GDDS Project in Anglophone Africa

1. GDDS, SDDS, DQAF and AFRITACSThe use of Statistics in Development and Poverty Reduction Policies Abuja, Nigeria 18 – 20 March 2003

2. GDDS Project in Anglophone Africa • IMF/DFID initiative for capacity building. • Goal--A sustainable improvement in the capacity of participating countries’ statistical systems to enable the production and dissemination of reliable, timely, and relevant macroeconomic and socio-demographic statistics.

3. GDDS as a Project • DFID funding agency. • IMF executing agency, in collaboration with World Bank. • Built around the GDDS framework. – development of metadata • But the project is GDDS+, because there are substantial resources for technical assistance.

4. GDDS Project • 14 Anglophone African countries (Botswana, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe) • Started – November 2001 • Through April 2004 • Preparatory meeting was in December 2001 in Botswana • Development of metadata workshop in February 2002 in Windhoek

5. What is the GDDS • A structured process that addresses statistical requirements emerging from globalization • Sets out objectives for data production and dissemination in 4 areas of strategic importance (dimensions): • Data: coverage, periodicity and timeliness • Quality, including plans for improvement • Integrity • Access by the public

6. GDDS involves • Voluntary participation • Commitment to use GDDS as framework for statistical development • Designating a country coordinator • Describing current statistical practices on • Data production • Data dissemination and • Comprehensive plans for improvement of these practices

7. Purposes of the GDDS • Encourage member countries to improve data quality • Provide a framework for evaluating needs for data improvement and setting priorities in this respect, and • Guide member countries in the dissemination to the public of comprehensive, timely, accessible, and reliable economic, financial and socio-demographic statistics

8. GDDS • GDDS provides tools to facilitate identification of needed improvements and to focus efforts on them. • GDDS identifies TA needs in the short and medium term • GDDS is not a new initiative but a tool for organizing statistical development. • Countries maintain responsibility for pace and means of reaching the objective • Is tool for coordination of assistance among donors

9. Data and Quality Dimensions • Data dimension has 3 elements 1. Coverage: data to be produced and disseminated • Economic and financial data • Real sector, Fiscal sector, Financial sector, External sector • Socio-demographic data • Basic components in population, poverty, health, education 2. Periodicity: Frequency of compilation 3. Timeliness: Lapse of time between the end of the reference period and the dissemination of the data

10. Data Dimension • Objective: For any evidence based policy formulation, dissemination of reliable, comprehensive, and timely economic, financial, and socio-demographic data is essential to the transparency of macroeconomic performance and policy – especially for the PRSP monitoring.

11. The need for PRSP Data • Data for PRSP are needed to satisfy the following • Need to understand Poverty situation • To understand the relationship between sector interventions and poverty • To monitor the implementation of PRSP process • To monitor and evaluate the impact of interventions and the ultimate objective for PRSP • Formulation of evidence based policies which mitigate poverty

12. GDDS/PRSP – Quality • The GDDS provides a platform to produce quality data as it identifies the weaknesses in the data structure. • The GDDS sets out a framework for plans for improvement and, • Sets priorities in terms of which areas to attend to.

13. Resources • Resources to aid implementation of plans for improvement • Within project • Dedicated resources for macroeconomic and socio- demographic data – limited expertise • Outside project • Other donors • IMF (traditional) and World Bank

14. Need for donors • Needs are far greater than the project can provide • Project cannot provide equipment that is critical to achieving improvements in many areas • Countries are urged to share their plans for improvement with key agencies including donors

15. Other GDDS features • Dissemination Standards Bulletin Board (DSBB) • GDDS bulletin board launched in May 2000 • 8 countries are already on the DSBB and 3 are expected to join soon • Total of 57 countries now on DSBB • Website - dsbb.imf.org

16. SDDS Background – Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS) • A result of 1994/95 international financial crises • Recognition for comprehensive and timely economic and financial data – formulation of sound policies and investment decisions. • 1996 SDDS was set up and approved by Fund’s board, GDDS in 1997

17. Purpose of SDDS • Guide member countries that have or that might seek access to international capital markets in the provision of their economic and financial data to the public.

