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The purpose of the Special Data Dissemination Standard Plus (SDDS Plus) is to reinforce and supplement the Fund’s Data Standards Initiatives and assist Fund members who decide to adhere to the SDDS Plus with regard to the publication of comprehensive, timely, accessible, and reliable economic and financial statistical data in a world of continuing economic and financial integration. The SDDS Plus also requires adherents to disseminate metadata to promote public knowledge and understanding of their compilation practices with respect to the required data categories.

In addition to being an SDDS subscriber in full observance of all SDDS requirements, an SDDS Plus adherent must observe additional requirements for nine data categories. The SDDS Plus comprises four dimensions: (1) coverage, periodicity, and timeliness of data; (2) access by the public; (3) integrity of the disseminated data; and (4) quality of the disseminated data. For each of the four dimensions, the SDDS Plus requires good practices that can be observed and monitored by users of statistics.

Under the SDDS Plus, data dissemination practices are prescribed for data categories covering the real, fiscal, financial and external sectors, as well as population, and are posted on the IMF's Dissemination Standards Bulletin Board (DSBB; http://dsbb.imf.org). Currently there are 17 adherents to the SDDS Plus. Adherents are required to establish an Internet site containing the actual data disseminated under the SDDS Plus, called a National Summary Data Page (NSDP) that is hyperlinked to the DSBB. Full details on adherents' metadata are posted on the DSBB.

Assessment Methodology

The generic Data Quality Assessment Framework (DQAF) May 2012 serves as an umbrella for seven dataset-specific frameworks. The current May 2012 version of the DQAF is an update of the July 2003 version of the DQAF to reflect experience and international statistical developments, particularly updated international methodological standards.