Metadata & Measuring
Data Quality in Egypt
Definition of Quality
 It is all about providing goods and
services that meet the needs of users
(customers).
 Different
statistical organizations use
different lists of quality components,
but all lists are quite similar.
Quality Components
CAPMAS is always working in developing and improving
its statistics to ensure better quality of data in terms of :
Relevance
Accuracy
Timeliness
Integrity
Accessibility
Methodological
Comparability
Quality Components
Relevance
CAPMAS are now working in evaluating
its statistics in terms of:
 Production of needed statistics
 Need of produced statistics
 Meeting user needs
Quality Components
Accuracy
 Following quality control procedures in all stages of
survey such as implementing field editing during data
collection to detect any errors in suitable time
Timeliness
 We already succeed in reducing the time of producing some
of our statistics such as labour force survey & CPI. Now, we
are working in developing the statistics used in producing
national accounts
Quality Components
Integrity
 All statistics collected and published by CAPMAS are governed by
the
statistics
Ac
No.
35,
1960
(revised
1982
by
amendment28).Under the terms of this Act, CAPMAS can not
publish ,or otherwise make available to any individual or
organization ,statistics that would enable the identification of data .
 CAPMAS has the authority to choose data sources, methodology
and publication methods according to this law taking into
consideration the professional principles.
 CAPMAS prepares an annual program for publications, bulletins
and statistical data required by various government sectors in
coordination with the different agencies concerned.

Quality Components
Accessibility
 The data are released to all interested parties and
made available to all agencies, ministries and
public printed or in CD ROM though :
 National Information Center (NIC)
 Egypt Intranet
 Geographical Information System Center (GIS).
 http://www.capmas.gov.eg
Quality Components
Methodological
 We Disseminate
documentation on concepts,
scope, classification, basis of records, data
sources and statistical techniques in our
bulletins.
 A
brief description of the methodology is
published in each issue.
Quality Components
Comparability
 Using
standard definitions, concepts,
methodologies and classifications
(for example COICOP,ISIC….).
 Comparing over time.
 Comparing with other sources.
Quality Measurement
Three aspects of quality
 Quality of incoming data
 Quality of processing
 Quality of outputs
Quality Measurement
Quality of incoming
data
 Timeliness
 Completeness- are there any missing units
or variables.
 Comparability with other sources.
 Re- interviewing a sample
and examining
the differences with the original responses.
Quality Measurement
Quality of processing
 Office editing (matching / linking ,covering,
completeness, consistency).
 Using data validation checks.
 Keep raw data /metadata to refer back if
necessary.
Quality Measurement
Quality of outputs
Satisfaction of users.
Comparability with other sources.
The impact on time series.
Metadata
Knowledge and documentation of data is
vital to help us to understand quality:
 SDDS is an example of metadata
 EGYPT subscripted to the SDDS in 2005
 Four agencies involved in SDDS as follows:
CAPMAS, Ministry of Economic Development,
Ministry of Finance, Central Bank
Metadata
CAPMAS provides these data (8 items)
 Labour market
 Prices indices
 Foreign trade
 population
 Manufacturing index
Metadata
 An advance release calendar that
provides identification of release
dates is published on the Ministry of
Economic
Development
website
(http://mop.gov.eg)