## _062415a

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---

### Purposes and framework (e-GDDS)
- Purposes of the e-GDDS:
  - (1) to guide member countries in the provision to the public of comprehensive, timely, accessible, and reliable economic, financial, and socio-demographic statistics in a world of increasing economic and financial integration;
  - (2) to provide a framework for evaluating needs for data improvement and dissemination as well as setting capacity development priorities; and
  - (3) to encourage member countries to improve data quality.
- The e-GDDS framework comprises four dimensions:
  - (a) coverage, periodicity, and timeliness of data;
  - (b) improved access to data by the public;
  - (c) integrity and credibility of the disseminated data; and
  - (d) data quality.
- For each dimension, the e-GDDS describes good practices to serve as objectives in the development of national systems of data production and dissemination.

### Coverage, periodicity, and timeliness: key features and definitions
- Focus: data most important in evaluating economic performance in four macroeconomic sectors—real, fiscal, financial, and external—and complementary socio-demographic data.
- The e-GDDS distinguishes two groups of macroeconomic and financial data:
  - encouraged data; and
  - supplementary data.
- Definitions:
  - Periodicity: frequency of compilation of the data (annual, quarterly, monthly, weekly, daily).
  - Timeliness: time between a reference date (or the close of the reference period) and dissemination of the data.
- The e-GDDS encourages improvements over time in both periodicity (higher frequency) and timeliness, consistent with improvements in data quality.
- The e-GDDS encourages the use of internationally accepted statistical methodologies and that countries indicate deviations in their metadata.

### Box 1: The four dimensions (selected encouraged practices)
- Coverage, periodicity, and timeliness:
  - Encourage dissemination of data as described in Table 1.
- Access by the public:
  - Dissemination through a National Summary Data Page via the Internet.
  - Dissemination of advance release calendars.
  - Simultaneous release to all parties.
- Integrity and credibility:
  - Dissemination of terms and conditions under which official statistics are produced, including confidentiality.
  - Identification of internal government access to data before release.
  - Identification of ministerial commentary on statistical releases.
  - Provision of information about revisions.
  - Advance notice of major changes in methodology.
- Quality:
  - Dissemination of documentation on methodology and sources.
  - Dissemination of component detail, reconciliations with related data, and statistical frameworks.

### Table 1: Selected e-GDDS data coverage, periodicity and timeliness (encouraged and supplementary)
- Macroeconomic and Financial Data: Encouraged Data
  - National accounts (GDP): Quarterly — 1 quarter
  - Consumer price index: Monthly — 2 months
  - General government operations (statement of government operations; revenue, expense, gross operating balance, net operating balance, net acquisition of nonfinancial assets, net lending (+)/net borrowing (-), net acquisition of financial assets (1) domestic; (2) foreign; net incurrence of liabilities (1) domestic; (2) foreign; statistical discrepancy): Annual — 3 quarters
  - Central government operations (same components as general government): Quarterly — 1 quarter
  - Central government gross debt (Domestic and foreign gross debt): Quarterly — 2 quarters
  - Depository corporations Survey (Broad money; Domestic claims; Net foreign assets): Monthly — 1 quarter
  - Central bank Survey (Monetary base; Domestic claims; Net foreign assets): Monthly — 2 months
  - Interest rates (Short and long-term government security rates, policy-oriented rate): Monthly — (timeliness column blank)
  - Stock market (if applicable): Monthly — (timeliness column blank)
  - Balance of payments: Quarterly — 1 quarter
  - External debt:
    - Public and publicly guaranteed external debt, broken down by maturity(short-term and long-term);
    - Private external debt not publicly guaranteed, broken down by maturity (short-term and long-term).
    - Quarterly — 2 quarters
  - Official reserve assets (Gross official reserve assets): Monthly — 1 month
  - Merchandise Trade (Total exports and total imports): Monthly — 12 weeks
  - International investment position (IIP) (Assets and liabilities disaggregated by direct investment; portfolio investment; other investment; reserve assets): Annual — 3 quarters
  - Exchange rates (Spot rates): Daily — (timeliness implicit as daily)
- Macroeconomic and Financial Data: Supplementary Data
  - Production index (Manufacturing or industrial, primary commodity, or sector coverage as relevant): Monthly (as relevant) — 12 weeks
  - Labor market (Employment, unemployment, wages/earnings, as relevant): Annual — 3 quarters
  - Producer price index: Monthly — 2 months
  - Financial soundness indicators (FSIs):
    - Regulatory Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets
    - Regulatory Tier 1 capital to assets
    - Nonperforming loans net of provisions to capital
    - Nonperforming loans to total gross loans
    - Return on assets
    - Liquid assets to short-term liabilities
    - Net open position in foreign exchange to capital
    - Quarterly — 1 quarter
- Demographic and Selected Socio-Economic Indicators
  - Population (Population characteristics: size): Annual (Census every ten years) — 3–6 months for annual updates; 9–12 months for Census
  - Selection of socio-demographic indicators: Sustainable development goals and other indicators of the authorities’ choosing (no specific periodicity/timeliness prescribed)

