1. How to Build Capacity in Statistics? Head of International Project
Alper GÜCÜMENGİL
Head of International Project
Management Group

2. Presentation Plan Why to Build Capacity in Statistics?
Capacity Building in Statistics
Steps in Capacity Building
A Case Study: the Efforts for Improvement of Capacity in TurkStat
Conclusion

3. Why to Build Capacity in Statistics? (1)
sine qua non of all types of interactions among actors of social and economic life
crucial in the fight against poverty, social and economic inequality, public health and environmental problems etc.
indispensable tool for a rational governing, particularly for the policy making processes.
“Indispensable Tool”

4. Why to Build Capacity in Statistics? (2)
Changing Conditions:
Drastic changes in social, economic and cultural life
Decision makers are under much more pressure
‘Need’ dimension and ‘User Profiles’ are different than before
Emergence of new data demands
Needs about comparable data among countries as a result of globalization

5. Why to Build Capacity in Statistics? (3)
NSOs’ Position:
Official statisticians’ task: much more difficult
NSOs of all countries: under intense pressures
limited resources
changing needs and changing users
growing demands from traditional users
Official statisticians should have adequate competencies to catch up the developments
NSOs need to develop/build capacity to cope with these challenges

6. Capacity Building in Statistics (1)
What is Capacity Building? (in general terms)
the means by which skills, experience, technical and management capacity are developed
within an organizational structure (contractors, consultants or contracting agencies)
often through the provision of technical assistance, short/long-term training, and specialist inputs (e.g. computer systems).

7. Capacity Building in Statistics (2)
Ability of NSOs to produce reliable, accurate, timely, relevant and internationally comparable data
Capacity
in Statistics
Capacity building means:
to create or strengthen this ability in statistical institutions
in broader terms reforming a country’s statistical system

8. Capacity Building in Statistics (3)
Dimensions of Capacity Building
Legal infrastructure
Autonomy
Human resources
Financial resources
Infrastructure and technical resources
Standards
Coordination roles of NSOs
Dissemination
Culture

9. Steps in Capacity Building (1)
Where to start?
Evaluating the present situation
“Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats – SWOT” Analysis
The environment (of NSOs) analysis (Political, Economical, Socio-cultural, Technological Factors – PEST)
Global and sector assessment exercises

10. Steps in Capacity Building (2)
How to proceed?
2. Developing a strategy and using management tools
Preparation of a strategy – the determination of principles, mission, vision, strategic aims, time specifications, human-finance resources allocation, specific goals, targets, milestones.
Strategic Management
Project Management
Governance
Total Quality Management
Risk Management
Resource Management
Time Management
Change Management

11. Steps in Capacity Building (3)
Action
3. Implementation process
taking legal, institutional, methodological and practical actions in short, medium and long-term timeframes.
Implementation of a strategy: the most difficult and challenging part
The ownership and leadership of top management
Absorption capacity of NSS
Establishment of a team for the effective implementation
Support of top management
Communication; networking is the key word for the success

12. Steps in Capacity Building (4)
Continuous Monitoring
4. Monitoring of the results
Monitoring; the regular observation aimed at providing
early indicators of development and deficiencies
Tools for monitoring:
Progress reports presented to the international organizations
Regular annual assessment meetings
New versions of global assessments, peer review studies
Project/programme evaluation missions
Compliance monitoring tools
Data availability exercises

13. Steps in Capacity Building (5)
Continuous Monitoring
4. Monitoring of the results
Some indicators to evaluate statistical capacity level:
adoption of new law and regulations
introduction of formal planning processes
enhancement of staff knowledge
number of new statistical datasets
volume of data transmitted to international organizations
data validated and published by international organizations
percentage in completeness of data in international publications
number of surveys replaced by administrative registers
number of micro-datasets provided to the researchers
Monitoring; the revision possibility for immediate actions and/or for further progress

14. A Case Study: the Efforts for Improvement of Capacity in TurkStat (1)
Starting Point
Turkey’s EU candidacy in 1999 and
setting priority to EU membership
TurkStat serves
to modernize Turkish Statistical System (TSS) (1)
provides data for the EU negotiation process (2)
“Double Role of Statistics”

