Marine Directorate statistics: Code of Practice compliance

Aims

We will understand who uses our statistics and how they are used; engage with a wide range of users and potential users; encourage feedback; be transparent about statistical developments and priorities; use engagement activities to improve relevance, accessibility and quality; explain how feedback has informed decisions; seek opportunities to hear from under-represented groups; and publish information on user engagement activities and resulting actions through our annual statistical work programme.

Who we engage with

A range of people and organisations use our statistics, including Scottish Government employees.  Main user groups for Marine Directorate statistics:

• Fishers, fishery proprietors and producer/representative organisations
• Environmental organisations
• Aquaculture businesses and fish processors
• Marine Management Organisation (MMO)
• Offshore renewable energy developers
• International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)
• Other government departments and agencies, such as; Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), Cefas (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science)
• Analysts in government, academia and industry
• Scottish Government science and policy colleagues
• Scottish Ministers
• Seafish
• The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations
• The Scotstat mailing list

How we engage

We provide contact details in all statistical publications, respond to enquiries and feedback, engage with stakeholder networks, discuss needs with science and policy colleagues, and attend relevant meetings and events. We may also use surveys, workshops, focus groups, consultations, calls for evidence and online engagement to gather views on new statistics, methodological changes and future priorities. We also email those registered on the Scotstat mailing list with an interest in our topic when publications are released, delayed, corrected or for feedback on proposed changes.

What we do with feedback

We value all feedback and use it to improve accessibility, relevance, methods, publication schedules and future development priorities. We aim to respond to enquiries, comments and suggestions within 20 working days. Where a full response cannot be provided within this timeframe, we will acknowledge receipt and keep users informed of progress. Where appropriate, we will explain what feedback we received, what action we have taken and where requests cannot be met and why. We will publish summaries of significant user feedback and resulting actions through our annual statistical work programme.

Monitoring user needs and satisfaction

We will monitor enquiries, feedback, user surveys, website usage, publication downloads and requests for data to identify improvements and future priorities.

Statistical work programme

Information about planned developments to Marine Directorate statistics, together with summaries of significant user engagement activities, will be included in the Marine Directorate annual statistical work programme. This will include planned developments and priorities, significant changes to publications or methods, and engagement activities. This will include planned developments and priorities, significant changes to publications or methods, summaries of user feedback and engagement activities, and actions taken in response to user feedback.

Accessibility and inclusion

We will use plain English wherever possible, publish statistics in accessible formats, provide alternative formats when requested, consider the needs of different user groups when designing engagement activities and seek to engage with a diverse range of users and communities.

Working across Marine Directorate statistics

This strategy applies across all Marine Directorate statistical teams. Teams will share good practice, coordinate engagement where users have interests across multiple statistical areas, discuss user feedback collectively where it affects more than one publication and ensure engagement activities are proportionate and effective.