Workshop on MDG Monitoring Kampala, Uganda

5-8 May 2008

National Statistical System: Coordination

United Nations Statistics Division

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Contents• Fundamental Principle of Official Statistics -

coordination• Why coordination is useful• Why coordination is difficult• Who should lead the coordination in NSS?• Coordination tools• Survey results on national coordination in

African countries

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The Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics (FPOS)

The FPOS is an international document that sets out the role of official statistics, as well as provide some general guidelines for the functioning of statistical systems.

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FPOS: Principle 8

“Coordination among statistical agencies within countries is

essential to achieve consistency and efficiency in the statistical

system.”

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• Official statistics are broad in scope and are produced by many different government agencies •facilitate the integration of data from different sources •avoid duplication of work •minimize respondents’ reporting burden•participation in international initiatives

Coordination is essential to …

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• improve the design of data collection instruments and introduce new analytical products

• promote comparable data in different fields• FOC: Lack of coordination btwn NSO & line

ministries affects accuracy of data on MDG indicators db – coordination needed to avoid discrepancies in data available at the national level vs data in international series

Coordination is essential to … (cont’d)

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Coordination is difficult, because …• in general: No-one likes to be coordinated• there are areas with a high degree of

specialization

• Statistics is compiled on admin. records

• Sharing information may be prevented by law

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Coordination is difficult, because …(cont’d)

• Nobody else than the NSO will feel responsible for the coherence of the statistical system as a whole

• Ideally, official statistics should be perceived by users as a brand name & NSO should set the example in this respect, but credibility is dependent on institutions and therefore difficult to spread to other agencies

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Who should lead the NSS?• the NSO or some other coordinating body will

need to take the lead in the co-ordination of statistical activities.

• the NSO has important statistical leadership responsibilities. – the bulk of the statistical expertise exists in

the NSOs, and – users seek cohesion across all statistics,

irrespective of the source.

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IAEG: Improving reporting mechanisms from NSS to int’l agencies• One of the problems identified relates to the decentralization, in many countries, of existing reporting mechanisms, with each producer (in line ministries) communicating directly with its own counterpart in international agencies.

• Recom IAEG - identify a focal point, inside the NSS, for the coordination of official stat. – NSO or a statistical board or committee composed of all statistical stakeholders, with NSO as member & secretariatFOC - CN3/2007/13 – para 17- 18 -P5/6

Who should lead the NSS?

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Role of NSOs to facilitate a sound NSS• preparation and monitoring of statistical

programmes, in regular dialogue with other producers (and users)

• making statistical classifications, frameworks and definitions available for use by all providers of statistics

• disseminating manuals of good practice and providing training programs to support them

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Role of NSOs to facilitate a sound NSS (cont’d)

• developing agreed protocols for the NSS• developing metadata standards for describing collections, particularly the quality of statistics derived from these collections• developing directories of statistical sources.

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Coordination tools … • There should be some guidelines for coordination activities within NSS• Co-ordination requirements in some countries are specified in statistics act. • Active management of the NSS through development of all professional statistical staff and the sharing of software, data, registers etc.

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Coordination tools …  (cont’d)• Statistical registers and sampling frames for surveys centralized for the NSS, if possible.• Standards have to be discussed with other producers before they are made binding• Placement and exchange of staff

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•Other producers should perceive the coordination role of the NSO as providing value added for them, and not as intrusion•Clear assignments of responsibilities and division of work in the statistical programme(s) to avoid conflicts•Fundamental Principles apply to all producers, and the NSO should advise and monitor other producers in this matter

Useful points for coordination 

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Review of the implementation of the FPOS on coordination

In a survey by UNSD in 2003, the coordination principle was reported to be the most difficult to implement (self-assessment by countries)

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Africa: Are there organizational arrangements to coordinate data collection for statistics at the national level?• ≥ 85% said YES• Coordination is implemented through: - National statistical legislation; - annual or multi-annual plan for data collection

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Profile of legislations on coordination in SADC Countries

Angola• 1996 Basic Law on NSS; Coordinator of NSS –

National Statistics CouncilBotswana• 1967 Statistical Act – focuses on NSO. No

specific mention of NSSDR Congo• Multi-annual work programme of 2005-2009

mentions coordination of statistical activities

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Lesotho• Statistics Act of 2001 establishes Nat Stat Council, with one

of its functions being ensuring coordination between producers and users

• NBS promotes coordination• NSDS, which will ensure strong NSS, is being developed Madagascar• 1967 Statistical Act mentions development and coordination

of official statistics• Decree of 1989 – created a Coordination Com. for stat

activitiesMalawi• 1967 Statistical Act –NSO coordinating role in the NSS• NSS Development Plan underway

Profile of legislations on coordination in SADC Countries … cont’d

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Mauritius• created stat units in gov’t ministries• implementing NSDS to reform NSS• NSO coordinator of NSSMozambique• Presidential decree of 1996: NSO (INE) is

the central executive body of the NSS• INE responsible for official statistics

Profile of legislations on coordination in SADC Countries … cont’d

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Namibia• NSO responsible for official stat• NPC Stat advisory committeeSouth Africa• - Statistics Act of 1999 specifies coordination between SSA

and other organs of State that produce official or other statistics

Tanzania• NBS only agency entrusted to provide official statistics to

the Government• Statistics Ordinance of 1961 (Dec 2001) gives SSA

coordinating statistical activities in the country.Uganda

Profile of legislations on coordination in SADC Countries … cont’d

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2008 Survey results

• Total number of replies: 14• Responding countries:

•Botswana •Mozambique•Cameroon •Namibia•Ethiopia •Sierra Leone•Kenya •Tanzania•Madagascar •Uganda•Malawi •Zambia•Mauritius •Zimbabwe

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Survey results - National coordination

# %

a. NSO has authority to coordinate reporting of data

10 71

b. NSO has authority to verify quality of data from other producers

11 79

c. Coordination among data producers is mandated by law

12 86

d. NSO is involved in the production of the MDG Country Reports

13 93

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Survey results - National coordination#

e. NSO maintains repository of data 9 64

Out of the 9, those - which include metadata 3

- which have calendar of dissemination 7

- make data available on Internet 7

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Survey results - problems with coordination of NSS – 3 countries• absence of or inadequate statistical units in

line ministries; • multiple producers of statistics with weak

coordination and harmonization mechanism;• legislation not operational• little interaction between producers and

users of statistics• lack of national statistical plan for NSS

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For discussion:• How does your office coordinate?

• What works? Why?

• What does not work? Why?

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