TOWARDS NATIONAL STRATEGIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF STATISTICS (NSDS)

1. TOWARDS NATIONAL STRATEGIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF STATISTICS (NSDS) Forum on African Statistical Development - FASDev Addis Ababa - 11 to 13 May 2004

2. What PARIS21 has achieved • Users-producers dialogue has improved through regional workshops in four regions: Africa, Asia, Latin America and Arab States. • Donor coordination has been reviewed during regional workshops • Tools have been developed and used such as the Statistical Capacity Building Indicators – SCBI, and the National Strategies for the Development of Statistics – NSDS. • Advocacy material had been produced and disseminated such as the Video “Measuring the change in world poverty”, and the Website/CD “Why statistics?”. • Information exchange improved through the PARIS21 web site, the Newsletter, and participation to international and regional meetings.

3. What we have learned • Demand for indicators (MDG, PRSP) has increased - yet to be translated into support for national statistical system development. • Development of national statistical systems is still not part of overall development policy. • Relations between the central statistical office and policy makers and other users are weak. Development of national statistical system depends largely on support by donors. This support is perceived as uncoordinated, and often defined by the international needs rather than the country-specific needs. • At country level, statistics producers are not working closely enough with users, and analysis of statistical data is often overlooked. In many countries, the data producers are poorly coordinated.

4. What we have learned • A country should agree an overall vision of the development of its national statistical system through the adoption of a national strategy for the development of statistics.

5. What is a National Strategy for the Development of Statistics? A NSDS is essentially : a group of coherent, interdependent, and exhaustive decisions taken by the national authorities on actions over the course of 4 to 5 years … to ensure that better statistics and statistical analyses are available and used by national and international decision makers and civil society.

6. Some key characteristics of NSDS • is integrated into development and national poverty reduction policies such as the PRSP; • takes into account all the national, regional, and international data needs; • encompasses production, analysis, and use of data and addresses the related issues; • involves all statistical production units, and serves as a framework for the various sectors; • serves as coherence framework for international and bilateral assistance; • integrates existing activities, and draws on the past experiences of other countries; • conforms to international standards, including those relating to data quality.

7. The Calendar Dependant on different factors : • Political validation is essential • Consultation, Reports, Meetings and Workshops, Co-ordination • National Budgetary Discussions Need of sufficient time

8. The Actors • Who decides ? The national authorities. • Who leads the work ? A central team assisted by other teams. • Who advises ? Specialists and users. • Who provides technical and financial support ? The international co-operation.

9. Policy makers Statisticians Central Stat. Office, Sector Units, etc. Ministers of Finance, Sector Ministers, etc. Development Agencies, WB, IMF, RDB, etc. Statistics Office Mngers, UN Specialised Agencies DevelopingCountries OECD Countries andMultilateral

10. Overview Table for Developing a National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (example)

11. Activities (example)

12. Example of a Calendarfor Phases 0 to 4

13. PARIS21 Log Frame and Work Program Goal:Develop a culture of transparent, evidence-based policy making and implementation which serves to improve Government accountability, effectiveness and good governance Purpose:Better statistics and statistical analysis available to and used by national and international decision-makers and civil society

14. PARIS21 objective • By 2006 every developing country has developed and approved a National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS), and the first year of the programme is financed. • Aim: By 2010 to have nationally owned and produced data for country needs and all MDG indicators. • Endorsed by the Marrakech Action Plan of Statistics

15. PARIS21 2004-2006 work programme • NSDS Methodology • Regional Programs • Advocacy • Task teams • Reporting • Partnership

16. PARIS21 2004-2006 work programme A - NSDS Methodology: Promoting National Statistical Development Strategy (NSDS) • Inter-agency task team meeting, and Guidelines available in 2004 as well as a body of knowledge. • Training material and programme for consultants and managerial staff • Country and sub regional support

17. PARIS21 2004-2006 work programme B - Regional programs • Africa • Latin America including Caribbean • Arab States • Asia including Pacific • Europe which include support to development of NSDS through • Technical workshops such as Panama • Advocacy • Partnership and facilitation of financing • Reporting

18. PARIS21 2004-2006 work programme C - Advocacy program • Two levels of advocacy activities: • Advocacy strategy as part of the national strategy • Advocacy programme: participation in high level policy meetings. • Development of advocacy material: videos and other advocacy materials

19. PARIS21 2004-2006 work programme D - Task teams • Rural and Agricultural Development • Census and population • Improved statistical support for monitoring development goals • Tools and methods including METAGORA (governance indicators) New Task Teams • Multisectoral data for decentralised governance and local accountability -- INTERSEC • Costing and financing of statistical activities • Training

20. PARIS21 2004-2006 work programme E - Partnership and information exchange • Membership • Web site, Newsletter • Donors meetings for exchange of information, coordination and collaboration

21. PARIS21 2004-2006 work programme F - Reporting • PARLISTAT (Partnership library of statistical system documentation) • SCBI: Statistical Capacity Building Indicators • Peer review of governance of statistical system • Global report on the use of statistics for development and the status and trends of the national statistical system.

22. 2004 -2006 PARIS21 Africa Programme

23. 2004 -2006 PARIS21 Africa Programme A - Support to NSDS methodology: • Participation of African experts in the design (and later on the update) of NSDS Guidelines • Dissemination of best practices • Approval by African statistical bodies (ABSA, CODI, February 2005 meeting, Regional agencies, etc.)

24. PARIS21 Africa Programme B - Support to NSDS design and implementation: • Sub Regional meetings of Heads of NSS/Coordinators of NSO • Design of roads maps for NSDS design • Facilitate the financing of NSDS design (WB-TFSCB, other sources), and implementation • Roster and training of specialised consultants, and peer review

25. PARIS21 Africa Programme C- Advocacy program Two levels of advocacy activities: • Advocacy strategy as part of the national strategy • Advocacy programme: participation in high level policy meetings. To be defined: audiences (such as ECA Council of Ministers, SPA meetings, ADB meetings, Franc Zone Ministers, etc.) • Development of advocacy material: videos and other advocacy materials

26. PARIS21 Africa Programme D – Donor coordination: • FASDEV E - Reporting • PARLISTAT (Partnership library of statistical system documentation) • SCBI: Statistical Capacity Building Indicators (see ADB) • Peer review of governance of statistical system • Global report on the use of statistics for development and the status and trends of the national statistical system

27. Concluding remarks • NSDS is not a panacea for all problems related to statistical development. Still, there will need to be leadership, strong political will from both the country and donors, and investment in human resources to ensure statistical development. • NSDS gives an overall, time-bound framework to be used among various statistics producers; among users, analysts, and producers; among various partners to maximise the efforts towards a statistical development geared to user needs. • Donors community and specialised agencies need to support African countries by participating in the design of NSDS since the beginning. • Donors community and specialised agencies must agree to use national strategies as the only framework for their support. It will also increase the effectiveness of their support and the harmonisation of their assistance activities.