Scottish Government

Survey Review

We are currently undertaking a review of the SHS to assess the operation of, and uses made, of the survey with the primary aim of assessing the achieved benefits, quality and continued need for the survey. This review will cover issues such as the project specification, project management and control, data issues, subject coverage, outputs and dissemination, costs, and future developments and overlaps and interactions with other major surveys.

• Survey Review 2010

Information on previous survey review projects are available via the following link:

• Survey Review 2005

Questionnaire Review

In line with National Statistics Best Practice, the Scottish Household Survey is reviewed every two years to ensure that the information collected is relevant to current policy interests and is making the best use of the time in the survey. The survey is regularly reviewed through consultation with external users and internal analysts. The last review took place throughout 2008 to produce a questionnaire for the 2009/2010 fieldwork period.

• Questionnaire Review 2009

We also undertake refresh exercises on annual basis to ensure that the questions asked within the SHS are still policy relevant and to fix out any identified problems. These are done via consultation with the SHS Lead Analysts based on their understanding of users needs.

• Questionnaire Refresh 2011

Website Review

The SHS website is the primary means of dissemination of all survey documentation, containing information on survey participation for interviewees through the reports on both technical issues and analysis from the SHS. We regularly review the content of the website to ensure it is as up-to-date as possible, though due to the breadth and complexity of survey output there is still a lot of content we have yet to tidy up.

We also conduct periodic full-scale reviews of the website to assess the usability and accessibility of information on the SHS website.

• Website Review 2009

SHS User Days

The SHS Days bring together researchers and policy makers who use of SHS data to inform research and evidence-based policy at national and local authority levels.

Further information on these are available from:

• User Community

People and Sport in Scotland User Review

This user review sought views on the People and Sport in Scotland publication to hear views from people who have used the information and data collected in this survey as well as people who have not.

• People and Sport in Scotland - User Review - March 2010

People and Culture in Scotland User Event, April 2010

The purpose of the event was to provide users and potential users of culture statistics with the opportunity to learn more about cultural statistics available from the SHS. In addition, users had the opportunity to express their views on recent SHS culture statistics publications and discuss priorities for future analysis and publications.

• People and Culture in Scotland - User Event - April 2010

Assessment of Scottish Household Survey Outputs

Under the provisions of the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007, the UK Statistics Authority has a statutory function to assess sets of statistics against the Code of Practice for Official Statistics, with a view to determining whether it is appropriate for the statistics to be designated, or to retain their designation, as National Statistics.

The SHS was assessed in 2009.

As part of the assessment process, the SHS Project Team were responsible for providing written evidence and documentation around how the SHS complies with the requirements of the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

• SHS Written Evidence for Assessment (September 2009)

The UK Statistics Authority published the SHS Assessment Report on the Authority's website on Thursday 17 December 2009. This report confirmed that the outputs from the SHS are designated as National Statistics, subject to the Scottish Government implementing a number of enhancements reporting them to the Authority by April 2010.

• Assessment of Scottish Household Survey Outputs (December 2009)

This report set out a series of requirements and suggestions as enhancements to the SHS. A final report was submitted to the UK Statistics Authority in 2010 outlining how these were addressed.

• SHS Final Response to UK Statistics Authority (April 2010)