### Improving access to data: NSDP and SDMX
- The e-GDDS incorporates a National Summary Data Page (NSDP) modeled on an information-technology platform using Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange (SDMX) as the enabler.
- NSDP advantages and features:
  - Built on a global standard open format.
  - Provides push/pull capabilities to facilitate internal and external data exchange and coordination.
  - Machine readable — helps improve efficiency and reduce human errors.
  - Easily accessible for users; relatively simple web layout to reduce cost.
  - Customized to authorities’ preferences; would feature:
    - columns indicating the e-GDDS data categories;
    - hyperlinks to the authorities’ dissemination sites (national statistical office, central bank, ministry of finance);
    - hyperlinks to the electronic SDMX data files.
- The e-GDDS encourages release of data simultaneously to the public through an NSDP published on the website of one of the statistics agencies.

### Access by the public: recommended practices
- Advance release calendars (ARC):
  - Recommend dissemination of calendars showing release dates for the current month and the following three months.
  - Agencies encouraged to publicize an office or person for latest ARC information, including irregular periodicity/timeliness and newly disseminated data.
- Simultaneous release to all parties:
  - Encourage release of data to all interested parties at the same time.
  - Release is not intended to refer to access by government agencies; pre-release access governed under integrity provisions.
  - Objective may be met by providing at least one publicly identified and accessible location where data are available to all on an equal basis once released.

### Setting a path to higher dissemination standards
- The e-GDDS introduces dissemination thresholds, presenting statistical development as a continuum rather than a single jump to the SDDS.
- For e-GDDS participants, improvement plans are to incorporate clear steps towards SDDS subscription, when relevant.

### Proposed Decisions (Executive Board)
- Decision A (proposed amendment):
  - “No flexibility options are available for any of the nine SDDS Plus data categories. However, an SDDS Plus adherent maintains the right to apply the flexibility options available to it for the SDDS data categories, in accordance with the SDDS legal framework.
  - A transition period is available for an SDDS Plus adherent that commits to comply with all SDDS Plus requirements within five years of the date of adherence. The transition period allows countries to be considered adherents to the SDDS Plus even if they meet the requirements for only five of the nine additional categories and they have plans in place to meet all the requirements within five years of the date of adherence.”
- Decision B (proposed amendment):
  - The Annex on the General Data Dissemination System, Annex V of SM/97/275 Cor. 1, as amended, is hereby further amended as set forth in the Annex to this decision.

### Integrity and credibility: objectives and encouraged practices
- Purpose: provide the public with credible information; confidence in statistics rests on confidence in the objectivity and professionalism of the producing agency.
- Key factor: transparency of practices and procedures.
- e-GDDS encourages dissemination of terms and conditions under which official statistics are produced, including those relating to the confidentiality of individually identifiable information.
- Reference: Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in January 2014 (Resolution 68/261).
- Recommended content and forms for terms and conditions:
  - May take the form of statistics laws, charters, and codes of conduct.
  - May refer to:
    - relationship of the statistical unit to a larger department or ministry (if relevant);
    - legal authority to collect data;
    - requirement to publish data collected;
    - terms of reference for the chief statistician/director;
    - procedures and processes related to confidentiality of individual responses.
  - Dissemination formats: annual reports, abstracts in key publications, statements of relevant passages referring to confidentiality of survey forms.
  - Use of logos and other insignia is suggested to remind users of the terms under which statistics carrying the logo are produced.
  - Terms and conditions should be kept up-to-date.

