Response to the Challenges Facing the National Statistics Office: The Jamaican Experience

1. Response to the Challenges Facing the National Statistics Office: The Jamaican Experience Carol Coy Statistical Institute of Jamaica

2. Introduction • STATIN is the primary provider of statistical data in Jamaica • Established in 1946 as the Central Bureau of Statistics with the promulgation of the Statistics Act • Upgraded and the name changed to the Department of Statistics in 1955 with an amendment to the Statistics Act

3. Introduction • Further changes to the Statistics Act in 1984 brought about the establishment of the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) as a statutory corporation • This gave the organization some level of autonomy • Funded mainly from the national budget but this fact does challenge the autonomy of STATIN

4. Introduction Functions of the Institute • to collect, compile, analyze, abstract and publish statistical information relating to the commercial, industrial, social, economic and general activities and condition of the Jamaican people; • to collaborate with public agencies in the collection, compilation and publication of statistical information including statistical information derived from the activities of such agencies;

5. Introduction • to take any census in Jamaica; and • generally, to promote and develop integrated social and economic statistics pertaining to Jamaica, while coordinating programmes for the integration of such statistics, in accordance with the provisions of the Statistics Act.

6. Introduction Governance structure Board of Directors Audit Committee Director General & Chair, Senior Management Committee Internal Audit HRD Committee Technical Committee Procurement Committee

7. Challenges • Funding - the funds provided through the budgetary mechanism are not adequate to support the expanding needs of the Institute • Affects human resource and technological expansion • Limits the ability of the Institute to expand its programmes while keeping the current programmes on track

8. Challenges • Growing demand for more statistics to be provided in a more timely manner and be more be easily accessible especially micro-data • Anticipation of an increase in demand with the post 2015 development agenda which has recognised the need for broader measures of progress

9. Challenges • It takes minimum 3 three years to introduce new statistics • Succession planning - Loss of organizational memory due to retirement of key, experienced Senior Statisticians • Lack of a statistical culture within the country -Low response rates particularly from establishments

10. Challenges • Jamaica has a decentralized statistical system. • Fragmented production of statistics as there is little or no coordination • Inter-agency access to data from administrative and official sources is inconsistent • Quality of information is not guaranteed, as the data are not always compiled for statistical purposes

11. The Transformation Process • STATIN began a process of modernisation guided by strategic five year plans, the first (2002 -2005) & (2012- 2017). • Evolved out of discussions with the staff, members of the Board and major stakeholders • The plan was aligned to Jamaica’s National Development Plan; Vision 2030. This ensured that the national requirements and priorities informed the focus of the statistical development

12. The Transformation Process • Transformation was driven by a strategic management process which allowed Management • To map the vision of the organization • To identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the organization

13. The Transformation Process • There is the pressure for STATIN to remain relevant and this required the transformation of the organization • Needed to become more efficient in its operations • More flexible and adaptive and more responsive to the change in data needs of its stakeholders

14. The Transformation Process Transformation focused on : • Strengthening the legal framework • Improvement in organizational effectiveness and efficiencies • Maintaining and enhancing the client focused service culture

15. The Transformation Process • Continuous improvement and expansion in statistical programmes and services • Use of information technology to modernise processes • Ensure the funding and sustainability of STATIN

16. Strengthening the Legal Framework • Statistics Act is being amended to incorporate the establishment of a national statistics system & Statistical Commission • Gap Analysis on the state of production of statistics in Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDA) completed • Being reviewed with the objective of developing a Statistics Master Plan for Jamaica

17. Strengthening the Legal Framework The NSS will allow for: • Coordination among data producers, providers and users. • Standardisation in classifications and to ensure methodology conforms to international standards • Reduction in duplication of efforts across agencies.

