Integrated statistics for integrated policy Good morning and thanks for coming. I’m especially grateful to the Learning Centre, who coordinated this event. This is a story with two main themes: coherence and integration. To demonstrate, I’ll ask you to work with me on this… Please point to your office. This represents the “old model” of fragmented statistics. Now, point to me…This is the “new model” of coherent statistics addressing a common policy platform, like the SDGs. We can also talk about the parts (the details) and the integration of parts. Raise you hands if you see your work as focussing on the details: one location, one issue, one process… Group A: You’re important, because you provide the depth that we need to answer complex problems. If you see your work as integrating the parts, raise your hand. That is, you’re working on understanding the “big picture”. Group B: You’re important, too, because you make sure that we’re asking the right questions. The well-known Canadian ecologist CS Holling, suggested that Group A and Group B need to understand each other. If not, Group A risks providing precise answers to the wrong questions. Group B risks providing imprecise answers to the right questions. I’ve spent most of my academic and professional career negotiating between the two.

Integrated decision-making needs collaboration & communication What do you have? What do you want? Official Statistics Policy Time frame? Advocacy? Process orientation? Standards? Consistency over time? Coherence? Infrastructure? Complexity? Data management? In the worst case, there’s no communication among science, official statistics and policy Questions difficult to answer individually. What do you need to know? Science Three solitudes… ESCAP -Integrated statistics

Integrated decision-making needs collaboration & communication Ask the right questions Work together Common priorities Data collectives Efficient data collection Evidence based policy How can we solve problems? How can we help? Ask the right questions Work together Evidence-based policy Data collectives Efficient data collection Official Statistics Policy Science Collaboration Common objectives Understand strengths Develop capacity Develop infrastructure Identify gaps Ongoing statistics In the best case, there’s constructive collaboration (beyond what do you have? What do you want?) Now, lets move to environment statistics You should know this! …or convergence? ESCAP -Integrated statistics

Official statistics are not the only input… Personal Science Political Official statistics Evidence Uncertainty Understand evidence? Reversible? Answerable? Measurable? Policy options? Social Other No sociology of statistics (what works and why), so have to adapt from science policy. Good statistics are cheaper than bad decisions ESCAP -Integrated statistics

Readiness for environment statistics The environment is complex Environment statistics are interdepartmental & interdisciplinary Establish partnerships and focus on priorities Link supply with demand Want your statistics to be used We have the technology! ESCAP -Integrated statistics

Implementation strategy 1 Inter-institutional high-level commitment 2 Diagnostic Tool for self-assessment 3 Inventory relevant data 4 Work Plan with agreed tasks and timelines 5 Capacity Building on priority statistics (SEEA & FDES) 6 Compile data for pilot statistics 7 Improve & finalize  Publish as official ESCAP -Integrated statistics

1. Inter-institutional commitment High-level steering Leadership Funding Monitoring Senior experts Specialized working groups ESCAP -Integrated statistics

2. Diagnostic Tool Understand Agree Develop Leverage Inform Achieve Policy priorities Address Vision Develop a work plan to leverage opportunities and address constraints Institutional mechanisms Agree on priority/feasible statistics and accounts Stakeholders Concerns + Opportunities Priority Statistics and Accounts Work Plan Plans - Constraints Statistical context Inform priority environmental concerns (air pollution, water supply…) Other international activities National vision for development everyone can agree with. Existing knowledge Assessment: Understand the context ESCAP -Integrated statistics

2. The process… Participants Preliminary self-assessment Sub-regional workshop Elevator speech = Work Plan Other inputs: existing assessments, NSDS, SOER, National Plans… Narrative = Preliminary Assessment ESCAP Sub-regional workshops bring together NSO and natural resource departments from 6-12 countries at a time. ESCAP has conducted 4 out of 5 to date We have 35/52 self-assessments. Overview = Summary for publication Country mission Detail assessment Work planning Capacity building ESCAP -Integrated statistics

Sub-regions (6-12 countries each) Suva; Sept. 14-16, 2016; Pacific SIDS; 12 countries Bangkok; Nov. 2-4, 2016; SE Asia; 9 countries Bangkok; Feb. 6-8, 2017; SSW Asia; 10 countries Incheon; Mar. 13-15, 2017; ENE Asia; 5 countries ESCAP -Integrated statistics

