Grant agreement for piloting the Framework Partnership Agreement between the National data provider organisations in Cyprus and EFSA – Final report

Abstract

Cyprus alongside with another 4 countries has participated successfully in the Grant Agreement GP/EFSA/DATA/2016/01-GA 02, entitled: "Strategic Partnership with Cyprus on Data Quality". The project was co-financed by EFSA, aiming to help both EFSA and data providers from Member States to possess data of high quality in a quantitatively manageable way. The main objective of the grant agreement was the establishment of the data governance, coordination and improvement of the quality of the data submitted to EFSA, in the four domains of: Chemical occurrence, Zoonoses, Pesticide Residues and Veterinary Medicinal Product Residues. The project objectives have been achieved (a) by establishing a national data governance in Cyprus with the assignment of a National Data Coordinator and the definition of related Standard Operating Procedures, (b) by assigning a dedicated person responsible for collecting and transmitting the data to EFSA (Domain Specific Data Stewards) and by developing Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for quantifying the quality of the data transmitted to EFSA and (c) by enhancing the local LIMS software to provide better electronic communication with EFSA (supporting SSD2 transmissions) and making more robust the local automatic data management and validation. Cyprus has been submitting electronically data (for the three domains) to EFSA since 2011, using an in-house LIMS software where all the information concerning the samples and their analysis is recorded, stored and adapted for transmitting the mandatory elements to EFSA. However, no documented procedures were in place for ensuring or improving the data transmitted to EFSA, and no written procedures existed for the data governance at national level either. With the implementation of this project, the procedures were documented and performance indicators were developed, securing the data quality. National data governance was established. The development of ways to monitor, improve and enhance the quality of the data will ensure the long term quality of the data.