Assessment and Prioritisation of USER NEEEDS

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? • GDP • Producer Price Index • Science, Technology and Innovations index • Consumer Price Index • Enrolment rate • Infant mortality rate • Poverty rate • 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 andProfiles • Share release calendar with Users to guide their access and subsequent feedback

19. THANK YOU