1. 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.

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. Implementation strategy1
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

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

8. 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

9. 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

10. Sub-regions (6-12 countries each)
Suva; Sept , 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 , 2017; ENE Asia; 5 countries
ESCAP -Integrated statistics

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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 6. Compile pilot statistics
ESCAP -Integrated statistics

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. Questions?
Comments?
ESCAP -Integrated statistics

21. Acknowledgement Materials prepared by: Michael Bordt
Regional Adviser on Environment Statistics
ESCAP Statistics Division
Teerapong Praphotjanaporn
Research Assistant
Piyapat Nakornchai
Team Assistant
ESCAP -Integrated statistics