18. SDDS involves • Subscription to SDDS is voluntary • Commitment to observe the standard and provide certain information to IMF about its practices in disseminating economic and financial data • Submission of metadata to be posted on the DSBB • Certification of metadata on DSBB on quarterly basis – 3 days after each quarter

19. SDDS • Like GDDS, SDDS is expected to enhance the availability of timely and comprehensive statistics • to contribute to the pursuit of sound macroeconomic policies. • also expected to contribute to the improved functioning of financial markets

20. SDDS Dimensions 4 Data dissemination dimensions • Data: coverage, periodicity and timeliness • Access by the public • Integrity of the disseminated data; and • Quality of the disseminated data

21. GDDS versus SDDS • GDDS is less prescriptive than SDDS • SDDS sets specific standards that must be observed • GDDS provides recommendations in good practice for production and dissemination but less demanding compared to SDDS • GDDS - no specific future dates are set to complete improvement that participants have committed to achieve

22. SDDS/GDDS • GDDS focuses on improvement in data quality, provides a process for evaluating needs for data improvements and setting priorities • SDDS focuses on data dissemination that already meet high data standards • GDDS cover socio-demographic, SDDS does not

23. Data Quality Assessment Framework (DQAF) What is DQAF? • IMF Framework for assessing the quality of data for macroeconomic analysis • Provides an integrated and flexible framework in which data quality is assessed using a six part structure that spans institutional environments, statistical processes, and characteristics of the statistical products.

24. Purpose of DQAF • Guide countries’ efforts to strengthen their statistical systems by providing a self-assessment tool and to identify areas for improvement in which donors support might be sought • Guide IMF staff in preparing ROSCs in assessing the quality of data provided for country surveillance and operations, and in designing programs for TA • Guide data users, both private and public sectors in gauging data quality for their own purposes.

25. Quality dimensions of DQAF • The dimensions take into account Prerequisites of quality – environment, resources, quality as a cornerstone of statistical work. • Integrity – professionalism, transparency, Ethical standards • Methodology soundness – concepts and definitions, scope, classifications/sectorization, basis for recording

26. Dimensions • Accuracy and reliability – source data, statistical techniques, Assessment & validation of source data, assessment & validation of intermediate data & statistical outputs, revision studies • Serviceability – relevance, timeliness and periodicity, consistency, revision policy & practice • Accessibility – data accessibility, metadata accessibility, assistance to users

27. Development of DQAF • Frames have been developed in 6 macroeconomics datasets: • National Accounts • Balance of Payments • Government Finance Statistics • Monetary Statistics • Consumer Price Index • Producer Price Index, • And in collaboration with WB - household income in poverty context, frame has been developed. For labor and education statistics are being developed

28. DQAF - Conclusion • DQAF is a methodology for assessing data quality that brings to gather best practices and internationally accepted concepts and definitions in statistics including those of the UN Fundamental Principals of official statistics and the SDDS/GDDS.

29. AFRITACS Background AFRITACS IMF’s Africa Capacity-Building Initiative in response to calls by African leaders, including through the NEPAD to help strengthen domestic capacity in Africa.

30. Goal To strengthen the capacity of African countries to formulate and implement their own growth-oriented, poverty reducing policies, including through PRSP process

31. Where are they? • Plan is to have 5 centers in Africa over a medium term • Currently one was set up in Oct 2002 in Tanzania called East Africa Regional Technical Center. Another is expected in West Africa. • East AFRITAC serves Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

32. Operations of East AFRITAC Include; • Strengthening banking supervision • Assisting with financial sector development and exchange rate policy • Assisting the fiscal decentralization process by building economic and financial management capacity at lower levels of govt. • Strengthening capacity to raise revenue efficiently • Enhance real sector statistics

33. East AFRITAC- core areas of TA • Macroeconomic policy • Public Expenditure Management • Revenue Policy and Administration • Financial Sector Regulation and Supervision • Economic and Financial Statistics

34. Other features of East AFRITAC • Designed to foster ownership and accountability in both the beneficiary countries and donor agencies. • Operations are guided by the steering committee (reps from 6 participating countries, ADB, IMF, other bilateral donor partners)

35. END OF PRESENTATION Thank You.