Intrinsic to reliable data is the practise of effective data compilation and cleaning, both at the initial receiving of data from partners and consolidation phase (database).
The gFSC Guidance note: FSC 5Ws management has been developed to provide detailed key points to check upon receiving and cleaning partners data. Find here the gFSC standards (for quality static and interactive products) providing a detailed check list of things to do / not do during the process.
In short, data cleaning should take place as soon as a partner submits their data; it is important that the partners initial reports are cleaned before they enter the consolidated database. You can think of this as the first filter (initial check). You will also undertake data cleaning once the 5Ws database is consolidated (see: FSC 5Ws management: section 2. 5W data cleaning guidance). This will require understanding the database as a whole and identifying if the data is logical and consistent. Consider the
ContextConsistencyQuality.