthew |
Home Office | Home Office | Stathoulopoulou | Katerina |
Home Office | Home Office | Pillai | Nina |
IPO | Intellectual Property Office | Beck | Pauline |
NHS Digital | NHS Digital | Little | Adam |
HSE | Health and Safety Executive | Young | Charlotte |
HSE | Health and Safety Executive | Wilkinson | Sam |
HSE | Health and Safety Executive | Webster | Simon |
MHCLG | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | Smith | Claire |
MoD | Ministry of Defence | Flecknoe | Kerry |
MoJ | Ministry of Justice | Lorek | Joanna |
MoJ | Ministry of Justice | Wall | David |
NHS National Services Scotland | NHS National Services Scotland | Davies | Richmond |
NISRA | Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency | Broomfield | Norma |
NISRA | Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency | Fulton | Ruth |
NRS | National Records of Scotland | Mackenzie | Hugh |
NRS | National Records of Scotland | Macintyre | Tom |
OFSTED | Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills | Booth-Rigby | Emma |
OFSTED | Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills | Nelson | Tom |
OME | Office of Manpower Economics | Whitfield | Grant |
ORR | Office of Rail and Road | Ramyead | Aruna |
PHE | Public Health England | Gill | Sonia |
PHE | Public Health England | Morbey | Roger |
SG | Scottish Government | Smith | David |
SG | Scottish Government | Macfarlane | Jamie |
VOA | Valuation Office Agency | Lyall | Claire |
WG | Welsh Government | Gillard | Rebecca |
WG | Welsh Government | Lloyd | Rachel |
ONS | Office for National Statistics | O'leary | Louise |
ONS | Office for National Statistics | Watson | Clare |
If you would like an e-mail contact for a champion please email gsshelp@statistics.gov.uk.
Contact
Best Practice and Impact division
Email: gsshelp@statistics.gov.uk