National Strategies for Development of Statistics: Overview

1. PARIS21 National Strategies for the Development of Statistics:Overview 8 July 2010, Nouméa

2. OUTLINE • Why strategic planning in statistics? • NSDS: an approach to strategic planning • What is the value added of NSDS? • Main principles and steps • Experiences from Lao PDR and Vietnam

3. Why strategic planning in statistics? • Strategic planning crucial to statistical development • Addressing data limitations across whole national statistical system • Prioritising data needs • Harmonising all national/international programmes • Integrating stats within policy / budgetary processes • But is has to be a rigorous process! • And it has to take into account what already exists! • Strategic planning emphasised at international fora: • Marrakech, Hanoi, Accra roundtables • Dakar Declaration on the Development of Statistics

4. What is an NSDS? (National Strategy for the Development of Statistics) • Nationally-owned, participatory dynamic process integrated into the development policy process covering the whole National Statistical System (NSS) • Aiming at building statistical capacity to meet demands for data necessary to conduct national development policiesand respond to international requirements • Providing a vision for where NSS should be in 5-10 years time • Coherence frameworkand prioritized action plan for capacity building and for funding decisions > • Framework for coordination arrangements: across NSS and between donors

5. > NSDS as a country coherence framework (1) An NSDS can provide a country-level coherence framework, a strategic approach to statistical capacity building, within which countries can place all national and international programmes…….. ….such as the International Comparison Programme (ICP), Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS). International programmes should be carried out as part of the implementation of the NSDS in line with agreed priorities and the NSDS action plan!

6. > NSDS as a country coherence framework (2) Similarly, the NSDS is a coordination mechanism for the national statistical system… The NSDS should encompass all data production, analysis and use. It should be system-wide, covering and coordinating all actors in the system NSDS needs to cover the entire National Statistical System for official statistics, including: NSO + Line ministries Users (demand side) as well as producers (supply side) National, sub-national, regional and international needs and programmes

7. NSDS: changing a vicious circle.... Uneasy decision-making Weak demand for data for policy-making. Data not trusted or used. based on sectional interests, donor demand, inertia etc. Weak statistics Donors focus on their own data needs; Limited capacity to generate or analyse data Little investment in information systems.

8. …into a virtuous cycle Public sector reform, SWAPs. PRSs, civil society, media, use of IT MDGs; PRSs: results-based decision-making; NSDSs Global initiatives Increased Demand Donors agree to align Focus on building systems able to respond to country and donor needs. efforts Increased Multiple stakeholders – development and statistics Coordination

9. TO RECAP: strategic planning (NSDS) can help by Addressing data limitations Prioritising the use of resources Looking across whole NSS Integrating statistics within policy processes Coordinating donor support Providing a robust framework and action plan for statistical capacity building Acting as a catalyst for change to build confidence and break the vicious cycle

10. NSDS overview : OUTLINE • Four main principles • Six steps

11. > Based on NSDS principles developed by PARIS21 • NSDS design Guide published (2004) • Some Issues in the Design and Implementation of NSDSs (2006) • Guide on Integrating Sectoral Statistics in NSDS (2007) • Proposal for the structure of the final NSDS document (2008) • Costing and financing of the implementation of NSDSs (2009) • Guidelines on integration of the agricultural sector (July 2010) • Forthcoming: updating of guidelines (2010-2011)

12. > FOUR main principles • The NSDS should be integrated into national development policy processes and context, taking account of regional and international commitments • The NSDS should be developed in an inclusive and participatory way, incorporating results-based management principles and meeting quality standards • The NSDS should be comprehensive and coherent and provide the basis for the sustainable development of statistics with quality “fit for purpose”. • The NSDS should show where the statistical system is now, how it needs to be developed and how to accomplish this. > COUNTRY-SPECIFIC & COUNTRY-OWNED !

13. > SIX steps 1. Political commitment • Roadmap (Who will do what, when, where, how) • Diagnosis (Where we are now?) • Vision, mission (Where do we want to be?) • Strategy and plan of actions (How do we get there?) • Implementation, monitoring and evaluation (How do we stay there)

14. The 6 standard steps 1. POLITICAL COMMITMENT 2. ROADMAP 3. WHERE ARE WE NOW? Current situation 4. WHERE DO WE WANT TO BE? Mission/vision Statistical capacity 6. HOW DO WE STAY THERE? Sustainability 5. HOW DO WE GET THERE? Strategies/Actions

15. 1 Building political commitment and launching the NSDS Will need: • Successful advocacy, awareness-raising, and dialogue with politicians, policy-makers, and decision-makers • Participation by the managers of the national statistical system in national policy discussions • Strong leadership of the NSO & the process Key outcome: • Decision and a plan to develop an NSDS

