1. Objectives of the Forum
Presentation by
PARIS21 Secretariat
High-level forum on strategic planning for statistics: Bangkok, 6-8 June 2006
I shall start with a few words about the objectives of PARIS21 and of this High-Level Forum, touching on the importance of strategic planning to ensure better use of better quality statistics in national policy frameworks.

2. Partnership: PARIS21 Constituencies and Linkages
Policy makers
Developing Countries
Statisticians
Ministers of Finance, Sector Ministers, etc.
Central Stat. Office, Sector Units, Central Banks, etc.
OECD Countries and Multilaterals
The PARIS21 partnership comprises:
Statisticians and analysts in developing countries
Policy makers, senior managers and funders in developing countries
Policy makers and funders in OECD countries and multilateral development agencies
Statisticians and analysts in OECD countries and multilateral development agencies
The bottom half of the diagram represents donor countries and institutions; that is, essentially OECD countries and multilateral organisations. The top half represents developing countries. The left-hand side represents policymakers and the right-hand side statisticians.
The main challenge facing PARIS21 is to get its messages heard and acted upon by these four constituencies, strengthening in the process the linkages and information flows between them, as represented by the arrows in the diagram…..
Development Agencies, WB, IMF, RDB, etc.
OECD Statistics Office Mngers, UN Specialised Agencies; Stat. units in intl orgs

3. Objectives of PARIS21 partners (and of the high-level forum)
To promote evidence-based policy and decision-making, by encouraging:
increased demand for and use of statistics by policy makers
building the capacity to provide the required data and analysis
more dialogue between the producers of statistics and the users
To ensure that resources, both national and international, are used most effectively ……
…… through well-planned national statistical systems focussed on user needs and integrated into national policy frameworks
……and thereby achieving its objective of purpose of promoting evidence-based policy and decision-making, by stimulating:
greater demand, availability and use of better statistics and statistical analysis in development policy and decision-making
Statistical capacity building
Productive dialogue between users and producers of statistics
– leading to better development outcomes, through more effective use of resources and integration of statistics into national policy frameworks.

4. How can strategic planning help?
Addressing data limitations
Prioritising use of resources
Integrating statistics within policy processes
Providing a robust framework and action plan for statistical capacity building
Acting as a catalyst for change to build confidence and break the vicious cycle
Experience has shown that these aims can best be achieved by well-planned national statistical systems (NSSs) focussed on user needs and integrated into national development policy frameworks, such as Poverty Reduction Strategies and sector strategies
Strategic planning can help by addressing:
Data limitations which are constraining development progress
Prioritisation: making choices when resources are limited
Integration of statistics within policy processes
And by providing:
A robust framework and action plan for statistical capacity building, and
A catalyst for change.
A good strategy, adequately funded and successfully implemented can make a big difference to the performance of a national statistical system and help those countries locked in the vicious cycle of under funding and under performance to break free.

5. Coordination of Statistical Activities in a Country
Edu.
Agri.
Health
Labour
And many different national and international initiatives compete for a national statistical system’s resources. Strategic planning can help a country to co-ordinate across all sectors and all statistical activities within a country…

6. Coordination of Statistical Activities within a Country
Edu.
Agri.
Health
Labour
Strategic statistical plan

7. Coordination of international statistical activities
ICP
DHS
MICS
…….. And a strategic plan can also empower a country to coordinate all international statistical activities.

8. Coordination of international statistical activities
ICP
DHS
MICS
The strategic statistical plan can serve as a country-level coherence framework, a strategic approach to statistical capacity building within which countries can place all national and international programmes, such as ICP, DHS and MICS. These should be carried out as part of the implementation of the strategic plan in line with agreed national priorities.
ICP
DHS
MICS
Strategic statistical plan

9. Target Marrakech Action Plan for Statistics set a target:
“to mainstream strategic planning of statistical systems and prepare National Strategies for the Development of Statistics for all low-income countries by 2006….”
“…..and to have started to implement them by the following year with a view towards having better data to monitor progress towards national and international development goals by 2010”
The second International Roundtable on Managing for Development Results held in Marrakech in February 2004 stressed the importance of strategic approaches to statistical capacity building and set a target for all low income countries (where appropriate) to have NSDSs by 2006 and to have started to implement them by the following year with a view towards having better data to monitor progress towards national and international development goals by 2010.
This goal, which had already been endorsed by PARIS21’s Steering Committee, has driven PARIS21’s work programme ever since and is the reason why we are meeting in this joint venture in Bangkok this week.

10. Specific aims of High-Level Forum
Assess the current status of strategic planning
Identify successes and constraints
Share lessons learnt and solutions
Identify next steps in strategic planning:
At the country level
And how the international community can help:
Regionally/sub-regionally
Internationally
The specific aims of High-Level Forum are to:
Assess the current status of strategic plans
Identify successes and constraints in implementation
Share lessons learnt and solutions
Identify next steps:
At the country level
And how the international community can help:
Regionally/sub-regionally
Internationally

11. Thank you!
I am sure that the discussions over the next three days will confirm that much already exists in your countries. Much expertise in strategic planning exists in this room and we aim to draw on it and provide the opportunity to share it.
Thank you!