18. Improvement in Organizational Efficiencies Succession Planning, Training and Development • In-house training • Training opportunities from regional bodies such as CARICOM, CARTAC and ECLAC • Training in sampling at University of Michigan funded by World Bank

19. Improvement in Organizational Efficiencies Succession Planning, Training and Development cont’d • Instituted management and leadership training for senior and middle managers • Identify young statisticians for mentoring • Currently undertaking a skills audit

20. Improvement in Organizational Efficiencies Restructuring the organization • Proposed new structure to make STATIN more flexible. • To increase efficiencies in the business processes • Review of core statistical business processes and related quality assurance systems

21. Improvement in Organizational Efficiencies • Resulted in the development of STATIN’s value chain based on the Generic Statistical Business Process Model • Shifted from a functional view of the statistical production to one focussed on the processes • Easier to identify the inefficiencies in the production process

22. Improvement in Organizational Efficiencies

23. Maintain and Enhance the Client Focused Service Culture • Maintaining a strong media presence • Posting Advance Release Calendar • Hosting targeted Users/Producers seminars • Continued improvement of STATIN’s website www.statinja.gov.jm

24. Maintain and Enhance the Client Focused Service Culture • Targeting Schools • In 2010, a series of handbooks were developed for students at the secondary level, CSEC and CAPE in the subject areas of Economics, Sociology, and Geography to include the area of Environment Statistics • Currently being updated

25. Improvement in Statistical Programmes Use of Administrative Data • Business surveys experiencing declining response rate • Partnered with a number of public sector agencies to get access to their databases • Proven to be cost effective, reduced the need for surveys, reduce respondent fatigue

26. Improvement in Statistical Programmes • Tax Administration Agency annual returns from companies and VAT database. • Information is used to supplement the annual national accounts surveys, supply and use tables and tourism satellite account • Supervisory and regulatory agencies such as the Central Bank

27. Improvement in Statistical Programmes • Immigration Authority; database provides data for migration statistics, and the Tourism Satellite Account • Formalised agreements to adopt common statistical classification systems (industrial and occupational) • Use of Tax registration Number (TRN) to link the various databases.

28. Improvement in Statistical Programmes Development of Local Partnerships • The processes of coordination has been facilitated through the • Use of advisory committees • Memorandums of understanding • Cross-agency teams

29. Improvement in Statistical Programmes • Central Bank’s funding of the improvement/development of economic statistics such as household budget surveys and the development of quarterly GDP by expenditure

30. Improvement in Statistical Programmes Development of Regional Partnerships • The Strategic Plan for Jamaica was influenced by the Regional Statistics Work Programme (RSWP) • South-south cooperation is a cost effective way of strengthening the statistical capacity in the region

31. Improvement in Statistical Programmes Development of International Partnerships • Partnering with international donor agencies to assist by providing funding and technical assistance in undertaking surveys • Especially important in the area of social statistics

32. Improvement in Statistical Programmes • Partnership with ILO in the conduct of Youth and School to Work Transition surveys • Partnership with UNICEF for a series of MICS surveys • Partnership being developed with the Inter American Development Bank (IDB) to undertake a study of the informal sector

33. Improvement in Statistical Programmes • Partnership with World Bank to undertake a Business Census • UNSD has been instrumental in the development of the strategy for implementation of the SNA 2008

34. Use of Technology to Modernise Processes • One of the early actions in the modernization plan was the development of an ICT Policy and Strategy which resulted in; • Development of the data management system (DMS) for the management of the core statistical programmes • Improvement of the ICT infrastructure at the Head Office

35. Use of Technology to Modernise Processes Introduction of an electronic data collection system resulted in: • Reduction in operating costs, e.g. paper and printing costs • Elimination of some processes such as manual editing as these have been built into the programme • Ability to transfer human resources to areas of greater need

36. Use of technology to modernise processes • Reduction in the turn around time for some statistical products • PPI has been reduced to a four week lag • Quarterly Labour force now produced within 3 months down from 4 months • Allowed more time for data analysis.

37. Use of technology to modernise processes • Upgrade the local area network (LAN) infrastructure; • Inter-connect the parish offices with the Head Office in Kingston; • Provide Intranet and email access to field staff

38. Future • Continue the process The End