1. Seminar on the Implementation of the System of National Accounts 2008 (SNA 2008) 14-16 June 2010, Jolly Beach, Resort, Antigua and Barbuda CARICOM Headquarters of the CARICOM Secretariat, Guyana

2. Launch of NSDS in Anguilla November 9 2012 CARICOM THE DEVELOPMENT OF STATISTICS IN THE CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY – SUPPORT TO THE NSDS

3. Overview of Presentation Goals of the Integration Movement and Role of Statistics Major Initiatives and Outcomes Follow-up and next steps CARICOM

4. Integration and Statistics Caribbean Community and Common Market was established in 1973 by the Treaty of Chaguaramas; Membership: CARICOM Member States Antigua and Barbuda St Kitts and Nevis The Bahamas Saint Lucia Barbados St Vincent and the Grenadines Belize Dominica Grenada Guyana Haiti Jamaica Montserrat Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago Associate Members Anguilla Bermuda British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands

5. Integration and Statistics Objectives of the Community CARICOM Improved Standard of Living and Work; Full employment of labour and other factors of production; Accelerated, co-ordinated and sustained economic development and convergence; Expansion of trade and economic relations with third countries; Enhanced levels of International Competiveness;

6. Integration and Statistics Objectives of the Community (Continued) CARICOM Organisatio n for Increased Production and Productivity Achieving greater measure of economic leverage and effectivenes s in dealing with third States, groups of states and entities ; Enhanced Coordination of Member States’ foreign and economic policies; Enhanced Functional Cooperation including: Efficient operation of common services and activities for the benefits of its people; Accelerated promotion of greater understanding among its peoples and the advancement of their social, cultural and technological development; Intensified Activities in areas such as health, education transportation and communication

7. CSME In 1989 the core objectives of the Community were broadened to include the creation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) CARICOM

8. Integration and Statistics Role of Statistics CARICOM Underscoring the functioning of the CSME and the Improving of the Standard of Living of the peoples of the Community is the vital role of statistical information in guiding and monitoring the progress of the integration movement, in assessing the impact of the regional integration thrust on the population and critically creating evidence-based policies that will maximise efficiency in the use if resources available for the development of the Community.

9. Major Initiatives and Outcomes Institutional Initiative Improve the Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians (SCCS) as a Decision-Making Forum; Outcomes: Revised and updated Terms of Reference and Rules of Procedure; Streamlining of the meetings- identifying Matters for Decisions and Matters for Information; Production of an Implementation Matrix Functioning of the CARICOM Advisory Group on Statistics (AGS) that focuses on the decisions coming out of the SCCS as well as other key developmental issues in statistics that are developed and brought to the SCCS Functioning of Technical Working Groups; Regional Statistical Seminar Series ; CARICOM

10. Major Initiatives and Outcomes Institutional Initiative Common Regional Statistical Work Programme (RSWP) developed and approved by the Community Council of Ministers in 2005 and updated in 2011/12; Outcomes: RSWP is the basis for the development of and harmonisation of the Statistics Programming in CARICOM; Resolution of 2005 for funding a common approach to statistics across countries; A new structure was incorporated for the RSWP which was based on the European, Database of International Statistical Activities (DISA); Prioritising of the work areas was assigned a level of urgency ; Implementation focus of RSWP currently being addressed; Code of Bes Practices developed. CARICOM

11. Major Initiatives and Outcomes Institutional Initiative Production of a Draft Model Statistics Bill Outcomes: Will Provide the basis for greater Integrity in Statistics Production, Independence; Reviewed by a some countries in the context of their existing statistics legislation and by the Chief Parliamentary Council ; Obtain the information required for decision-making including the mandatory collection of statistics within the National Statistical System re the vital role of the National Statistical Office in statistical coordination CARICOM

12. Major Initiatives and Outcomes Institutional Initiative Enabling Strategic Planning in the National Statistical Systems - NSDS Outcomes: Engaging with PARIS21; Undertaking the Introduction to NSDS through a Training Workshop in July 2009 (PARIS21/EU); Following up this training with an EU-funded project which led to the provision of in-country support to NSDS in 11 countries; Initiatives in countries-Grenada, Jamaica Anguilla, St Kitts and Nevis, Bermuda, Dominica, etc. CARICOM

13. Major Initiatives and Outcomes Infrastructural Support Information Technology- Organisation and Use of Databases/Web-Based Communication Infrastructure Outcomes: Organisation and Use of Databases seeks to develop standards for database organization- National Statistical Databases- stressed the Management of Data; Web-based Communication Structure- common system of submitting data to the Secretariat Member States – some IT equipment CARICOM

14. Major Initiatives and Outcomes Infrastructural Initiative IT- Common Framework for Data Warehousing Archiving and Storage Outcomes: Developed Framework for Data Warehousing, Archiving and Storage; Draft Data Policy developed; Manuals and Guides Training workshop to aid implementation of framework/policy CARICOM