16. 2 The roadmap: a decisive step • Who will do what, when, where, how • Objectives and expected products and outcomes • How integrated into development policies • How the process is organised • Roles of stakeholders • Description of activities and phases of design • Budget, resources for the elaboration • Provisional calendar • To be validated by the government

17. 3 Diagnosis-Assessment phase Where are we now? • Reviewing the legal and institutional framework, linkages, and coordination arrangements • Linkages and coordination arrangements • Assessing organisational factors and capacities using e.g. SWOT • Assessing statistical products using e.g. DQAF, GDDS • Assessing satisfaction of users and employees of NSS • Assessing system’s overall performance !!! Covering the whole NSS!!!! To be validated by the governement

18. 4 Vision, mission Where do we want to be? • Agree a missionand visionstatement • Agree on desired results • Set priorities to deliver the vision and results With possible references to UN fundamental principles or other existing codes

19. 5 Strategy, plans of actions How do we get there? • Design the strategy with various components > examples Governance of the NSS Institutional & organizational improvement Human resource (personnel management, initial training, vocational training) Infrastructure Statistical Infrastructure Improvement of production processes Improving quality Improving archiving and dissemination systems Improving IT infrastructure Data development & management Local statistics Improving Line Ministries statistical production

20. 5 Strategy, plans of actions How do we get there? 2. Translate strategy into a detailed implementation or action plans (annual), including: • What is to be done, by whom and when (key actions) • Actions to address each strategic issue and to reach goals • Results and outputs to be achieved • Detailed costs, overall budget and a financing plan • Reporting, monitoring and evaluation arrangements

21. 6. Monitoring and evaluation • Performance indicators and reporting • Mid-term reviews • Monitoring to track implementation progress • Evaluation should assess significant constraints, successes, achievements of NSDS • Possible tools: self-evaluation through NSDS ‘checklist’, peer reviews

22. > Duration of the design process???

23. In conclusion • National commitment and leadership: • Don’t frighten governments and donors: • Lesson learning: • Monitoring and evaluation: Country-owned NSDS will need high-level government commitment (at all steps) and leadership; it has to support national policy processes Plans need to be appropriately costed and need to be realistic The NSDS approach must build on what exists and learn from country experiences of design and implementation Should remain a flexible process, to be reviewed and amended regularly

24. An experience with the NSDS: LAO PDR and VIETNAM

25. LAO PDR: The Master Plans (1) 1. Strategies and Measures for the Official Statistical System Development of Lao PDR 2006-10” (SIDA, DoS) SIDA-Statistics Sweden supported the capacity building of the Department of Statistics (DoS) of Lao PDR from 1992 to 2009 at a cost of about US $1 million a year. However the Government of Sweden decided to close down its operations in the country. Prior to its exit, SIDA helped the DoS prepare a statistics strategic plan. 2. National Statistical System of Lao PDR: Report on Diagnostics and Long-Term Agenda for Building Capacity in Statistics. 2008-2017 (ADB, DoS) Separately the Asian Development Bank (ADB) found the statistical system of Lao PDR as among the weakest in Asia and wrote on the challenges facing the system and opportunities available for it in the future. This report was deemed an improvement to #1.

26. LAO PDR: The Master Plans (2) 3. Master Plan for National Statistics In Lao PDR, 2009 To 2020, (SIDA, DoS) The DoS together with SIDA extended #1 from 2010 to 2020, obtaining some inputs from the ADB report (#2). The government has targeted 2020 as the year when the country leaves the ranks of the least developed countries (LDCs). 4. Revised/integrated NSDS version: Lao PDR Statistics Master Plan 2010-2020 (OECD/PARIS21, DoS) Together with PARIS21, the DoS integrated the earlier Master Plans into the NSDS format that is now accepted and recognized by the global donor community as the strategic document for the development of a national statistical system.

27. LAO PDR: The Master Plans (3) Political support • translated into Lao • Named Strategy for Development of the National Statistical System (SDNSS) • considered in the overall Government Meeting • Prime Minister Office approval Technical & Financial Partners’ Support • UNDP formulating a Programme of Support to implement the SDNSS, as a harmonized basis for technical assistance by UNDP and the rest of the donor community

28. The pillars of a national statistical system • Statistics Law • Legislation/Organization/Resources • National Statistical Council • Coordination/ Prioritization • Planning/Programming • Coordination committee of government with donors?

29. Indicative Timetable for Censuses and Surveys, 2010-2020 - Laos

30. Vietnam Statistics Development Strategy, 2011-2020 • Phase 1: Start up of the 11-20 Strategy Design Process – Road map, strategy outline • Phase 2: An in-depth and comprehensive assessment of current status of Vietnam Statistics System • Phase 3: Development of [long-term] vision and selection of prioritized strategies of the 11-20 Strategy • Phase 4: Development of [medium-term] action plans • Phase 5: Implementation, supervision, monitoring and evaluation (M&E)

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