Cooperation – Partnership by Awa Thiongane UNECA/ACS Workshop Review of the RRSF Implementation

Outline Cooperation : Why? African Context - Myriad of Stakeholders Cooperation: Practice South-south Cooperation -Triangular Cooperation Statistical capacity building Funding mechanisms Coordination Issues for Discussions

SSC Weaknesses SSC No proper assessment No monitoring and evaluation mechanism No comparison against benchmarks set  Donors and recipients – To put in place proper M&E system – To establish or participate in existing coordinating forums TC – Traditional donors – as key partners to the process - have greater influence and say over the way of implementing development aid project shape

African Union Africa Action Plan NEPAD Programme Africa Action Plan (AAP) for the continent development Areas of focus: – Infrastructure – Agriculture and food security – Health – Education – Science and technology – Trade and industry – Environment – Peace and security – Governance – Gender development

African Union – NEPAD Programme Key objectives of the Africa Action Plan (AAP) for the continent development – To mobilize sufficient resources for the implementation of Africa’s priority – To harmonize and synchronize AU/NEPAD programmes/projects for effective and efficient implementation – To prepare a platform for programmes/projects collaboration and partnership – To facilitate the monitoring and evaluation of priority programmes/projects at national, sub-regional and continental levels with the AU/NEPAD, RECs and other African institutions as part of fast-tracking implementation

Background Past experiences of cooperation – Resident technical assistants – Financing statistical activities – Twining – Short term experts

Background (contd.) Includes both (a) grants to nationals of aid recipient countries receiving education or training at home or abroad, and (b) payments to consultants, advisers and similar personnel as well as teachers and administrators serving in recipient countries, (including the cost of associated equipment). Assistance of this kind provided specifically to facilitate the implementation of a capital project is included indistinguishably among bilateral project and programme expenditures, and not separately identified as technical co- operation in statistics of aggregate flows. Source: Glossary of Key Terms and Concepts. From the "Development Co-operation Report: Efforts and Policies of Members of the Development Assistance Committee".

Background (contd.) Includes both (a) grants to nationals of aid recipient countries receiving education or training at home or abroad, and (b) payments to consultants, advisers and similar personnel as well as teachers and administrators serving in recipient countries, (including the cost of associated equipment). Assistance of this kind provided specifically to facilitate the implementation of a capital project is included indistinguishably among bilateral project and programme expenditures, and not separately identified as technical co- operation in statistics of aggregate flows. Source: Glossary of Key Terms and Concepts. From the "Development Co-operation Report: Efforts and Policies of Members of the Development Assistance Committee".

Cooperation: Why? Increasing Statistical demand: requirements of the results- based agenda (in an changing environment) – National: Democracy and good governance (to hold Government accountable – effective use of resources) Macro-economic policy management – sectoral programmes Decentralization (public actions for the benefice of people), etc. – Sub-regional and regional : Development and Integration agenda – International: Development goals and various programme monitoring Question – Ability of countries to produce required statistical information – Gap  Need for technical cooperation

Cooperation: What? Cooperation issues include:  Statistical capacity building  Governance  Funding mechanisms  Coordination

International Cooperation: SCB Building NSS – Meeting requirements of results-based agenda in general – Structural factors Legal and institutional framework Adequate financial and human resources Adequate IT and geo-information infrastructure – Programme factors Regional programme of data collection.. Building good governance – Professional independence (principle 1 of the Charter) – Clear mandate for data collection (principle 2 of the Charter) * supported by strong political commitment (budgetary dependence) Knowledge transfer – Almost all subject-matters – Networks for experience sharing

Funding Mechanisms Bilateral (tied or not aid) – Technology in census data processing Multilateral – AfDB ( not only in the framework of ICP-Africa but also through sectoral projects including good governance with a component on Statistical capacity building) – World Bank Trust fund for statistical capacity building (TFSCB) STATCAP (first loan facility dedicated to statistics) Statistics for Results Facility (SRF) Sectoral loans – European Union Direct funding (through European Development Fund provided that statistics is mentioned as priority sector) Funding through sub-regional organizations

Funding Mechanisms Bilateral (tied or not aid) – Technology in census data processing Multilateral – AfDB ( not only in the framework of ICP-Africa but also through sectoral projects including good governance with a component on Statistical capacity building) – World Bank Trust fund for statistical capacity building (TFSCB) STATCAP (first loan facility dedicated to statistics) Statistics for Results Facility (SRF) Sectoral loans Mechanisms: – Projects / programme funding versus budgetary aid – Basket fund for statistics (refer to Charter)

