Monitoring the quality of the National Accounts

Proposes an extended quality framework for meeting commitments to monitor closely quarterly estimates and publish material on specific data setsThe Office for National Statistics (ONS) regularly monitors and publishes indicators of the quality of its statistics. However, when publishing plans for the modernisation of the National Accounts, ONS said in February 2007 that it would monitor closely the quality of quarterly estimates through 2007 and 2008. In its response to the Treasury Committee report on the ONS efficiency programme, the Government noted that ?ONS plans to publish material on the quality of specific National Accounts data sets early next year?. This article proposes an extended quality framework for meeting these two commitments. Economic & Labour Market Review (2008) 2, 24–33; doi:10.1057/elmr.2008.39