### Measures to assist users in assessing integrity
- Dissemination of the terms and conditions under which official statistics are produced, including confidentiality provisions.
- Identification of internal government access to data before release:
  - List persons/positions within government, but outside the producing agency, who have pre-release access.
  - Forms: brief notices to the public, annual reports of the producer of statistics.
  - Focus: situations where data are sensitive for policy or other reasons; minimum practice is to follow this for the most sensitive data categories and indicators.
- Identification of ministerial commentary on the occasion of statistical releases:
  - Good practice: identify such commentary so that its source is transparent to the public.
  - Forms: separate statements by the minister or identification of a statistical agency’s material in a release that contains both ministerial commentary and data.
  - Agency’s material may include data, explanatory text, and objective analysis; identification can use source lines in tables or producer’s logos/insignia.
  - Focus: sensitive data; minimum practice applies to the most sensitive data categories and indicators.
- Provision of information about revisions and advance notice of major changes in methodology:
  - Provide information about past revisions and major prospective sources of revision.
  - Relevant information may include statement of revision policy (e.g., policy of revising monthly data when an annual, more comprehensive survey becomes available or a policy of no revision) and data about the size of past revisions.
  - Changes in methodology to be expected: changes in base year, major expansions of sample size, introduction of alternative data sources, reclassification of transactions or industries.
  - Advance notices formats: short statement in the last presentation of unrevised data or on a stand-alone basis; identify kinds of changes and give source for additional information (e.g., paper available on request or contact name and address).
  - Members are encouraged to provide easy access to information explaining revisions after release (e.g., access to a person able to answer questions about revisions).

### Quality: information to assess quality and improvements
- Objective: provide users with information necessary to assess quality and quality improvements.
- Encouragement: implement internationally accepted statistical methodologies for all data categories and indicate deviations; a specified list of methodologies is posted on the Dissemination Standards Bulletin Board (DSBB, see Section III.2).
- Proxies may help users assess quality.
- e-GDDS encourages:
  - Dissemination of documentation on methodology and sources used in preparing statistics:
    - Documentation is key to user awareness of strengths and weaknesses.
    - Formats: summary notes accompanying releases, separate publications, papers available on request.
    - Participants encouraged to prepare and disseminate statements about important features of quality (e.g., kinds of errors, sources of non-comparability over time, measures of coverage for census data, sample error for survey data).
    - Note: The size of past revisions is included under integrity (see II.3.d) as an indicator of transparency.
  - Dissemination of component detail, reconciliation with related data, and statistical frameworks:
    - Encourage dissemination of components underlying aggregate series, comparisons and reconciliations with related data, and statistical frameworks to support cross-checks and reasonableness.
    - Component detail should not conflict with confidentiality of individually identifiable information or statistical reliability.
    - Comparisons/reconciliations include cross-framework checks (e.g., exports/imports in national accounts vs. balance of payments).
    - Statistical frameworks include accounting identities and statistical relationships (e.g., matching stocks with flows).

### Implementation of the e-GDDS: participation and responsibilities
- Participation: voluntary; members encouraged to participate and make best efforts to disseminate data as set out in Table 1.
- Participation involves:
  1. a commitment to use the e-GDDS as a framework for development of national systems for production and dissemination of macroeconomic, financial, and socio-demographic data;
  2. designation of a country coordinator to work with IMF staff;
  3. preparation of descriptions ("metadata") of (a) current statistical production and dissemination practices and (b) plans for short-and longer-term improvements to be disseminated by the IMF.
- Descriptions should cover objectives for data, coverage, periodicity and timeliness, access, integrity, and quality dimensions (using IMF’s Data Quality Assessment Framework (DQAF)).
- Plans should identify major shortcomings relative to e-GDDS objectives; steps to address shortcomings; resources (including technical assistance) necessary; and time frames for improvements, identifying improvements to be undertaken within the next year and within two to five years.
- Participation public recognition: occurs when metadata are posted on the IMF’s Dissemination Standards Bulletin Board (DSBB).
- Members may indicate intent to participate by sending appropriate communication to IMF before completing actions.
- Options for countries: opt for participation from the outset, move gradually toward participation, or continue to work with IMF without participation.
- Note: Member countries cannot participate in both the e-GDDS and the SDDS at the same time. Participation in the e-GDDS is not a prerequisite for subscribing to the SDDS; e-GDDS can be a stepping stone toward SDDS.

