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International Standards for Compilation of Statistics: The Gap between Standards Adoption and Standards Implementation. Katherine K. Wallman Chief Statistician U.S. Office of Management and Budget Executive Office of the President. Motivations to adopt International Standards.
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International Standards for Compilation of Statistics:The Gap between Standards Adoption and Standards Implementation Katherine K. Wallman Chief Statistician U.S. Office of Management and Budget Executive Office of the President
Motivations to adopt International Standards • more efficient to use existing international standards • shield statistical activities from political interference • requirements to report data to international organizations • framework for comparisons between countries
Consequences of “a world without international statistical standards” • no agreed framework for inter-country comparisons • some countries less likely to produce data at all, or likely to produce data of lower quality • creation of international databases more difficult, if not impossible • dissemination of internationally comparable data not possible
Case Studies: 1993 System of National Accounts • early framework published in 1947 at request of Statistical Commission • 1993 SNA fourth revision • 2001 effort to assess extent of implementation: • scope of the accounts • conceptual compliance • quality issues
Case Studies: 1993 System of National Accounts • Conceptual Compliance • set of questions to assess compliance with major 1993 SNA concepts • 84/207 countries and territories had implemented • Scope of Implementation • minimum required data set (MDRS) • 47/191 UN Member States fulfilled the MRDS benchmark; 78/191 compiled 6 or more tables
Case Studies: 1993 System of National Accounts • Quality Issues • IMF Data Quality Assessment Framework (DQAF) • IMF disseminating DQAF reports of 72 countries as data modules on the Reports on the Observances of Standards and Codes (ROSCs)
Case Studies: 1993 System of National Accounts • Factors Impeding SNA Implementation • Staff resources • Training • Data Resources
Case Studies: Standard Industrial Classification • originally adopted in 1948 as standard classification of productive economic activities • 3 objectives: • coordination of statistics published by international agencies • inter-country comparability of information • organization and display of economic statistics
Case Studies: Standard Industrial Classification • Barriers to Implementation of ISIC • insufficient relevance • lack of adequate financial and staff resources • insufficient technical capabilities • lack of legal requirements
Case Studies: Vital Statistics Systems • Originally adopted by Statistical Commission in 1953 • Principles and Recommendations for a Vital Statistics System, Revision 2 adopted in 1999 • to assist countries in developing capacities to maintain systems of civil registration and vital statistics
Case Studies: Vital Statistics Systems • Reasons for lack of progress • under-enumeration of vital events • misreporting of information • changes in legal/administrative frameworks • problems with organization of the systems • lack of awareness or lack of incentives • lack of political support at the highest levels
Encouraging Implementation of International Statistical Standards • Impediments to implementation • insufficient relevance • lack of authority to require implementation • lack of, or deficiencies in, legal frameworks • lack of available source data • insufficient budgetary and staff resources • lack of trained staff • insufficient guides and manuals • insufficient training programs
Encouraging Implementation of International Statistical Standards • Where do we go from here? • are all standards of equal importance? • decide the purpose of the proposed standard and level of detail in advance? • consider relevance of the frameworks and classifications? • determine proper level of detail in guidance on implementation of standards?
Encouraging Implementation of International Statistical Standards • Where do we go from here? • improve efforts to help countries better understand the changes? • assess coordination mechanisms for implementing, maintaining and updating frameworks and classifications? • review adequacy of staff and resources to assist with implementation? • should ECOSOC require Member States to meet a minimum level of implementation?