Questions encountered in performing Global Assessments

1. Questions encountered in performingGlobal Assessments EFTA-Eurostat-UNECE Seminar on Global AssessmentsYalta, Ukraine 23 – 25 September 2009 Petteri Baer, Regional Adviser, UNECE

2. Homework should be done before the Assessment Mission(s) • You never know enough in advance • And when the assessment process is on, you will not have sufficiently time to acquaint yourself with good background material • What is good background material? • Statistical yearbook and other main publications by the NSS • Web sites • National Statistical agency, other producers of official statistics • Official country web site • Wikipedia • UNECE statistical databases • Eurostat web sites + search • UNDP Human Development Report; MDG Monitoring & country web site • World Bank and IMF Country Reports • Some modern literature, fiction or non-fiction, on the target country • Travel guide

3. The assessor team should make a draft Agenda for the Country visit • Make it clear that the discussion partners are not only within the National Statistical Agency • As the objective is to make an assessment of the Statistical System and how well it is coordinated, discussions with other producers of official statistics should be included • Central Bank • Ministry of Finance • Ministry of Health, possibly other Ministries • Customs administration, possibly other central administrations • The importance of having direct contacts with different users of statistical information • Try to include a discussion also with junior statisticians

4. Indicate clearly the (kind of) user organizations you wish to meet • Central Government • Ministry of economy, economic planning • Ministry of finance • Ministry of health…social affairs • Perhaps one more ministry (Agriculture, Transport, Environment, Energy..) • District/local government • Private companies are often heavy users of statistical information and have concrete suggestions on what to improve • Private banks • Market research divisions of big corporations selling to the domestic markets • Market research and advertisement companies • Scholars representing the research community • Senior librarians in public or university libraries • Underline the need of choosing representative persons...well in advance • “Lip service” and statements “everything is OK” benefit nobody

5. Register issues • With a history of planned economy, there usually is a long tradition with registers in the CIS countries • Confusion is often prevailing between the different roles of administrative and statistical registers • Confidentiality is an issue • Jealousy between different administrations: No sharing! • Confusion with the service role of Statistical agencies • Benefits and cost savings can often be achieved by making use of registers • A statistical agency can have a very good influence on the structure and ways of information collection to administrative registers • UNECE publication on Register-based statistics (2008)!

6. Strategic thinking - how to make it an ongoing process? • Sometimes there exist no real strategic decisions or strategic documents showing direction for development aims • Only legislation together with “only practice” • Strict hierarchical structures may prevent initiatives for improvement to be outspoken • A Global Assessment can help in pointing at strategic issues, development phases and recommending priorities • Sometimes it is easier to see problems and bottlenecks “from outside” • Arguments for improvements can be better motivated • Ways of freeing internal energy for progress and improvements into action