1. ASSESSMENT AND PRIORITISATION OF USER NEEEDS Norah Madaya RRSF Meeting, Kigali, Rwanda 18-21 August 2011

2. Content  Introduction  Assessment  What is involved?  Prioritisation  The dilemma on Issues  Challenges  Potential Prioritisation Criteria  Challenges

3. Introduction  The first step in developing a strategy is to carry out an in-depth assessment of the current status of the system as a basis for further improvement.  Building on existing processes  Collecting and analysing existing documentation;  Observation Informs Strategic framework – Vision, mission, objectives, and activities. It is continuous!!!!

4. Data Needs  National Development Plan, MDGS, NEPAD, Policies, etc  Budgeting  National Integrated Monitoring and Evaluation Framework- assess Performance of government business  Decision making in government agencies  Measurement of results on service delivery

5. Challenges  Data gaps on key indicators  Under developed sector databases  Lack of a central repository  Incomparable data/information  Inadequate infrastructure  Under utilization of existing data  Inadequate manpower

6. MAIN FEATURES OF THE NSDS DESIGN Assessment

7. What is involved?  Identification and engagement of key stakeholders (internal & external) – government and non government institutions etc  Reviewing the existing legal and institutional framework, linkages with producers, and coordination arrangements;  Taking stock of existing User capacity  Identifying user data need, satisfaction, current and data gaps;

8. What is involved?..cont’d  Assessing available data, statistics; methodology and the Indicators;  Linking user needs to development frameworks  Assessing each key statistical need against need; timeliness, frequency, scope, format etc;  Dialogue between key users and producers : Economic statistics, Social and demographic statistics and then others eg. Sub national statistics

9. Priotisation Five ‘Ws’  Why prioritise?  What to prioritise?  Whose priorities?  When should we prioritise?  Who should prioritise?

10. Priotisation of User needs?  Structured approach of identifying the top user need that offer the greatest potential returns in terms of;  Relative benefit (informing the national economy and stimulating social development etc)  Cost  Risks “If everything is a priority, nothing is a priority”

11. The Dilemma on prioritising Issues – whose priority?  Government:  National Planning Authority - NDP  Ministry of Finance and Planning - OBT  Office of the Prime Minister (Over seer of government business) Bi- Annual Sectoral Performance reviews.  MDA requirements  Programmes – International; MDG, Health- WHO, Education – UNESCO, S&TI -World Bank  Partnership with other Sectors – who should produce what?  Communication and dissemination of statistical information by key producers to meet a need.

12. Example 1 Eg. Uganda National Council for Science & Technology  National & International development frameworks UNESCO, OECD, World Bank  Mandate of the Agency – for planning, monitoring progress  Major stakeholder agencies  Availability of resources  Other User demands

13. What Information is needed to prioritise?  Knowledge and agreement on the evidence base / key issues / challenges / opportunities / what’s important?  Need to know ‘what works/needed?’ (which interventions have an effective and sustainable impact, represent good value for money on statistics?), and  Limitations have been placed on individual partners due to funding, etc  Resources available, from where and for what?  Other competing priorities?

14. Agreeing on Priority Outcomes - Key Considerations  Utilise the leadership structures to explicitly recognise that the partnership simply cannot do everything and that there is both a need for and clear benefits to be gained from further prioritisation.  Agree on a clear process for decision-making on priorities, based upon the appropriate governance arrangements for the System/organisation.  Draw upon the available evidence base to better understand what the partnership can influence and to help inform decisions about what statistics are most demanded by government eg. Prices, GDP..  Engage the views of a wide range of stakeholders in a very consistent, transparent and practical manner.  Understand individual partners’ priorities, flexibilities and restrictions.

15. Agreeing Priority Outcomes - Key Considerations..cont’d  Agree on criteria and weighting to assist in ranking priorities of which data must be produced.  Appraise potential options against the agreed criteria.   Use the results of the appraisal / review of evidence, etc to support decision-making on priorities within the context of the governance arrangements.  Agree on a relatively small number of key outcomes as the partnership’s priorities (these constitute what goes in the NSDS)   Be as specific as possible about what these priorities are.  Be equally clear about what is no longer deemed to be priority.  Agree clear targets / milestones for the priorities.

16. Example 2 Given the following statistical requirements what would the NSS prioritise? 1) GDP 2) Producer Price Index 3) Science, Technology and Innovations index 4) Consumer Price Index 5) Enrolment rate 6) Infant mortality rate 7) Poverty rate 8) Capacity building How would the NSS stakeholders prioritise?

17. Challenges  Identifying the key users, the kind of data they need and their expectation.  Prioritisation of the varying and increasing user needs  Satisfaction of priority user needs – impact on policies, decisions…  Inactive MDA stakeholders in meetings.  Weak procedures for identification of user needs  Non response/feedback of Users in the User satisfaction surveys  Failure to distinguish producers and users in MDAs (often get same representatives)

18. Strategies  Establish and regularly update the database of Key and potential users  Database of Users against data demand (detailed)  Promote continuous dialogue between data User Committees, and Producer committees to address current and changing needs including decentralised requirements  Regularise User needs and satisfaction surveys to detect user needs and Profiles  Share release calendar with Users to guide their access and subsequent feedback

19. THANK YOU