1. What is and Why NSDS? Presentation by PARIS21 Secretariat
My name is Eric Bensel. I work in the PARIS21 Secretariat, hosted by the OECD in Paris. I will give a brief outline of what is an NSDS and why countries should adopt this approach. But, if I may, I’d first like to thank our hosts, the Trinidad and Tobago authorities, and our co-organisers, the CARICOM Secretariat, as well as all other institutions and individuals, for their support in helping make this workshop a reality.

2. What is an NSDS?
National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (=NSDS) is:
A strategic plan with a vision for where NSO and NSS should be in 5-10 years time
A prioritised and costed action plan for statistics and statistical capacity building to achieve the vision
A framework for coordination arrangements: both across NSS and between Development Partners
A framework for funding, both national and international
Integrated into national planning processes
What is an NSDS? While NSDSs are intended to be nationally led and adapted to countries’ specific situations, we can still point to some key commonalities. 2

3. Value added of NSDS approach
Organisational development and management
Statistical Capacity Building best practice
Participatory development
Integrating NSDS into Development Policy Processes
NSDS Design and Implementation
The value added of the NSDS approach is that :
It incorporates lessons learnt about inclusive, participatory development processes such as those used in the development of Poverty Reduction Strategies
It integrates statistical development into national development policy and strategy processes
it follows best practice in organisational development and management
And it learns lessons and builds from earlier statistical capacity processes, including implementation successes and constraints, drawing on eg the UN’s Fundamental Principles, IMF’s GDDS/ SDDS, etc.
The NSDS approach looks at statistical capacity building through a development and management lens; and looks at development policy and best management practices through a statistical lens - all in pursuit of better development outcomes. 3

4. How to break the Vicious Cycle….
2/25/2019
How to break the Vicious Cycle….
Weak demand
Low funding
Weak
statistics 4

5. …..by creating a Virtuous Cycle
2/25/2019
Better
Statistics
Increased
demand
Increased,
better spent
resources
Better
coordination 5

6. NSDS as a country-level coherence framework
ICP
DHS
MICS
Many different national and international initiatives compete for a national statistical system’s resources. An NSDS can provide a country-level coherence framework, a strategic approach to statistical capacity building, within which countries can place all national and international programmes…….. 6

7. NSDS as a country-level coherence framework
ICP
DHS
MICS
………….such as the International Comparison Programme (ICP), Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS). These should be carried out as part of the implementation of the NSDS in line with agreed priorities and the NSDS action plan.
ICP
DHS
MICS
National Strategy for the Development of Statistics 7

8. Coordination of Statistical Activities in a Country
Edu.
Agri.
Health
Labour
Similarly, the NSDS is a coordination mechanism for the national statistical system…
The NSDS should encompass all data production, analysis and use. It should be system-wide, covering and coordinating all actors in the system
The implementation of the NSDS may need to be incremental, perhaps starting with the NSO, but the strategy needs to be set in as broad a context as possible to enable:
Better co-ordination and co-operation
Alignment of supply and demand and to determine priorities
And to build interest in statistics and the strategy
NSDS needs to cover the entire National Statistical System for official statistics, including:
Line ministries as well as the NSO
Users (demand side ) as well as producers (supply side)
National, sub-national, regional and international needs and programmes 8

9. Coordination of Statistical Activities in a Country
Edu.
Agri.
Health
Labour
NSDS 9

10. An NSDS can help by: Addressing data limitations
Prioritising the use of resources
Looking across whole NSS
Integrating statistics within policy processes
Coordinating donor support
Providing a robust framework and action plan for statistics and statistical capacity building
Acting as a catalyst for change to build confidence and break the vicious cycle 10