10 MAY 2002

1. Statistical Information for the Nation: Review and the Way Ahead A PRESENTATION TO PORTFOLIO AND SELECT COMMITTEES ON FINANCE 10 MAY 2002 Pali J Lehohla Statistician-General

2. Key strategic objectives Implementing National Statistics System Strengthening Organizational Capability Improving Quality of: Content, Skills & Systems Ensuring regular Communication through: Periodic Publications Complying with: SDDS, PARIS21 Council PFMA

3. The National Statistics System: Deliverables Authoritative to ensure compliance 1 Development Indicators For making data easily accessible 2 Management system for statistical information Create a picture which is comprehensive 3 Associated databases To promote use & production 4 Building capacity

4. Institutional Framework for Policy, Information and Planning • Some Priority areas • Poverty reduction/elimination • Rural development • Economic & employment growth • Public service restructuring • SADC • NEPAD Vision 1 Policy formulation Cabinet Policy interpretation 2 Government priorities PCAS Demand for information Monitoring & Evaluation Statistics Council, Users Priority area supervision 3 Government priorities FOSAD Clusters Supply of statistical information Programme coordination 4 Standards, definitions, classification, methodology National Statistics System • GGovernment departments • RResearch Institutions • bBusiness • DDonors • PParastatal organizations • NNGOs • PPublic • IInternational organizations Policy implementation 5 Indicators

5. Progress on the National Statistical System TASKS REVIEW PLAN • Implement the NSS for • the production of • authoratitive statistics • for South Africa • Defining criteria for declaring statistics as official for compliance • Involvement of government departments, parastatal bodies and private sector concerns • Promotion of definitions, standards and classifications • Creating a statistical • Masterplan • Creating indicators • for cluster priorities • Promoting the use of • statistics as the basis • for policy • Implement DQAF

6. Quality: Enhancing the National Statistics System Relevance Integrity Meeting real needs of clients Methodological soundness • Free from political interference • Adherence to objectivity, • professionalism, transparency, • ethical standards Data quality • Sound methodologies • International standards and • guidelines - good practice • Agreed practices • Dataset-specific Coherence Harmonisation of different info within broad analytical and temporal framework Accuracy Interpretability Timeliness Correctly describes phenomena it is designed to measure Accessibility Availability of supplementary info and metadata Info available at desired reference point Ease of obtaining info from agency

7. Progress on Social Statistics TASKS REVIEW PLAN • Release Analytical • Reports • Implement a master • Sample • Youth Report • South Africa in transition • Women and Men • second edition • Mapping poverty • Victims of Crime • Women and Men 1st • edition • Master sample implemented • Measuring rural • development • Labour market report • Health Status • Education in • South Africa • Measuring inequality • Mapping Poverty • from Income & Exp. • Survey of 2000

8. Progress Economic Statistics TASKS REVIEW PLAN • Survey of Employment • & Earnings (SEE) based • on the new Business • Frame • Implement Integrated • Business Frame across • SARS DTI StatsSA & • Labour • Completed five rounds • Labour Force Surveys • National Accounts • Parallel pilot sample • yielding improved results • Business plan prepared & accepted • by principal depts. • Field revisits being implemented • Compilation of GGP • Implementing full • survey from July • Assess Implications • for other series • Funding proposal • submitted to NORAD • Agreeing on host dept • Assessment Report • by July • Release by year end

9. Progress Population Statistics TASKS REVIEW PLAN • Census ‘96 • Census 2001 • Results April 2003 • 1996 as a benchmark • Census reports • Disseminating Electronic products • Producing GIS Maps • Mapped the country • Successful publicity • Forward logistics • mobilised 100 000 • Enumerate 81000 • Audited enumeration • Reverse Logistics • Implemented PES • Training users on Census 96 in preparation for 2001 • National Departments, • Provincial and local • Census Processing • 1000 employed • Matching & Revisits • Adjusting data • Producing GIS maps • Confidentializing • Stats Council evalua- • ting the results

10. Progress on GIS TASKS REVIEW PLAN • Implement a spatial • information framework • (GIS) for broad use • With enormous • benefits for risk mana- • gement, planning, • monitoring and • resource allocation • Based on 1996 Census produced maps for 1999 Elections • Created boundaries that coincided with new MDB boundaries • Created 81 000 geographic polygons for Census 2001 • Master Sample 2002 • Identified prevalence • of vacant dwellings • Provide a spatial planning framework • for the country • Produce geographic products based on enumeration areas • Provide a web- • enabled geographic access • Provide an audit • basis for Census 2001

11. Progress on capacity building TASKS REVIEW PLAN • Provide the necessary • experience • Provide the right skills • Provide institutional • mechanism for skills & • interest in statistics • Implementing induction & exchange programmes • Training in EASTC, ISAE & Pennsylvania • Implementing productive work with Pennsylvania • Negotiating with universities for statistics • implemnting census@schools • Arrange with other • Departments for a • training institute in • official statistics in • South Africa • Implement a teacher • training prog in • quantitative methods • Strengthen relations • with UN, PARIS21 • and promote NEPAD

12. Progress on Compliance TASKS REVIEW PLAN Implement SDDS Council Implements the Act for oversight PFMA Compliant • SDDS compliant • Certified by ROSC using DQAF • Council defined its basis for operations • Procedures for Census 2001 defined. • Appointed Audit Committee, Internal Auditor, CFO & 9 provincial state accountants, asset register implemented • Improve on the • quality and range of data produced • Peer review as an additional resource for Council to implement oversight • Expand audit office, appoint HR officers in the provincial offices • Implement project management • Train staff on PFMA