Standards
The data standards pillar of the National Data Infrastructure provides the foundation block in developing data as a national resource.
Building on the successful development of the three key identifiers on public sector data holdings (PPSN, Eircode and Unique Business Identifiers), data standards will facilitate the collection and use of data using consistent definitions and procedures.
The continued roll out and implementation of data standards will support the development of high quality data and create a stronger data environment, improving foundations for future developments of statistics and data-driven policy analysis.
Irish Statistical System Code of Practice (ISSCoP)
The Irish Statistical System Code of Practice provides the necessary assurance that official statistics produced by Public Sector Bodies are compiled in an objective & independent manner and in accordance with sound statistical & data management principles.
More information is available on the ISSCoP website.
National Data Identifiers
To facilitate the linking of data across administrative systems, the National Data Identifiers (NDI) was established in 2017 and involves the collection and storage of three key identifiers on public sector data holdings.
The three identifiers needed for the NDI to be effective are:
- Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) for interactions between the individual and the public sector
- Eircode to identify location of the respective individual/business
- Unique Business Identifier (UBI), to enable improvements in service delivery, and policy formulation and analysis for businesses when interacting with the public sector
Standard Classifications
Standard classifications are used to collect and organise information into categories, according to agreed rules, so that information can be more easily shared and understood. Standard classifications therefore provide the basis for more coherent and comparable data across the statistical system and are a key part of any data standard.
More information on CSO statistical classification is available on the CSO website.
Data Standards
Data Standards can be used to unlock Ireland's potential of turning data into a strategic asset. A data standard is a set of rules used to standardise the way data are collected and statistics are produced.
Available CSO Data Standards for commonly used concepts across the Irish Public and Civil Service can be accessed on the CSO website.
Common Data Coders
CSO is working with stakeholders to develop common approaches to ensure the coding of unstructured response data is more consistent and standardised, and to investigate the development of open use coding applications for wider accessibility and ease of use. Initial work will focus on areas of broad interest and applicability starting with the publication of look up files to assist in the coding of occupation and NACE.