### Dissemination Standards Bulletin Board (DSBB) and National Summary Data Page (NSDP)
- IMF maintains an electronic DSBB to store and disseminate metadata provided by participants; DSBB identifies members participating in the e-GDDS and provides access to their metadata.
- Responsibility for accuracy of metadata and underlying statistics rests with member countries.
- Participants expected to review and update metadata on either a “best-effort” or “when-merited” basis; expected to update plans for improvement on an annual basis.
- Recommendation: e-GDDS participants establish an NSDP on the Internet linked to the DSBB electronically through “hyperlinks.”
- NSDP model:
  - Use Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange (SDMX) as the enabler.
  - Have a relatively simple web layout to reduce cost.
  - Feature columns indicating the e-GDDS data categories, hyperlinks to authorities’ dissemination sites (e.g., national statistical office, central bank, ministry of finance), and hyperlinks to electronic SDMX data files.
- Alternative: NSDP based on an open-data platform (ODP) with similar advantages (machine-readable, push/pull capabilities; data exchange; enhanced coordination).
- Participants are to disseminate on the Internet an ARC showing data release dates for the current month and for the following three months.

### Automated monitoring arrangements and monitoring thresholds
- Once participants disseminate data via the NSDP, IMF staff will assess progress against the core data categories (referencing periodicity and timeliness) in an annual report and a brief semiannual update.
- For each participant, staff will make a judgment as to what threshold (see Table 2) the participant meets.
- A table on status for each country with an NSDP will be posted on the DSBB; a short summary on data dissemination issues will be included in the Statistical Issues Appendix (SIA) accompanying each Article IV consultation staff report.
- In Article IV consultations, staff expected to discuss constraints to data dissemination and, where discussed with authorities, report findings, authorities’ views, and remedial plans in the Article IV staff report.
- Excerpted structure from Table 2 (e-GDDS: thresholds for promoting graduation to the SDDS):
  - Threshold 1:
    - Disseminate metadata.
  - Threshold 2:
    - Disseminate metadata and plans for improvement.
    - Disseminate encouraged data categories according to coverage, periodicity, and timeliness set in metadata, at least some of which falls short of the e-GDDS framework (Table 1).
    - Maintain an NSDP with quarterly updating, or more often if warranted.
    - Observe an ARC covering all encouraged data categories.
  - Threshold 3:
    - Disseminate metadata and plans for improvement.
    - Disseminate encouraged data categories according to coverage, periodicity, and timeliness recommended under the e-GDDS (Table 1).
    - Maintain an NSDP with monthly updating, or more often if warranted.
    - Observe an ARC covering all SDDS data.
  - Additional higher standard (graduation-oriented):
    - Disseminate metadata and plans for improvement.
    - Disseminate encouraged data categories according to coverage, periodicity, and timeliness equal or better than recommended under the e-GDDS (Table 1).
    - Disseminate encouraged data categories plus additional data categories.
    - Maintain an up-to-date NSDP.
    - Maintain an up-to-date NSDP consistent with commitments.

### Reviews and withdrawal
- Reviews of e-GDDS content and implementation procedures to be conducted by IMF staff at intervals determined by the Executive Board; reviews will be informed by the views of producers and users of data.
- Revisions of the e-GDDS framework may be adopted upon completion of reviews.
- Reviews of the IMF’s Data Standards Initiatives are available on the DSBB.
- Members may withdraw participation at any time by sending an appropriate communication to the IMF; upon withdrawal, relevant data and metadata would be removed promptly from the DSBB.