Shareholding:77 countries -Non-regional: 24 countries - Regional: 53 countries AfDB: a key player during the last 6 years 60% - Funding statistical activities of African countries - Grants - Concessional loans for sectoral projects / programmes

Cooperation: Practice Donor-driven vs. Demand-driven/ nationally owned One size fits all vs. Responsive to national conditions Competition among donors (own agendas) vs. Suitable and effective coordination mechanism Negative consequences: – No predictability – No articulation with development priorities – Creation of new competing data collection channel – No sustainable acquisition of knowledge (transfer of knowledge not embedded in adequate institutional arrangements) – Competing figures – Etc.

Africa Context Africa ’ s context is characterized by: – A myriad of sub-regional economic groupings (RECs) and a sub-regional statistical organization (AFRISTAT) – RECS generally have statistical units – Numerous external partners dealing with countries, RECs, and regional organizations (AfDB, AUC and ECA) AfDB having non-regional members ECA being part of the UN system ACBF has a role to play in statistics The African Statistical Coordination Committee (ASCC) established to ensure coordination at regional level

Sub-regional stakeholders

External Stakeholders RECs ECA Other Sub-regional organizations AU/ NEPAD World Bank Bilateral Cooperat. Agencies European Union Paris21 AfDB AFRISTAT AFRITAC Statistical Training Centres ACBF National Statistical System NSOs / Data Producers of Other Countries EUROSTAT IMF UN Specialized Agencies UNSD UN Programs Other external data Users/ Providers

Main responsiblities of regional Stakeholders

Principles guiding cooperation Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness Accra action Plan (2008) 5 key principles : – Country ownership of development implementation – Donor alignment with partner country development strategies – Harmonization of donor development approaches and activities – Managing for better results through national development strategies and performance frameworks – Mutual accountability between partners and donors

South-south Cooperation UN – UN Conference on technical Cooperation and Developing countries (TCDC)  1978 Buenos Aires Plan of Action = Foundation of south-south cooperation (SSC) – Special Unit for SSC under the UNDP to promote, coordinate and support SSC and TC on a global and UN system-wide basis – UNTFSSC), UNDP funds, etc. – UNCTAD and ECOSOC also promoted SSC OECD/DAC countries and World Bank – focus on aid effectiveness

New trends: SSC and TC South-south Cooperation (SSC) – Processes, institutions and arrangements to promote (in this case) technical cooperation among developing countries – Mutual benefit should be pursued ** Role of South Africa in statistical development in Africa during the 6 last years (ASSD – Activities in SADC region- ISI WSC) Triangular Cooperation (TC) Partnership Donor Country Pivotal Country Beneficiary Country Pivotal RECs or

South-south Cooperation Identification of areas where progress where required on the PD: – Country ownership to be strengthened – Partnership and delivery to be more effective and inclusive – More delivery and accounting for development results NGOs to play be greater role in improving aid effectiveness PD principles to apply equally within the sector too

International Cooperation: findings World-wide (Implementation of the FP – UNSD, 2004) – 96% of respondents: NSOs involved in IC projects last 5 years – 55% as recipients only – 11% as donors only – 29% as both Africa – New survey to be conducted soon

International Cooperation: Requirements Donors ’ coordination to take place at country level Priorities defined by national authority Donor ’ s resources to supplement government funding Driven by country ‘ s requests Cover specific activities in accordance with the plan – Effective delivery of TA – Coordination of support at national and international levels – National data vs international data – No coordination mechanism at sub-regional level – Donors support to be channeled through NSDS implementation

International Cooperation: Means Training – 96% of respondents: NSOs involved in IC projects last 5 years – 55% as recipients only – 11% as donors only – 29% as both Advisory services Regional and sub-regional projects aiming at – strengthening the capacity of NSOs – Improving SSC (incl. intraregional cooperation) Study tours (individual training)

References Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics (1994) – Principle 10: International cooperation “ Bilateral and multilateral cooperation in statistics contributes in the improvement of system of official statistics in all countries ” Declaration of Principles for Statistical Activities in International Organizations (2005) – Principle 10: “ Bilateral and multilateral cooperation in statistics contribute to the professional growth of statisticians involved and to the improvement of statistics in the organizations and in countries ”

Thank You