Background Quality Report Analysis of NICS Recruitment Competitions

Issued by: Workforce Statistics & Analysis, Bruce Street, Belfast, BT9 5RR

Last Updated: March 2025

Telephone: 028 9038 8443

Email: workforcestatisticsandanalysis@finance-ni.gov.uk

URL: NI Civil Service Human Resource Statistics

Background Quality Report

Introduction

Context for the quality report

The Analysis of NICS Recruitment Competitions provides a high-level statistical summary, from an equality perspective, of the recruitment of staff to the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) through competitions which closed to further activity during 2024. It compares the profile of applicants and appointees at different stages in recruitment competitions.

Up to 2022, the report examined competitions which closed to applications within a particular calendar year. As of the 2023 report, databases are compiled and analysed on competitions which closed during the previous calendar year. Using this methodology, the equality information reflects the complete end-to-end recruitment process for the selected competitions and does not require future updates. For more information, please see the Change of Methodology Information Paper

The report is usually published in March on a pre-announced date. Further details are available in the Quality Assurance of Administrative Data (QAAD) report.

Relevance

The degree to which the statistical product meets user needs in both coverage and content

Stakeholders are consulted after the publication of each year’s report. The current method uses a Citizen Space online survey which remains open for a year following the publication of the latest report. The consultation indicated that both the coverage and content are appropriate to the needs of users. It also indicated that the report is used for policy making and monitoring, performance monitoring, responding to information requests, aiding decisions on resource allocation and to inform public marketing campaigns.

Accuracy and Reliability

The proximity between an estimate and the unknown true value

Coverage of applicants is believed to be 100%. As part of the methodology change in 2023, WSA engaged with staff in People &OD, NICS HR and HRConnect in derive the best method for obtaining the list of competitions which were closed to activity. The final list was obtained directly from HRConnect. While the vast majority of entries are complete, there can be missing values, particularly when a paper application is made. These are all footnoted in the report and no assumptions are made once all avenues for completion have been exhausted. A further potential source of bias is that in providing an overall summary of competitions, the overall picture may be influenced by one large competition.

Timeliness and Punctuality

Timeliness refers to the time gap between publication and the reference period. Punctuality refers to the gap between planned and actual publication dates.

The publication relates to competitions which have closed within the calendar year being reported. Therefore, the figures given relate to final equality profile at the various recruitment stages.

The publication date allows time for all the analysis and quality assurance to be undertaken. The survey of users indicated that 100% of users were ‘Satisfied’ with the timeliness of the report.

Accessibility and Clarity

Accessibility is the ease with which users are able to access the data, also reflecting the format in which the data are available and the availability of supporting information. Clarity refers to the quality and sufficiency of the metadata, illustrations and accompanying advice.

The output presenting information in tables and graph, is published on the NISRA website. As this is the first year of the new format, user feedback will be collected after publication.

Coherence and Comparability

Coherence is the degree to which data that are derived from different sources or methods, but refer to the same topic, are similar. Comparability is the degree to which data can be compared over time and domain.

As the NICS holds different recruitment competitions each year, year-on-year comparisons in terms of equality are not appropriate because different competitions attract different profiles of candidates.

Trade-offs between Output Quality Components

Trade-offs are the extent to which different aspects of quality are balanced against each other

As the new methodology examines closed competitions, all information is collected by the end of the reference period. Therefore data are available for analysis in early January. This removes the previous trade-off between the timeliness of the report and its accuracy and reliability.

Assessment of User Needs and Perceptions

The processes for finding out about users and uses, and their views on the statistical products.

Staff involved in the production of the output are in regular telephone and email contact with the key users of their statistics throughout the year, typically with specialist staff within NICS HR and People & OD who have responsibility for the relevant work area and with staff in the Office of the Civil Service Commissioners. In addition to these meetings, WSA staff would also have regular telephone and email contact with key users. The main reasons for using the publication were for policy making and monitoring, performance monitoring, media related / informing public / public interest and to aid decisions on resource allocation. Overall satisfaction with the report was complete with all respondents saying that the statistics they used fully or mostly met their needs. These findings relate to the previous report format.

Performance, Cost and Respondent Burden

The effectiveness, efficiency and economy of the statistical output.

The operational cost (staff time) of producing each issue of the output is approximately £6,000. There was additional resource required in 2024 to develop the HTML format as well as the Excel output. There is no respondent burden since the data are held on an administrative system.

Confidentiality, Transparency and Security

The procedures and policy used to ensure sound confidentiality, security and transparent practices.

Suppression is applied where the number of cases in a cell containing personal information is disclosive; this is described in table footnotes. This approach has been used to provide as much useful information as possible while maintaining confidentiality of personal details.

Data are held on a network that is only accessible to the few statisticians who need access. More detailed information on the processes used to produce the database and output are outlined in the Quality Assurance of Administrative Data (QAAD) report.