Best Statistical Information to Support Qatar’s Progress Statistical Capacity Building for Information Society in Qatar

1. Best Statistical Information to Support Qatar’s Progress Statistical Capacity Building for Information Society in Qatar

2. Contents • Information about Qatar • Capacity Building in the Statistical Department • The Statistical Department in the Planning Council • The Capacity Building and Transformation Process in the Statistical Department • Capacity Building to support Qatar’s way to the Information Society • Capacity Building for the Information Society • Summary

3. Capacity Development and Transformation of the Statistical Department • The Statistical Department is undergoing since July 2003 a major capacity development and transformation initiative. • The initiative has been developed based on the following principles: • Phased approach with 3 cycles of development and transformation: Stabilization, Coordination and Integration and Collaboration • National and international partnership • Result oriented, integrated, customer driven approach • Evaluation and Quality • Dimensions of Capacity Development • Staff capacity building • Processes • National Cooperation • International Cooperation • Quality • Usage of Technology

4. Cycles of Development and Transformation Coordination Stabilization Integration and Collaboration Develop proactively sustainable national and international relationships Capacity Coordinate with data providers / customers and improve organizational aspects Develop and improve individual skills July 2003 – March 2004 April 2004 – Dec. 2004 From Jan. 2005 Time

5. Cycle 1 - Stabilization (7/2003 – 3/2004)

6. Achieved Results National and international Cooperation St Statistical Department Automated Data Exchange with Data Producers Process Documentation Planning Council Business Plan Draft of Statistical Law Improved Personal, Communication and IT Skills Structural transformation of Department (i.e. customer unit established) Integration and Collaboration Participation in Change Process (10 Teams with 50+ participants) Individual Identification of potential Leaders Symposium for users and producers of statistical information Improved communication with national and international organizations Draft Benchmarks for GCC statistical organizations Customer Questionnaire

7. Information Society Building Program – Status Q1 2004 1- Lack of data to support the development of Information Society 2- Lack of feasible and tangible results of WSIS Plan of Action at a national level. Insufficient capacity in ICT statistics Insufficient knowledge on collection of indicators Lack of co-ordination among stakeholders Lack of Information Society Monitoring & Evaluation Insufficient national ICT data

8. Information Society Building Program • Information Society building has to be seen and executed in harmony with socio-economic planning. Therefore the emphasis of the Information Society Building Program which has been introduced by the Planning Council is based on the integration and synchronization of social and economical planning with Information Society building. • The results of international meeting have an essential impact on our program. • The program consists of 5 tracks: • - Incorporating ICT in socio-economic planning activities and programmes • Development of a national set of Information Society indicators • Capacity building of Planning Council • Developing a customized methodology for collecting ICT indicators • Implementing a national Information Society Indicator Database

9. Information Society Building Program Duration: timeline • The Implementation Plan: 5 Tracks Socio-economic planning activities Ongoing Activities Ongoing Activities Capacity Building of Planning Council Develop a common set of core IS indicators and indices Tracks Strategy & Methodology for collection of ICT indicators Ongoing Activities Information Society IndicatorsDatabase 3 months 6 months 9 months 12 months Time

10. Information Society Building Program Capacity Building • The Planning Council of the State of Qatar has established an internal working group for implementing collaboratively the capacity building program for the Information Society. • Approach: • 1- Organize and execute a capacity building program for the team members to acquire necessary skills to execute the project. • 2- Review and study means of collecting and producing national ICT indicators (improving existing surveys, new surveys,… etc). • 3- Simultaneously develop methodology for ICT data collection with focus on the social economic development. • 4- Apply derived unique methodology to collect the national ICT indicators. • Deliverables: • Improved skills of Planning Council statisticians and researchers, ICT data collection methodology and a model how to align ICT to the socialo-economic development process. • Partners:

11. Summary • Statistical Department of Planning Council undergoing a major capacity building initiative - capacity building for Information Society is part of it and follows the same pattern • Working on the cooperation and coordination of the Qatar Statistical System on all levels • Individual • Statistical Department with Planning Council • Qatar National Statistical Units • Regional and International Organizations (i.e. ESCWA, ITU) • Regional and international cooperation and coordination is one key success factor for capacity building • Qatar will work on a model for the integration of ICT in socio-economic planning

12. Thank you. Mansoor Al Malki Head of GIS Section Planning Council of the State of Qatar mansoor@planning.gov.qa