*Source: _062415a - 1.      Data Coverage, Periodicity, and Timeliness; 3.      Integrity and credibility.*

### 1.      Data Coverage, Periodicity, and Timeliness.

### 062415a - 1.      Data Coverage, Periodicity, and Timeliness

### Purposes and framework (e-GDDS)
- Purposes of the e-GDDS:
  - (1) to guide member countries in the provision to the public of comprehensive, timely, accessible, and reliable economic, financial, and socio-demographic statistics in a world of increasing economic and financial integration;
  - (2) to provide a framework for evaluating needs for data improvement and dissemination as well as setting capacity development priorities; and
  - (3) to encourage member countries to improve data quality.
- The e-GDDS framework comprises four dimensions:
  - (a) coverage, periodicity, and timeliness of data;
  - (b) improved access to data by the public;
  - (c) integrity and credibility of the disseminated data; and
  - (d) data quality.
- For each dimension, the e-GDDS describes good practices to serve as objectives in the development of national systems of data production and dissemination.

### Coverage, periodicity, and timeliness: key features and definitions
- Focus: data most important in evaluating economic performance in four macroeconomic sectors—real, fiscal, financial, and external—and complementary socio-demographic data.
- The e-GDDS distinguishes two groups of macroeconomic and financial data:
  - encouraged data; and
  - supplementary data.
- Definitions:
  - Periodicity: frequency of compilation of the data (annual, quarterly, monthly, weekly, daily).
  - Timeliness: time between a reference date (or the close of the reference period) and dissemination of the data.
- The e-GDDS encourages improvements over time in both periodicity (higher frequency) and timeliness, consistent with improvements in data quality.
- The e-GDDS encourages the use of internationally accepted statistical methodologies and that countries indicate deviations in their metadata.

### Box 1: The four dimensions (selected encouraged practices)
- Coverage, periodicity, and timeliness:
  - Encourage dissemination of data as described in Table 1.
- Access by the public:
  - Dissemination through a National Summary Data Page via the Internet.
  - Dissemination of advance release calendars.
  - Simultaneous release to all parties.
- Integrity and credibility:
  - Dissemination of terms and conditions under which official statistics are produced, including confidentiality.
  - Identification of internal government access to data before release.
  - Identification of ministerial commentary on statistical releases.
  - Provision of information about revisions.
  - Advance notice of major changes in methodology.
- Quality:
  - Dissemination of documentation on methodology and sources.
  - Dissemination of component detail, reconciliations with related data, and statistical frameworks.

### Table 1: Selected e-GDDS data coverage, periodicity and timeliness (encouraged and supplementary)
- Macroeconomic and Financial Data: Encouraged Data
  - National accounts (GDP): Quarterly — 1 quarter
  - Consumer price index: Monthly — 2 months
  - General government operations (statement of government operations; revenue, expense, gross operating balance, net operating balance, net acquisition of nonfinancial assets, net lending (+)/net borrowing (-), net acquisition of financial assets (1) domestic; (2) foreign; net incurrence of liabilities (1) domestic; (2) foreign; statistical discrepancy): Annual — 3 quarters
  - Central government operations (same components as general government): Quarterly — 1 quarter
  - Central government gross debt (Domestic and foreign gross debt): Quarterly — 2 quarters
  - Depository corporations Survey (Broad money; Domestic claims; Net foreign assets): Monthly — 1 quarter
  - Central bank Survey (Monetary base; Domestic claims; Net foreign assets): Monthly — 2 months
  - Interest rates (Short and long-term government security rates, policy-oriented rate): Monthly — (timeliness column blank)
  - Stock market (if applicable): Monthly — (timeliness column blank)
  - Balance of payments: Quarterly — 1 quarter
  - External debt:
    - Public and publicly guaranteed external debt, broken down by maturity(short-term and long-term);
    - Private external debt not publicly guaranteed, broken down by maturity (short-term and long-term).
    - Quarterly — 2 quarters
  - Official reserve assets (Gross official reserve assets): Monthly — 1 month
  - Merchandise Trade (Total exports and total imports): Monthly — 12 weeks
  - International investment position (IIP) (Assets and liabilities disaggregated by direct investment; portfolio investment; other investment; reserve assets): Annual — 3 quarters
  - Exchange rates (Spot rates): Daily — (timeliness implicit as daily)
- Macroeconomic and Financial Data: Supplementary Data
  - Production index (Manufacturing or industrial, primary commodity, or sector coverage as relevant): Monthly (as relevant) — 12 weeks
  - Labor market (Employment, unemployment, wages/earnings, as relevant): Annual — 3 quarters
  - Producer price index: Monthly — 2 months
  - Financial soundness indicators (FSIs):
    - Regulatory Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets
    - Regulatory Tier 1 capital to assets
    - Nonperforming loans net of provisions to capital
    - Nonperforming loans to total gross loans
    - Return on assets
    - Liquid assets to short-term liabilities
    - Net open position in foreign exchange to capital
    - Quarterly — 1 quarter
- Demographic and Selected Socio-Economic Indicators
  - Population (Population characteristics: size): Annual (Census every ten years) — 3–6 months for annual updates; 9–12 months for Census
  - Selection of socio-demographic indicators: Sustainable development goals and other indicators of the authorities’ choosing (no specific periodicity/timeliness prescribed)

