Session 8: Statistical Infrastructure Joseph Ilboudo UNECA/ACS Workshop Review of RRSF Implementation

Outlines – Introduction – Development of scientific methods – Compliance with international frameworks – International standards – Conclusion

Introduction – The strategy 7 of the RRSF : Enhance the Statistical Infrastructure (Supports Objective 2) – Objective 2: Increase User Satisfaction by Enhancing the Quality and Usability of Statistical Information

Introduction (contd.) Weak Infrastructure In many developing countries, one of the main obstacles to an effective NSS is a lack of adequate infrastructure, examples of which include: – Some NSOs operate from less than adequate buildings. – Statistical infrastructure is inadequate (often there is no master sample or if it is there, it is out of date).

Introduction (contd.) – There is no central business register. Instead there are different registers maintained by different institutions and usually they are out of date or incomplete. – There is no adequate human resources strategy. Schemes of service for statistical personnel are poor, leading to high staff turnover. – There is lack of strategic and special skills e.g. in management, sampling and data analysis.

Introduction (contd.) – There is no forward-looking dissemination policy. – Inadequate IT infrastructure (low level of computerisation, limiting the benefits from the IT revolution). – Geographic Information System (GIS) potential is not harnessed, limiting benefits from GIS functionality..

Development of Scientific Methods – Enhancing Africa’s statistical infrastructure involves developing appropriate scientific methods and applying them to the measurement of social and economic processes, preparing codes and definitions that ensure both internal consistency in the way data are defined and classified and adequate intercountry comparability, and creating and maintaining the sampling frames (such as business registers and master samples) required to sample businesses, households, agricultural holdings and physical facilities.

Compliance with international frameworks – The national statistical office should promote compliance with current international general and sectoral conceptual frameworks. – It should also be empowered by the Statistics Act to enforce compliance with statistical standards by all data producers in the national statistical system in order to enhance the quality and usability of statistical information.

Compliance with international frameworks Compliance with international frameworks (contd.) – Emphasis should be placed on clear and unambiguous documentation of statistical standards applied in data collection, and mechanisms should be established for monitoring quality in data collection. – All surveys conducted by statistical agencies should be based on sound designs, and the information necessary to gauge the reliability of the results produced should be intelligible and accessible to all data users. – To facilitate the interpretation of data, the statistical agencies should indicate the sources, methods and procedures used. ( UN Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics).;

Compliance with international frameworks Compliance with international frameworks (contd.) – UN Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics – Africa Statistical Chart

International Standards – Sub-regional and regional organizations should adapt international standards to suit local conditions in Africa and conduct training workshops on these standards. – National statistical offices and international organizations should ensure effective participation by African experts in the development of international standards that more adequately take account of African conditions.

International Standards (contd.) – International organizations should use more effective methods of delivering international standards to their destination and by providing sufficient numbers of copies of standards. – National statistical offices should ensure that international standards are made available to the appropriate national staff, purchasing additional copies if necessary.

International Standards (contd.) – Availability of these standards on the Web sites of the international organizations for downloading may help solve this problem. – Funding organizations could consider a special fund to support effective distribution of international standards.;

Conclusion Knowledge sharing in building statistical infrastructure is important. Contribution of UNECA, AfDB and Regional Economic Communities are required.

Thank You