1. Producer – User Dialogue
Inter-Regional Workshop on the Production
of Gender Statistics
New Delhi, India, 6-10 August 2007
Producer – User Dialogue By
Grace Bediako
Government Statistician
Ghana Statistical service

2. A word from the Platform for Action – Beijing 1995
Governments are to:
Ensure that producers and users of statistics in each country regularly review the adequacy of official statistical system and its coverage of gender issues, and prepare a plan for needed improvements, where necessary. (Para. 210 (b))
3 January 2019

3. Aims of the presentation
What are the principles for engaging producers and users in a dialogue?
How do statistical offices traditionally involve users in their data production?
What do we need to improve on and how?
What are the benefits … and to whom?
3 January 2019

4. Statistics serve to: Discern past trends
Assess current levels and differentials
Deduce future patterns
Understand past and current performances as a basis for planning for the future
Set realistic targets for programmes
Monitor changes
Evaluate achievements
3 January 2019

5. Producer-user consultation not a new concept to statisticians
They have served different purposes:
Statutory – Statistics advisory group or Statistics Council, as part of the legislative structure/organization of national statistics system
Ad hoc Advisory Committee for special tasks
Statistical inquiries/surveys
Review of statistical reports
Database/indicator dissemination
Etc.
3 January 2019

6. Expect more from statistics when gender dimension added
Users of gender statistics constitute a major group to target
The use of gender statistics brings new application to expensive data
The analysis of data is extended from different user perspectives
Use of the data for advocacy also publicizes the statistics
3 January 2019

7. Introducing gender to statistics would require new approaches
Need to go beyond the traditional-producer-user groups
Explore communication in both directions –
Producers Users
Engage users every step of the production process
Solicit feedback from users on continuous basis
Respond positively to feedback
Make use of feedback received
Provide responses
Inform users about outcome of feedback
3 January 2019

8. Users have to be engaged in continuous dialogue throughout the production process to maximise gains.
Effective engagement requires new orientation and appreciation for user inputs.

9. Consulting users Know your users
Understand their needs and requirements
Appreciate their special skills and potentials
Determine how best to capitalize on these skills
Find a way of combining the different personalities
Minimize conflicts
Maximize contributions to the outputs
3 January 2019

10. Who are the users of gender statistics?
Government officials, programme managers, policy-makers, etc.
Women’s and gender advocates
Researchers and academicians
International organizations, bilateral aid agencies, development partners
Civil society organizations, NGOs,
Media
Ordinary citizen
3 January 2019

11. Just about every could use gender statistics
Applications are wide ranging and vary by individuals, institutions, etc.
The purposes are also different
For advocacy
Justify programme/policy direction and orientation
Assess the programme performance
Users have different degrees of technical competence in the use of statistics, and the needs of each group would have to be addressed in the products and formats of the outputs tht are disseminated
3 January 2019

12. What skills/capacities?
3 January 2019

13. The challenge Managing the wide range of users
Reconciling different interests and purposes
Responding to the varying levels of understanding in technical issues and gender awareness
Meeting the diversity of needs
3 January 2019

14. Reformulate development issues
Bringing gender issues into the production of statistics
Reformulate development issues
USERS
Problems and questions
on gender issues in society
of statistics
Cooperate
Needs for improvement of the situations of women and men
PRODUCERS
of statistics
Goals for equal opportunity
3 January 2019

15. Targeting different audiences
Enhancing visibility of women and men in statistical products
Targeting different audiences
PRODUCERS
of statistics
Analysis of data
Feedback
Cooperate
Presentation
USERS
Dissemination
of statistics
3 January 2019

16. At the data compilation and analysis stage
Identify crucial gender issues
Ascertain areas for policy interventions and formulation of gender goals
Verify deductions and explanations of the statistics and indicators
Give context to the analysis
Assess the clarity and usefulness of presentation formats, style of publication, suitability of output for intended audience
3 January 2019

17. Role of producer-user dialogue
Final steps in data collection
Beginning stages
of data collection
Consultations/feedback
in-between
Advice on questionnaires
design
Define issues
Support analysis
Users of statistics
Producers
of statistics
Identify statistical needs
Identify gaps
Feedback on relevance of data/products
Identify
gaps
Advice on concepts & methods
3 January 2019

18. Channels of communication
Informal discussions
Individual consultations
Comments on/review of draft documents
Technical workshops
Data analysis workshops
Report drafting workshops
Meetings of consultative/advisory committee meetings
Dissemination workshops
3 January 2019

19. Making communication two-way – What to offer to users
Understanding the needs of users
Learning to communicate in the language of users
Bringing statistics to the different technical levels of users
Generating useful products
Making the constraints of producers known
Responding to and appreciating feedback
3 January 2019

20. Drawbacks to producer-user consultations
Can lengthen the time table
Can generate conflicting opinions
Can yield competing demands
Can raise unrealistic expectations
Can lead to disappointments when expectations are not met
3 January 2019

21. Producers of statistics have their limitations too
3 January 2019

22. Ultimately, producer-user dialogue benefits all
Increased utilization of the data produced (often generate at great cost)
Enhanced statistical literacy – better and more effective use of statistics
Users knowledge about constraints of the national statistical system increased
More advocates and greater support for the national statistical system
Expanded sources of technical inputs
3 January 2019

23. A word from the Platform for Action – Beijing 1995
Governments are to:
Ensure that producers and users of statistics in each country regularly review the adequacy of official statistical system and its coverage of gender issues, and prepare a plan for needed improvements, where necessary. (Para. 210 (b))
3 January 2019

24. Some reflection on current practices
The Beijing Platform for Action assigns responsibility on Government (in this case the NSO or the Women’s Machinery) to ensure that producer-user dialogue is maintained:
To what extent is this being done?
How formal is such an arrangement? If a group is in place how regularly does it meet?
What are some of the benefits gained, to those that practice this?
Are there some elements of such an arrangement that guarantee successful outcomes?
3 January 2019