### Improving access to data: NSDP and SDMX
- The e-GDDS incorporates a National Summary Data Page (NSDP) modeled on an information-technology platform using Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange (SDMX) as the enabler.
- NSDP advantages and features:
  - Built on a global standard open format.
  - Provides push/pull capabilities to facilitate internal and external data exchange and coordination.
  - Machine readable — helps improve efficiency and reduce human errors.
  - Easily accessible for users; relatively simple web layout to reduce cost.
  - Customized to authorities’ preferences; would feature:
    - columns indicating the e-GDDS data categories;
    - hyperlinks to the authorities’ dissemination sites (national statistical office, central bank, ministry of finance);
    - hyperlinks to the electronic SDMX data files.
- The e-GDDS encourages release of data simultaneously to the public through an NSDP published on the website of one of the statistics agencies.

### Access by the public: recommended practices
- Advance release calendars (ARC):
  - Recommend dissemination of calendars showing release dates for the current month and the following three months.
  - Agencies encouraged to publicize an office or person for latest ARC information, including irregular periodicity/timeliness and newly disseminated data.
- Simultaneous release to all parties:
  - Encourage release of data to all interested parties at the same time.
  - Release is not intended to refer to access by government agencies; pre-release access governed under integrity provisions.
  - Objective may be met by providing at least one publicly identified and accessible location where data are available to all on an equal basis once released.

### Setting a path to higher dissemination standards
- The e-GDDS introduces dissemination thresholds, presenting statistical development as a continuum rather than a single jump to the SDDS.
- For e-GDDS participants, improvement plans are to incorporate clear steps towards SDDS subscription, when relevant.

### Proposed Decisions (Executive Board)
- Decision A (proposed amendment):
  - “No flexibility options are available for any of the nine SDDS Plus data categories. However, an SDDS Plus adherent maintains the right to apply the flexibility options available to it for the SDDS data categories, in accordance with the SDDS legal framework.
  - A transition period is available for an SDDS Plus adherent that commits to comply with all SDDS Plus requirements within five years of the date of adherence. The transition period allows countries to be considered adherents to the SDDS Plus even if they meet the requirements for only five of the nine additional categories and they have plans in place to meet all the requirements within five years of the date of adherence.”
- Decision B (proposed amendment):
  - The Annex on the General Data Dissemination System, Annex V of SM/97/275 Cor. 1, as amended, is hereby further amended as set forth in the Annex to this decision.

*Source: _062415a - 1.      Data Coverage, Periodicity, and Timeliness.*

### 3.      Integrity and credibility

### _062415a - 3.      Integrity and credibility

### Integrity and credibility: objectives and encouraged practices
- Purpose: provide the public with credible information; confidence in statistics rests on confidence in the objectivity and professionalism of the producing agency.
- Key factor: transparency of practices and procedures.
- e-GDDS encourages dissemination of terms and conditions under which official statistics are produced, including those relating to the confidentiality of individually identifiable information.
- Reference: Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in January 2014 (Resolution 68/261).

- Recommended content and forms for terms and conditions:
  - May take the form of statistics laws, charters, and codes of conduct.
  - May refer to:
    - relationship of the statistical unit to a larger department or ministry (if relevant);
    - legal authority to collect data;
    - requirement to publish data collected;
    - terms of reference for the chief statistician/director;
    - procedures and processes related to confidentiality of individual responses.
  - Dissemination formats: annual reports, abstracts in key publications, statements of relevant passages referring to confidentiality of survey forms.
  - Use of logos and other insignia is suggested to remind users of the terms under which statistics carrying the logo are produced.
  - Terms and conditions should be kept up-to-date.

