Reference Regional Framework for Statistical Capacity Building in Africa (RRSF)

1. Reference Regional Framework for Statistical Capacity Building in Africa (RRSF) Ben Kiregyera Director African Centre for Statistics 19 October, 2007

2. Motivation • Issues which have come up during this workshop: • organizational issues (including legal framework, mandates, coordination, etc) • institutional issues (including infrastructure, funding, HR, capacity building, etc) • data-related issues (data sources, data collection methodologies, data management including dissemination) Many of these issues are best handled as part of broader Frameworks and initiatives

3. Scope Introduction What is RRSF? National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) Capacity Building strategies Critical success factors Slide 3

4. Introduction • Addis Ababa Plan of Action for Statistical Development in Africa in the 1990s (AAPA) • Precipitous decline in statistical production in 70s & 80s • Factors constraining statistical production identified as: • poor management • inadequate funding • lack of timeliness in delivery of statistics • unsatisfactory quality of produced data • inability to respond quickly to new data needs • AAPA adopted by the African Ministers for Planning and • Development in 1990 to: • reverse decline in statistical production • lay a basis for development of statistics in Africa

5. Evaluation of AAPA in 2000 Assessment Results Slide 5

6. Twin problem of data demand and supply High Demand II “Data Supply-constrained countries” IV “Virtuous Circle countries” Poor Quality Good Quality I “Vicious Circle countries” III “Data Demand-constrained countries” Low Demand Slide 6

7. Characteristics of statistical under-development • Inadequate statistical awareness/literacy • inadequate links of statistical systems to policy • inadequate coordination (next slide) • weaknesses in statistical capacity • limited capacity in management and strategic leadership • data gaps on some key demographic, • socio-economic and environmental indicators • unreliability of some existing data • inadequate use of existing data – challenge of • data use • unsustainability of statistical systems Slide 7

8. Uncoordinated National Statistical System Agriculture etc Health NSO Transport Labour Education Slide 8

9. Partially coordinated National Statistical System Agriculture etc Health NSO Transport Labour Education Slide 9

10. Fully coordinated National Statistical System Agriculture etc Health NSO Transport Labour Education Slide 10

11. demand for good statistics increased exponentially since countries signed up to managing for results • Managing for results has evolved as a global effort among both national governments and development agencies to: • reduce poverty • support sustainable and equitable economic growth • better define and measure development outcomes Challenges Opportunities Slide 11

12. Opportunities • Increasing demand – results agenda is “data intensive” • Raising the public profile of statistics • Building statistical capacity in medium to longer term • International cooperation and partnerships for statistics • PARIS21 • WB Trust Fund for Statistical Capacity Building • Multi – and bilateral donors • New emphasis on statistics by the AfricanDevelopment Bank • Renaissance of statistics function at UN ECAwith establishment of the African Centre for Statistics Slide 12

13. Management for results given impetus by a number of roundtables among them, the Marrakech Roundtable meeting on managing for result, Morocco (2004) • Better statistics identified as a priority of the results agenda and Marrakech roundtable came up with a global plan for statistics, commonly called the Marrakech Action Plan for Statistics (MAPS)to improve national & international statistics • Reference Regional Strategic Framework for Statistical Capacity Building in Africa (RRSF) is a regional variant of the MAPS Slide 13

14. What is RRSF? • Overall objective The overall objective of the RRSF is to contribute to policy- making, development outcomes and good governance in Africa by guiding and accelerating sustainable statistical capacity building activities. • Specific objectives • Raise societal awareness about role and importance of data to national development (statistical advocacy) • Enhance data quality and usability • Promote greater use of data • Build sustainable statistical capacity Slide 14

15. The process • assessment missions to more than 20 countries & 40 sub-regional, regional and international & bilateral development partners • leveraged previous assessments, existing frameworks & initiatives • lessons learnt from the Addis Ababa Plan of Action for Statistical development in Africa in the 1990s • Assessment identified: • strengths to build on, • weaknesses to resolve • opportunities to exploit • threats to avoid Slide 15

16. RRSF endorsed by: • the meeting of Directors of NSOs, • 2nd Forum on African Statistical Development • Conference of African Ministers for Finance, Planning and Economic Development Slide 16

17. RRSF Capacity Building Strategies • Overarching strategy: design of the National Strategy for the development of Statistics (NSDS) • Establishing In-service Training Centres at NSOs • meet huge demand for minimum competencies among technicians who collect/manage data in government • In S. Africa, this number is estimated to be between 50,000 and 200,000 • Centres should also organize periodic short courses, seminars and workshops to meet specific needs of NSOs & other data producers Slide 17

18. Strengthen Regional Statistical Training Centres • Building statistical capacity in sub-regional organizations (ECOWAS, SADC, COMESA, etc) Slide 18

19. National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) • What is NSDS? • to strengthen statistical capacity across the entire National Statistical System • A medium to long-term vision for SCB responding to key user needs • A robust, comprehensive and coherent framework to: • address data limitations • Mobilize & prioritise the use of resources • integrate statistics within national policy processes National strategy and plan of action A catalyst for change to build confidence Slide 19

20. Importance of the process • as important as the strategy • facilitate statistical advocacy • mainstream key stakeholders i.e should: • be participatory • be inclusive • use a concensus-building approach • Plans that are country-specific and country- • owned • Ownership leads to more commitment, • creativity, imagination, innovation and • productivity. • participation and ownership are essential for successful strategic management and the key to the success of strategy Slide 20

21. process presupposes that we are aiming to build a truly integrated National Statistical System • process should be based on NSDS principles developed by PARIS21 and partners • Guide developed by PARIS21 (2004) • Guide on Integrating Sectoral Statistics into the Design of NSDS (AfDB, PARIS21 and Intersect) Slide 21

22. Bottom-up approach NSDS SSPS (Agric) SSPS (Health) SSPS (Edn. ) SSPS – Sector Strategic Plan for Statistics Slide 22

23. Critical success factors • Strategic leadership and management (strategic insight) • NSDS not just one of the statistical activities • Statistical reform (not cosmetics) • Managing change “It’s not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the most responsive to change”, Charles Darwin – father of evolution theory • Process (participatory, continuity, empowering, involve development partners) • Cultivate “Champions” and “Missionaries” • Partnerships Slide 23

24. building partnerships in Africa and beyond • Statistical Commission for Africa (Statcom-Africa) • African Statistical Coordination Committee • ECA • African Development Bank (ADB) • African Union (AU) • African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) • UN agencies, PARIS21, multilateral and bilateral agencies and other partners • Scaling up Support for Statistics – High Level Meeting of Donors in Paris 15 November

25. Thank you! African Centre for Statistics Visit us at http:www.uneca.org/statistics/ Slide 25