15. A Case Study: the Efforts for Improvement of Capacity in TurkStat (2)
1. Evaluation Process
Interaction with Eurostat
SWOT Analysis for TurkStat
Global Assessment Exercise, 2002
international reference document to upgrade TSS

16. A Case Study: the Efforts for Improvement of Capacity in TurkStat (3)
2. Developing strategy and using the management tools
A general strategy with the strategic aim to reform and modernize the statistical system
The capacity building initiative of TurkStat
(1) legal infrastructure
(2) programming and coordination among the actors
(3) resources
(4) statistical domains

17. A Case Study: the Efforts for Improvement of Capacity in TurkStat (4)
2. Developing strategy and using the management tools
Project management: the major tool in the process for TurkStat
Determination of risks
Time management to set the priorities and reach the goals of projects
The management of all resources of TurkStat including international funds
Strategic management-Multi annual planning
Strategic Plans and Official Statistics Programme
Governance tool
Change management process for the staff of TurkStat
TQM approach in TurkStat: Process Management

18. A Case Study: the Efforts for Improvement of Capacity in TurkStat (5)
3. Implementation
New Turkish Statistical Law adopted in 2005
“Silent Reform”
Important contributions for the Turkish Statistical System
Coordination role of TurkStat: strengthening of the coordination role and competency of TurkStat in TSS with New Law
Re-structuring of Regional Offices according to NUTS levels
Revision in the organizational structure of TurkStat

19. A Case Study: the Efforts for Improvement of Capacity in TurkStat (6)
3. Implementation
Recruitment of young and educated staff
total staff number increased by 19 percent:
3124 (in 2003) (in 2014)
Establishment of Training and Research Center in 2006
Formal regular programme for the staff
Studies on Dissemination
New TurkStat website in June 2013 (considering user satisfaction surveys)
Several tailor-made solutions for target user groups
Efficient use of social media
Design of the web site “

20. A Case Study: the Efforts for Improvement of Capacity in TurkStat (7)
3. Implementation
International programmes/projects
Upgrading the Statistical System of Turkey (USST) Programme
Phase I (January 2003–March 2007)
Phase II (January 2007–November 2009)
Phase III (July 2011–December 2014)
Eurostat Multi Beneficiary Programmes (MBPs)
PHARE 2005 (January 2007-December 2008)
MBP 2006 (January 2008-December 2010)
IPA MBP 2009 (December 2010-November 2012)
IPA MBP 2011 (September 2012-August 2014)
IPA MBP 2012 (January 2014-November 2015)

21. A Case Study: the Efforts for Improvement of Capacity in TurkStat (8)
3. Implementation
International programmes/projects
Financial support of approximately 30 Million Euro
IT equipment of approximately 3 Million Euro
Implementation of projects on several statistical areas to reach the international standards and EU Statistical Acquis
Implementation of more than 30 data collection projects

22. A Case Study: the Efforts for Improvement of Capacity in TurkStat (9)
3. Implementation
International programmes/projects
Consultancy service of more than Working Days
Consultants made assessments and
recommendations in each area
Questionnaires were revised
New surveys were launched
Methodological studies were carried out
Classification Server was set up
Infrastructure of Business Registers System was set up
User satisfaction survey was implemented
Statistical data request database was established

23. A Case Study: the Efforts for Improvement of Capacity in TurkStat (10)
3. Implementation
International programmes/projects
7540 participants from TurkStat and stakeholders
2301 international and local activities (SVs, TCs, TRs, Meetings, Conferences)
Language Training (English) to 210 TurkStat staff and staff of stakeholders
Translation Service: ~8000 pages of EU legislation and methodology
Technical assistance to 12 Ministries within TSS

24. A Case Study: the Efforts for Improvement of Capacity in TurkStat (11)
4. Monitoring
Capacity building in TurkStat: internal and external monitoring
Reporting: the major tool of the internal monitoring process
Goals and objectives of TurkStat strategic plan;
performance evaluation: the comparable analysis of the performance goals with the outcomes in the monitoring reports
The internal monitoring reports: attainment of the strategic objectives
Performance evaluation: using performance indicators