15. Major Initiatives and Outcomes Infrastructural Initiative IT-Data Dissemination Software Outcomes: In collaboration with UNICEF conducted training at the regional level in a UN-Supported dissemination software Devinfo that enable the dissemination of indicators such as the MDGs- is web-enabled and map- enabled; Launch of DevInfo adaptations across the region such as Saint Lucia, Dominica, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago etc. CARICOM

16. Major Initiatives and Outcomes Infrastructural Initiative Minimum Data Set Outcomes: Identified a minimum set of core data that should be produced by all countries; Identified indicators that are to be encouraged given constraints of resources; Priority Activities. CARICOM

17. Major Initiatives and Outcomes [Infrastructural] Initiative Position on Access to Microdata Outcomes: Responding to the demand for detailed information; Developed a Position on Access to Microdata that sought to promote its use while allowing for the adherence to the confidentiality at the individual- person or firm level; Mechanisms to enable access were identified. CARICOM

18. Major Initiatives and Outcomes Advocacy High Level Advocacy Forum (HLF) Outcomes: HLF was held in 2009- in collaboration with PARIS21 and funded by both PARIS21 and EU; Placed statistics and statistical issues on the centre stage in the Region; Matrix of recommendations developed and country implementation is being monitored CARICOM Association of Professional Statisticians is one outcome that is being launched at present as well as Quality Assurance and other recommendations. CARICOM

19. Major Initiatives and Outcomes Advocacy Caribbean Statistics Day Outcomes: Commenced these in 2009 Activities are held across the Region- including Quiz, and Jingle competitions, Word Games; Seminars to stakeholders/users/producers; Message on Statistics by Secretary General; This year Release of Census Data by at least 2 countries CARICOM

20. PARIS21 Support to Advocacy

21. Major Initiatives and Outcomes Initiatives in Substantive Areas of Statistics Initiative 1 National Accounts Outcomes: Barbados Action Plan in National Accounts and the wider area of Economic Statistics; Workshop in Guyana- Baseline Assessment and CARICOM Economic Statistics Action Plan; Functioning of the TWG- Manual on Business Register and Integrated Questionnaires- General and Country Specific; TA /training on Basic Data Sources for National Accounts; System of National Accounts 2008- Implementation Strategy developed/training CARICOM

22. Major Initiatives and Outcomes Initiatives in Substantive Areas of Statistics Merchandise Trade Statistics Outcomes: Two phases of Technical Assistance in Merchandise Trade focusing on implementation of the New Eurotrace data processing system and also included training workshops Focus on improving data quality- edit checks incorporated in the processing system; Trade Indices Data Module; Mirror Statistics Module Comext trade data dissemination Module CARICOM

23. Major Initiatives and Outcomes Initiatives in Substantive Areas of Statistics Trade in Services/Investment Outcomes: Technical Assistance applied in this area of statistics focusing on production of internationally agreed statistics at level of Extended Balance of Payments Classification; Revision of Common Guidelines for production; Training workshop was conducted; Production of questionnaires for the collection of more detailed data which were shared with the ECCB; CARICOM

24. Major Initiatives and Outcomes Substantive Areas of Statistics Initiative 3 Social/Gender Statistics Outcomes: Continued to support this area of Statistics – major developmental work being stimulated by a CARICOM/United Nations Statistics Division project; Core Indicators identified including the MDGs CARICOM Advisory Group operated in this areas; Undertook training workshops; Publication of Regional Reports with metadata; Further refinement of the metadata and development of CSMDGs- Caribbean Specific MDGs; CARICOM

25. Major Initiatives and Outcomes Substantive Areas of Statistics Initiative 4 Environment Statistics Outcomes: Similar developmental perspective like Social/Gender Statistics; Core Indicators including MDGs; Training workshops; Development of Implementation Strategy Regional publications CARICOM

26. Major Initiatives and Outcomes Substantive Areas of Statistics Initiative 5 ICT Statistics Outcomes: New area of statistics introduced; Training Workshop conducted Indicators – Caribbean Specific Indicators reviewed and workshop/ work put in place on measurement of economic contribution of ICT to GDP trade etc; Work in progress on first regional publication with all existing data all sources- national, regional, international; CARICOM

27. Major Initiatives and Outcomes Next Steps Funding /Investment in statistics in the region; RSWP Implementation - harmonisation & Improvement Strengthening of Economic, Social/Gender, Census, ICT & Environment, Literacy, Census etc; Focused training in areas such as Leadership and Management, Strategic Planning, Statistics Legislation e Development of common frameworks; Quality Assurance – processes and data; Continuous training- Technical, Sampling, Classifications, Promoting the use of statistics- analysis of data; Working together- stakeholders, IDPs, avoidance of duplication CARICOM

28. I THE END Thank you for your attention