- e-GDDS encouragement to assist users in assessing integrity:
  a. Dissemination of the terms and conditions under which official statistics are produced, including confidentiality provisions (as above).
  b. Identification of internal government access to data before release:
    - List persons/positions within government, but outside the producing agency, who have pre-release access.
    - Forms: brief notices to the public, annual reports of the producer of statistics.
    - Focus: situations where data are sensitive for policy or other reasons; minimum practice is to follow this for the most sensitive data categories and indicators.
  c. Identification of ministerial commentary on the occasion of statistical releases:
    - Ministerial commentary may not maintain the same degree of objectivity expected of producers of official statistics.
    - Good practice: identify such commentary so that its source is transparent to the public.
    - Forms: separate statements by the minister or identification of a statistical agency’s material in a release that contains both ministerial commentary and data.
    - Agency’s material may include data, explanatory text, and objective analysis; identification can use source lines in tables or producer’s logos/insignia.
    - Focus: sensitive data; minimum practice applies to the most sensitive data categories and indicators.
  d. Provision of information about revisions and advance notice of major changes in methodology:
    - Provide information about past revisions and major prospective sources of revision.
    - Relevant information may include statement of revision policy (e.g., policy of revising monthly data when an annual, more comprehensive survey becomes available or a policy of no revision) and data about the size of past revisions.
    - Changes in methodology to be expected: changes in base year, major expansions of sample size, introduction of alternative data sources, reclassification of transactions or industries.
    - Advance notices formats: short statement in the last presentation of unrevised data or on a stand-alone basis; identify kinds of changes and give source for additional information (e.g., paper available on request or contact name and address).
    - Members are encouraged to provide easy access to information explaining revisions after release (e.g., access to a person able to answer questions about revisions).

### Quality: information to assess quality and improvements
- Objective: provide users with information necessary to assess quality and quality improvements.
- Encouragement: implement internationally accepted statistical methodologies for all data categories and indicate deviations; a specified list of methodologies is posted on the Dissemination Standards Bulletin Board (DSBB, see Section III.2).
- Proxies may help users assess quality.

- e-GDDS encourages:
  a. Dissemination of documentation on methodology and sources used in preparing statistics:
    - Documentation is key to user awareness of strengths and weaknesses.
    - Formats: summary notes accompanying releases, separate publications, papers available on request.
    - Participants encouraged to prepare and disseminate statements about important features of quality (e.g., kinds of errors, sources of non-comparability over time, measures of coverage for census data, sample error for survey data).
    - Note: The size of past revisions is included under integrity (see II.3.d) as an indicator of transparency.
  b. Dissemination of component detail, reconciliation with related data, and statistical frameworks:
    - Encourage dissemination of components underlying aggregate series, comparisons and reconciliations with related data, and statistical frameworks to support cross-checks and reasonableness.
    - Component detail should not conflict with confidentiality of individually identifiable information or statistical reliability.
    - Comparisons/reconciliations include cross-framework checks (e.g., exports/imports in national accounts vs. balance of payments).
    - Statistical frameworks include accounting identities and statistical relationships (e.g., matching stocks with flows).

### Implementation of the e-GDDS: participation and responsibilities
- Participation: voluntary; members encouraged to participate and make best efforts to disseminate data as set out in Table 1.
- Participation involves:
  1. a commitment to use the e-GDDS as a framework for development of national systems for production and dissemination of macroeconomic, financial, and socio-demographic data;
  2. designation of a country coordinator to work with IMF staff;
  3. preparation of descriptions ("metadata") of (a) current statistical production and dissemination practices and (b) plans for short-and longer-term improvements to be disseminated by the IMF.
- Descriptions should cover objectives for data, coverage, periodicity and timeliness, access, integrity, and quality dimensions (using IMF’s Data Quality Assessment Framework (DQAF)).
- Plans should identify major shortcomings relative to e-GDDS objectives; steps to address shortcomings; resources (including technical assistance) necessary; and time frames for improvements, identifying improvements to be undertaken within the next year and within two to five years.
- Participation public recognition: occurs when metadata are posted on the IMF’s Dissemination Standards Bulletin Board (DSBB).
- Members may indicate intent to participate by sending appropriate communication to IMF before completing actions.
- Options for countries: opt for participation from the outset, move gradually toward participation, or continue to work with IMF without participation.
- Note: Member countries cannot participate in both the e-GDDS and the SDDS at the same time. Participation in the e-GDDS is not a prerequisite for subscribing to the SDDS; e-GDDS can be a stepping stone toward SDDS.

