1. EASTERN AFRICA STATISTICAL TRAINING CENTRE
Presenter:
JOHN MGANGA.

2. OUTLINE OF THE PRESENTATION
Brief history of EASTC
Transformation of EASTC
Long term Plan of EASTC
The role of Statistical Institutions in enhancing the capacity to implement SNA (2008)
Conclusion
Recommendations

3. Brief History of EASTC
The Eastern Africa Statistical Training Centre (EASTC) was established on the 30th August, 1965 as profession institution under an agreement between the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the East Africa Common Service Organisation (EACSO)
It mainly served three countries of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda (Founder of East African Community). The Center’s original purpose was to offer academic qualifications to government workers in the National Statistical Offices (NSO) who joined civil service direct from secondary schools but had vast experience in statistical activities.
Thus the EASTC at that time focused on training statistician at low and intermediate levels (Certificate and Diploma).

4. Brief History cont….
April 1978, the Statistical Training Programme for Africa (STPA), under UNECA, requested the Tanzania Government to run the EASTC under the agreement that it remains REGIONAL and should expand to serve more countries in Eastern and Southern Africa in addition to the partner states of former EAC.
In 1994, Tanzania and user countries signed a diplomatic protocol in which obligations and privileges were outlined to the member countries.
Their number increased from three to eighteen namely: Botswana, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Despite the protocol, EASTC has students from West Africa including Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana and Gambia.

5. Transformation of EASTC
In the early 2000s many African Governments began to employ graduates. Lack of Official Statisticians, led most NSOs to recruit Theoretical Statisticians who essentially cannot meet the requirements of Official Statistics. The member countries requested EASTC to formulate a degree programme in Official Statistics.
The Centre adopted various reform strategies that resulted into substantial expansion. The National Accreditation Council for Technical Education (NACTE) accredited EASTC to become a Higher Leaning Institution (HLI) in 2012.
Among of the immediate initiative which was taken soon after the transformation was the launch of Bachelor Degree in Official Statistics (BOS) in 2012.
Currently, EASTC offers post graduate courses ; Masters in Official Statistics (MOS) launched in with three intake so far and Masters in Agricultural Statistics (MAS) launched in 2015 ( one intake). PhD in Official Statistics (by Thesis) is under way in academic year 2016/2017.

6. EASTC Long term Plan
EASTC focus on becoming the centre of excellence of which its vision is centred on ;
Train high level professionals and academics on Official statistics at Masters and PhD levels; and provision of learner-centred short term training
Using graduate students and well trained professionals to conduct state-of-the art responsive research on Official Statistics using sound methodological approaches and robust analytical tools
Provide an e-learning platform to promote teaching, research, and dissermination of information among Official Statistics professionals and academicians in the region
Assist National Bureau of Statistics and sectoral ministries in terms of advice, short-term tailor made training and consultancy to enable them improve the quality of Official Statistics; and
Increase research output in Official Statistics data and indicators

7. The role of Statistical Institutions in enhancing the capacity to implement SNA (2008)
The broad objective of the System of National Accounts (SNA) is to provide a comprehensive conceptual and accounting framework for compiling and reporting macroeconomic statistics for analysing and evaluating the performance of an economy.
The production of National Accounts falls under the role of the National Statistics Office (NSO)
However, Statistical Training Institutions/Centres assist NSO and the entire statistical producers in producing statistics through offering training on various areas in needs of statistics including National Accounts compilation.
EASTC as one of the training Centre, offers training in Official Statistics , National Accounts is one of the module offered from Bachelor degree to Post graduate level, and the chief text for reference is SNA recommendation.

8. Teaching of National Accounts at EASTC
(a) Teaching National Accounts at Bachelor’s degree:
1: Introductory National Accounts: To enable students to
Explain historical background of national accounts compilation worldwide before 1945
Explain historical background of national accounts compilation in Africa before 1945
Explain the nature of national accounts compilation after 1945 to-date
Describe concepts used in national accounts compilation
Explain the methods of compiling national accounts

9. Teaching of National Acc cont..
2. National Accounts
Describe the development, and purpose of ICP in international statistics
Breakdown GDP by expenditures to International Comparison Programme (ICP)
Examine the performance of the sectors of the economy
Develop trends for total GDP and sector/subsector
Relate GDP with other variables of the economy

10. Teaching of National Acc cont..
Teaching National Accounts at Master’s Degree:
Describe concepts used in national accounts compilation
Explain the methods of compiling national accounts of an economy
Compile Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of an economy using accepted standards and practices
Compile national accounts by using accepted standards and practices of accounting and presentations.
Analyse national accounts to determine sectors’ contributions and trends over time
Develop Supply, and Use Tables (SUT) for analyzing input-output relations of industries

11. Teaching methodologies
Teaching National Accounts involves guiding students to undertake a set of learning tasks. The learner pursue them one after the other and lecturer makes sure that each of the task is completed.
The course is structured to be interactive and the emphasis is on learning by doing.
The learning context of the course is based on classroom lectures, guided independent work, practical demonstration, where needed; and case studies

12. Why EASTC teach National Accounts
The compilation of National Accounts plays a big role in tracking the development of economic activities and training institute are obliged to produce qualified expert for the following reasons;
To produce graduates who can work independently in all fields of National Account with minimum supervision
EASTC strives to produce competent, responsible and innovative strategic statistical professionals who will work as qualified managers at senior levels of decision making at NSO, Government Departments and/or international organizations within the framework of National Accounts

13. Limitations of teaching National Accounts
Teaching National Accounts at EASTC is based on CBET that require the lecturer to have both academic qualification and working experience from NSOs, Government Ministries/Departments/Agencies or International organizations. (i.e. From hands –on experience). However there are few qualified personnel in Africa who meet both requirements
Statistical Training Centres(STCs) including EASTC face shortage of teaching staff and inadequate teaching materials in the field of National Accounts.
This situation limits the capacity of most African countries to produce reliable National Accounts for effective policy and decision makers.
The teaching of National Accounts based on UN handbooks and manual

14. Conclusion
The problem in implementations of SNA is not born by National Statistical Offices since the process of compiling and production of National accounts involves various stake holders.
Also The difficulties in implementing the SNA originates from the failure to link the theoretical concept and the real field practise that training institutions has a role to fill that gap.

15. Recommendations
EASTC advises development partners (ECA, AfDB, AU etc.) to support existing STCs in Africa to establish long term training especially PGD in National Accounts
Donars to assist in the availability of National Accounts books
There should be developed a simplified and friendly companion text to the SNA to be used by students as well as Training Manual which will be used by trainers as guiding tools.
To assist training instituitons to have qualified teachers in both theoretical and practical with experience in National accounts compilation.
There shoud also be frequent seminars / workshops to trainers so as to keep them up to date with the implementation of the SNA since the document requires skilled trainer to digest.

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