Data Users Needs & Capacity Building

International Programs National Agricultural Statistics Service

United States Department of Agriculture

November 2009

Who is a Data User?

• Anyone who uses data or information that will affect –

•Government Policy•Private/Public Investment•Marketing Decisions•Monitoring and Evaluation

What do Data Users’ Expect?

• Comprehensive Coverage• Accuracy• Timeliness• Comparability• Availability

Comprehensive Coverage

• Cover all vital aspects of agriculture

• Acreage, yield, production, stocks, imports, exports, consumption

• Livestock inventories, births, deaths, consumption

• Employment rates, earnings, number of workers, price and other economic indicators

Accuracy Measures

• Coverage – completeness• Entire country versus part• Complete count versus most

• 1st estimate versus final• Comparison with

Administrative sources• Comparison with Utilization

Timeliness

• Data still relevant when available

• Punctual• Varies by kind of Statistic

• Forecast versus Estimate versus Census

Comparability

• Comparable over time• Crop yields defined same way

over time

• Comparable over space• Crop yields defined same way

over all provinces

• Comparable reference periods

Availability

• Is information available to everyone?

• At same time?

• Easily accessible?

NASS Approach to Capacity Building

• Try to understand the situation in collaborating country—organizational structure, resources, data needs, unique cultural factors, methodologies in place

• Workshop to provide case study of procedures in USA, not a how you should do it example, but to demonstrate methods and concepts that may be relevant

NASS Approach to Capacity Building

• Explain procedures and technology we have developed or have observed in other countries

• Assist counterparts in a: developing an overall agricultural statistics improvement planb: decide on what methods to implement first; training needed initially

NASS Approach to Capacity Building

• Collaboratively develop a test or pilot activity that would transfer a methodology

• Provide training on concepts and procedures during pilot activity

• Implement country wide after proof the concept was successful in a pilot test

NASS Approach to Capacity Building

• Effective collaboration concepts:

• Advisors are counterparts, not supervisors• Need to respect local traditions, culture, and

procedures• Recognize counterparts have capability; but not

the opportunity to have similar experiences or access to methodologies in past

• Not all methodology is effective in every setting, need to adjust to country specific needs

NASS Approach to Capacity Building

• Project needs to plan for sustainability

• Data users needs must be addressed, not just what is thought they might need/want

• High level officials support is critical: they must see need for data and how it would be useful to them and others

Building an effective agricultural statistics system

Considerations for building an effective agricultural statistics system...

Goals & Objectives

Organization & Infrastructureresponsibilities, coordination, staffing requirements

Programcontent, scope, coverage, frequency

Concepts, Definitions & Standards

Sound Statistical Methodologysampling frames & sample design, survey design, data collection, processing, statistical analysis

Data Dissemination & Archival

Trainingdata providers, data generators, data users