### Dissemination Standards Bulletin Board (DSBB) and National Summary Data Page (NSDP)
- IMF maintains an electronic DSBB to store and disseminate metadata provided by participants; DSBB identifies members participating in the e-GDDS and provides access to their metadata.
- Responsibility for accuracy of metadata and underlying statistics rests with member countries.
- Participants expected to review and update metadata on either a “best-effort” or “when-merited” basis; expected to update plans for improvement on an annual basis.
- Recommendation: e-GDDS participants establish an NSDP on the Internet linked to the DSBB electronically through “hyperlinks.”
- NSDP model:
  - Use Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange (SDMX) as the enabler.
  - Have a relatively simple web layout to reduce cost.
  - Feature columns indicating the e-GDDS data categories, hyperlinks to authorities’ dissemination sites (e.g., national statistical office, central bank, ministry of finance), and hyperlinks to electronic SDMX data files.
- Alternative: NSDP based on an open-data platform (ODP) with similar advantages (machine-readable, push/pull capabilities; data exchange; enhanced coordination).
- Participants are to disseminate on the Internet an ARC showing data release dates for the current month and for the following three months (see Section II.2.a).
- Note definitions: NSDP refers to National Summary Data Page; ARC refers to Advance Release Calendar.

### Automated monitoring arrangements and monitoring thresholds
- Once participants disseminate data via the NSDP, IMF staff will assess progress against the core data categories (referencing periodicity and timeliness) in an annual report and a brief semiannual update.
- For each participant, staff will make a judgment as to what threshold (see Table 2) the participant meets.
- A table on status for each country with an NSDP will be posted on the DSBB; a short summary on data dissemination issues will be included in the Statistical Issues Appendix (SIA) accompanying each Article IV consultation staff report.
- In Article IV consultations, staff expected to discuss constraints to data dissemination and, where discussed with authorities, report findings, authorities’ views, and remedial plans in the Article IV staff report.

- Excerpted structure from Table 2 (e-GDDS: thresholds for promoting graduation to the SDDS):
  - Threshold 1:
    - Disseminate metadata.
  - Threshold 2:
    - Disseminate metadata and plans for improvement.
    - Disseminate encouraged data categories according to coverage, periodicity, and timeliness set in metadata, at least some of which falls short of the e-GDDS framework (Table 1).
    - Maintain an NSDP with quarterly updating, or more often if warranted.
    - Observe an ARC covering all encouraged data categories.
  - Threshold 3:
    - Disseminate metadata and plans for improvement.
    - Disseminate encouraged data categories according to coverage, periodicity, and timeliness recommended under the e-GDDS (Table 1).
    - Maintain an NSDP with monthly updating, or more often if warranted.
    - Observe an ARC covering all SDDS data.
  - Additional higher standard (graduation-oriented):
    - Disseminate metadata and plans for improvement.
    - Disseminate encouraged data categories according to coverage, periodicity, and timeliness equal or better than recommended under the e-GDDS (Table 1).
    - Disseminate encouraged data categories plus additional data categories.
    - Maintain an up-to-date NSDP.
    - Maintain an up-to-date NSDP consistent with commitments.

### Reviews and withdrawal
- Reviews of e-GDDS content and implementation procedures to be conducted by IMF staff at intervals determined by the Executive Board; reviews will be informed by the views of producers and users of data.
- Revisions of the e-GDDS framework may be adopted upon completion of reviews.
- Reviews of the IMF’s Data Standards Initiatives are available on the DSBB.
- Members may withdraw participation at any time by sending an appropriate communication to the IMF; upon withdrawal, relevant data and metadata would be removed promptly from the DSBB.

*Source: _062415a - 3.      Integrity and credibility (PDF chapter/section).*

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_Source: https://www.imf.org/-/media/websites/imf/imported-full-text-pdf/external/np/pp/eng/2015/_062415a.pdf_