25. A Case Study: the Efforts for Improvement of Capacity in TurkStat (12)
4. Monitoring
External Monitoring
Project/Programme Evaluation Reports by independent experts
USST Programme of TurkStat received the highest grade in the Evaluation Report of EU Programmes:
“the best EU Project implemented in Turkey”
Other mechanisms used for TurkStat:
monitoring and progress reports presented to international organizations
regular annual assessment meetings by mainly Eurostat
Light Peer Review studies
compliance monitoring tools and indicators related to the data transmission to Eurostat

26. A Case Study: the Efforts for Improvement of Capacity in TurkStat (13)
4. Monitoring
Main results of the monitoring process:
 Legal infrastructure for TSS with important features:
Establishment of a Statistical Council and ensure its functionality
Having the right of TurkStat to access administrative registers for statistical usage
Maintaining the professional and technical autonomy of TurkStat
Transition to multi-year programming – Official Statistics Programme
A modern and integrated statistical system
Enhancement of cooperation and coordination between TurkStat and main data providers
New organizational structure of TurkStat based on GSBPM

27. A Case Study: the Efforts for Improvement of Capacity in TurkStat (14)
4. Monitoring
Main results of the monitoring process:
Improvement of the capacity of TurkStat regional offices
Developed human resources structure
Incrased knowledge of TurkStat and TSS staff about the international statistical standards, terminologies and methods (specifically EU)
create the awareness of reforms and requirements in TSS
communication channels and network
Institutional transformation process has mainly given an international point of view to the staff and created a common language
Improved English levels of TurkStat and main data providers’ personnel

28. A Case Study: the Efforts for Improvement of Capacity in TurkStat (15)
4. Monitoring
Main results of the monitoring process:
Renewal of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure of TurkStat
Establishment of Classification Server
Setting up Infrastructure of Business Register System
Established Address Based Population Registration System
Improved methodology of statistics in line with the EU standards

29. A Case Study: the Efforts for Improvement of Capacity in TurkStat (15)
4. Monitoring
Main results of the monitoring process:
The increase in number of datasets transmitted to Eurostat from Turkey:
25 (in 2004) (in 2012)
percentage of transmission of the requested data increased by nine times
With the renewal of TurkStat’s website structure, TurkStat now has more user friendly databases (around 70 user databases)
The information: more visible and accessible for the users
Social media: the use of statistics has been promoted

30. A Case Study: the Efforts for Improvement of Capacity in TurkStat (16)
4. Monitoring
Remarks
Important steps between 2000 and 2014
Overall objective (Harmonization of Statistics to EU Methodology or international standards) has not been fully achieved yet
Monitoring indicators still need to be enhanced
One of the main challenges: the revisions in EU Statistical Acquis and international standards
Another challenge: insufficient administrative registers in Turkey

31. A Case Study: the Efforts for Improvement of Capacity in TurkStat (17)
4. Monitoring
Remarks
The increase in the attendance and contributions of TurkStat experts as “best practice” to international events:
Consultancy services of 1150 Working Days by TurkStat Experts to the NSOs
710 experts from relevant countries in training programmes in Turkey.
TurkStat’s Critical Role in capacity building process:
the proper use of funds
establishment of qualified team
good communication channels with the stakeholders
“Institutional capacity of TurkStat has been considerably developed by means of the comprehensive studies”

32. Conclusion Capacity building: a continuous effort
NSOs need to reform and modernize their infrastructure and adopt new developments in the statistical arena without breaks
Dynamic process
Ceasing investment in statistical capacities: weakness in coping with the new challenges

33. Thank You…
As I stated before, the participation of main data provider organizations is very important for the effective implementation of USST Programme. TurkStat gives importance the cooperation issue and aims to work with you in close cooperation.
Such kind of meetings will ensure firstly coming together, in later stage keeping together and finally working together and we will reach the success.