Circular No. 01/2020/TT-BTNMT stipulates technical methods for assessing the quality of marine literature, air environment, and water quality.

CIRCULAR

Technical regulations for assessing the quality of marine, atmospheric, and water environmental data
marine literature, air environment, and water

Pursuant to the Law on Meteorology and Hydrology dated November 23, 2015;

WHEREAS, Decree No. 38/2016/NĐ-CP dated May 15, 2016 of the Government detailing certain provisions of the Law on Meteorology and Hydrology;

On the basis of Decision No. 36/2017/NĐ-CP dated April 4, 2017, of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment;

At the proposal of the Director General of the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting, the Head of the Science and Technology Department and the Head of the Legal Department;

The Minister of Natural Resources and Environment issues this Circular to regulate technical methods for assessing the quality of marine literature, air environment, and water data.

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

This Circular stipulates technical methods for assessing the quality of marine literature, air environment, and water data within the national meteorological and hydrological station network.

Article 2. Applicability

This Circular applies to the national meteorological and hydrological station system and related organizations and individuals.

Article 3. Explanation of Terms

In this Circular, the following terms shall be understood as follows:

Article 1. Quality assessment of data is an activity of inspection, control, and determination of the quality of marine literature, air environment, and water data (hereinafter referred to collectively as data).

Article 2. Data subject to assessment includes data observed, collected through manual and automatic observation methods, and analyzed in laboratories.

Article 3. Data errors are mistakes occurring during observation, collection, calculation, correction, and analysis.

Article 4. Spatial consistency of data refers to the logical consistency of one or more observed factors at the observation location compared with data observed at surrounding locations.

Article 5. Temporal consistency of data refers to the logical consistency of one or more factors compared with values of data at the same observation location over different time periods.

Article 6. Consistency among observed factors refers to the logical consistency of data between one factor and another at the same location and time.

Article 7. Standard score (SS) is the highest score (total of 100 points) determined for each category of the content of data quality assessment.

Article 8. Deduction score (DS) is the number of points deducted for errors based on types of data and information: observation logs, reports, laboratory analysis results charts; data files; recorded diagrams of observed factors; laboratory analysis result charts; technical inspection records.

Article 9. Achieved score (AS) of data is the difference between the standard score and the total deduction score.

Article 4. Types of data to be assessed

Data to be assessed include paper-based data (observation logs, reports, statistical calculation result charts, diagrams, graphs) and data in digital file format, specifically:

Article 4.1. Marine data:

a) Manual observation data: observation logs, water level recording diagrams, and reports;

b) Automatic observation data: reports, data files.

Article 4.2. Agricultural meteorology and radiation data:

a) Manual observation data: observation logs, reports, observation charts;

b) Automatic observation data: automatic observation result charts, data files, and reports.

Article 4.3. Air and water environmental data:

a) Rainwater, dust deposition, total dust, river water, lake water, seawater, salinity observation data: observation result charts, laboratory analysis result charts, and reports;

b) Automatic air and climate monitoring environmental observation data: automatic observation result charts, data files, and reports.

Article 5. Methods for assessing data

Data quality assessment is conducted using a scoring method based on standard scores, deduction scores, and achieved scores: AS = SS - DS

Article 6. Procedure and Content of Quality Assessment of Documents

1. Receiving Documents

a) Receiving documents from submitting units;

b) Checking quantity and classifying documents;

c) Confirming the results of receiving documents.

2. Assessing the Quality of Documents

a) The quality assessment of documents is conducted monthly for each monitoring factor;

b) The monthly achievement score of documents is the average result of the assessment outcomes of each monitoring factor;

c) The annual achievement score of documents is the average result of the assessment outcomes of all months in a year;

d) The content of assessment, standard scores, and deduction points are stipulated in Appendix I and Appendix II issued together with this Circular.

3. Calculation of Deduction Points

a) The total deduction points shall not exceed the standard score;

b) Deduction points are only counted once when assessing the quality of documents for a monitoring factor that has errors due to the chain effect of other errors, but the final result of that factor does not significantly impact the overall quality of the document;

c) When the deduction points exceed two-thirds of the standard score of any assessment content (items 2 and 3 in Table 1, Table 3, and Table 5 in Appendix I; items 1 and 2 in Table 2, Table 4, and Table 6 in Appendix I issued together with this Circular), then the quality of the document will not be assessed and the document will be classified as poor quality.

4. Classifying the Quality of Documents

a) The quality of documents is determined by the "achievement score" and is classified according to the following table:

b) Agencies and units entrusted by competent authorities to assess the quality of marine environmental, air, and water quality documents must provide comments and assessments in accordance with the provisions in Appendix III issued together with this Circular.

5. Submitting Assessed and Classified Documents

a) Reviewing and tallying documents to be submitted;

b) Submitting documents to the receiving unit as prescribed;

c) Confirming the results of document submission.

Article 7. Effective Date

This Circular takes effect from June 15, 2020.

Article 8. Implementation organization

1. The Director of the General Department of Meteorology and Hydrology shall be responsible for inspecting and guiding the implementation of this Circular.

2. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities, Departments of Natural Resources and Environment of provinces and centrally-run cities, and related organizations and individuals are responsible for implementing this Circular./.