Enhancing Data Quality: GDDS Framework in Malawi

Data Quality and Standards in the GDDS FrameworkPoverty Monitoring Workshop Blantyre, Malawi24 – 26 July 2002

GDDS as a Project • U.K. 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.

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.

GDDS as a Project • Project for 14 Anglophone African countries (Botswana, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe) • Started – November 2001 • Initial funding for 2 years • Preparatory meeting was in December 2002 in Botswana • Development of metadata workshop in February 2002 in Windhoek

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

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

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

Data and Quality Dimensions • Data dimension has 3 elements • Coverage: data to be produced and disseminated • Economic and financial data • Real sector • Fiscal sector • Financial sector • External sector

Data and Quality Dimensions • Coverage • Socio-demographic data—core indicators in population, poverty, health, education • Poverty data important component • Poverty alleviation and appropriate macroeconomic framework • Government outlays on poverty • Periodicity: Frequency of compilation • Timeliness: Lapse of time between the end of the reference period and the dissemination of the data

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

The need for PRSP Data • Data for PRSP is needed to satisfy the following • Need to understand Malawi’s Poverty status • 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

GDDS/PRSP – Quality • The GDDS provides a plat form 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 which areas to attend to.

GDDS project in Malawi • NSO, CBM and MOF have already described the metadata as required within the |GDDS framework – descriptions of current statistical practices • Developed the plans for improvement • Set out priorities in terms of TA requirements

GDDS project in Malawi • Project started to assist implement the plans for improvement in financial and and external statistics • Other areas including socio-demographic are being considered

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

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 donors

Other GDDS features • Dissemination Standards Bulletin Board (DSBB) • GDDS bulletin board launched in May 2000 • 8 – 10 countries from the project will be on the DSBB in the coming 2 months • Website - dsbb.imf.org

GDDS – Benefits • In conclusion; • The GDDS assists at addressing statistical needs that have emerged from the globalization of the world’s economies. The increasing integration of economic and financial activity has intensified demand for wide range of economic and other data – particularly for macroeconomic management and poverty monitoring and evaluation.

The GDDS therefore: • Fosters sound statistical practices with respect to both the compilation and the dissemination of economic, financial, and socio-demographic statistics. • It identifies data sets that are of particular relevance for economic analysis and monitoring of social and demographic developments, and sets out objectives and recommendations relating to their development, production and dissemination. • Attention is paid to user needs, which relate to quality and integrity of the data, and access by the public to the data.

END OF PRESENTATION Thank You.

Enhancing Data Quality: GDDS Framework in Malawi