3. Inventory relevant data Inventory Template for environment statistics To document external statistical “supply chain” ESCAP -Integrated statistics

4. Work plan Agreed tasks (examples) Agreed timelines Establish data sharing agreements Research data sources Identify data gaps, understand differences Engage experts Agreed timelines 6-months pilot “experimental” statistics 1-2 years finalize, develop new data 3-5 years address new priorities Assessment + Work Plan = Proposal ESCAP -Integrated statistics

5. Capacity building SEEA and FDES manuals ESCAP Sub-regional introductory workshops Regional expert workshops In-country workshops, technical assistance SIAP 4-month Statistics for SDGs UNSD online training (in preparation) World Bank WAVES in-country training ESCAP -Integrated statistics

6. Compile pilot statistics ESCAP -Integrated statistics

7. Improve & finalize ESCAP & UNSD available to review and advise Compendium section or SEEA Account Example release structure: Priority addressed (e.g., water security) Need integrated statistics, so compiled data according to (SEEA, FDES) The result… Our interpretation is (better/worse, main causes…) How we did it (sources & methods) What still needs to be done ESCAP -Integrated statistics

Country experience (preliminary) What works Using existing institutional mechanisms (takes time to establish new ones) Rapid assessment to work plan (can be done in one day national workshop) A champion (can motivate collaboration and funding) Doing what you can with available data Publishing pilot (in progress) work for feedback Share the success with stakeholders, other countries and international community May focus on “feasible” rather than “priority” as proof of concept (sometimes difficult to establish priorities) What doesn’t work Working without high-level support (no support = no commitment, no demand) NSO working alone (Don’t ask what your clients can do for you, ask what you can do for your clients) Consultants creating one-time outputs (no involvement = no capacity building) Not engaging users (policy & planning) (results won’t be used) Working without an inter-departmental assessment (unclear priorities and lack of agreement) ESCAP -Integrated statistics

Preliminary summary Most common planned & piloted accounts and statistics: Water (AFG, BGD, BTN, KHM, FJI, IND, IRN, LAO, MYS, MDV, NPL, PAK, PLW, WSM, LAK, THA, VUT, VNM) Land/Forest (AFG, BGD, IND, IDN, IRN, LAO, MDV, MMR, NPL, PAK, PHL, LAK, VUT, VNM) Energy (AFG, BTN, KHM, FJI, FSM, IND, IDN, LAO, MNG, MYS, MDV, NPL, PAK, PLW, PHL, LAK) Wastes (BGD, KHM, FJI, PLW, THA, TUR) FDES (BDG, BTN, CHN, IDN, IND, MMR, MNG, MYS, NPL, PAK, PHL, LAK, THA, VNM) Most common constraints Institutional: data sharing & collaboration Capacity: knowledge across NSS, too few people, no GIS in NSO Update with NEA Some info on FDES from UNSD ESCAP -Integrated statistics

Some recent success stories Country Priority Working Group Assess- ment Work Plan Accounts/Products Bangladesh Poverty Environment  Inventory Fiji Climate, Disaster, Waste, Energy Pilot energy, water, waste Maldives Water supply, Pollution Inventory water, waste Micronesia Energy security + consultant Pilot energy Myanmar Deforestation, biodiversity Inventory forest Nepal Forest value Pilot land Palau Climate, Disaster Inventory water, energy Samoa Pilot water Vanuatu ESCAP -Integrated statistics

Progress - countries with completed self-assessments Stage 1. Institutional mechanism 2. Completed assessment 3. Work plan 4. Piloted accounts 5. Completed accounts 6. Used in planning Or better as a check list country + 1-6 ESCAP -Integrated statistics

Questions? Comments? ESCAP -Integrated statistics

Acknowledgement Materials prepared by: Michael Bordt Regional Adviser on Environment Statistics ESCAP Statistics Division bordt@un.org Teerapong Praphotjanaporn Research Assistant praphotjanaporn@un.org Piyapat Nakornchai Team Assistant nakornchai@un.org ESCAP -Integrated statistics