PARIS 21/ESCAP HIGH-LEVEL FORUM ON STRATEGIC PLANNING IN STATISTICS FOR SOUTH-EAST ASIAN COUNTRIES

1. PARIS 21/ESCAP HIGH-LEVEL FORUM ON STRATEGIC PLANNING IN STATISTICS FOR SOUTH-EAST ASIAN COUNTRIES 6-8 JUNE 2006 Bangkok, Thailand By Romulo A. Virola NSCB Secretary General SESSION 5:ADVOCACY FOR STATISTICS: PHILIPPINE PERSPECTIVE

2. SESSION 5: ADVOCACY FOR STATISTICS • IMPORTANT THINGS TO NOTE IN STATISTICAL PLANNING PROCESSES • SOME PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED • SOME SOLUTIONS • MECHANISMS IN PLACE IN THE PHILIPPINE STATISTICAL SYSTEM (PSS)

3. SESSION 5: ADVOCACY FOR STATISTICS • AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL • AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL

4. Advocacy for Statistics at the International Level THINGS TO NOTE IN PLANNING PROCESS • EXAMINE AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OFFERED BY ROLES OF • PARIS 21 • ESCAP Stat Division/ASEAN Secretariat • AHSOM • UNSD/Other Bodies

5. I. Advocacy for Statistics at the International Level SOME PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED • Raises Users’ Expectations not matched by resources given by government to national statistical agencies • Donor-driven initiatives not consistent with national priorities that in fact incapacitate/drain resources of national statistical agencies

6. I. Advocacy for Statistics at the International Level SOME SOLUTIONS • Advocacy at the international level should put higher emphasis on strengthening political will of governments to give higher budgetary priorities to statistics • Greater and sincere efforts of international bodies and donor countries to coordinate themselves better

7. I. Advocacy for Statistics at the International Level SOME SOLUTIONS • Strengthen roles of regional bodies like ESCAP and the ASEAN Secretariat Statistics Divisions • Consider creation of an ASEANStat similar to EuroStat

8. I. Advocacy for Statistics at the International Level SOME SOLUTIONS • Genuine realization and acceptance by donors that countries have statistical priorities that should not be diverted/suppressed to suit ad hoc needs of the international community

9. Advocacy for Statistics at the National Level THINGS TO NOTE IN PLANNING PROCESS • Identify key stakeholders • Finance and Budget Ministries • Congress • Key users of statistics • Key supporters & Key nonsupporters • Media

10. Advocacy for Statistics at the National Level THINGS TO NOTE IN PLANNING PROCESS • Need to give top priority to relevance of statistical products and services to the key stakeholders • Advocacy includes • expanding statistical manpower base • expanding use of statistics

11. SO Advocacy for Statistics at the National Level SOME PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED • Resource constraints that limit advocacy work • Persisting perception about objectivity of government statistics • Low salaries of statisticians in government • Internal problems faced by statistical units within their own ministries

12. SO Advocacy for Statistics at the National Level SOME SOLUTIONS • Put in place mechanisms to be able to give quality service to key stakeholders • Ensure provision of copies of publications to key stakeholders • Presentations to congress • Conduct users’ fora to manage users’ expectations better by talking about resource constraints

13. Advocacy for Statistics at the National Level SOME SOLUTIONS • Statistical agencies must develop capacity to create demand for its products • Dissemination of Public Use Files • Setting up Micro Data Centers • Training of statisticians to be better advocates of statistics, managers and fund sourcers

14. Advocacy for Statistics at the National Level SOME SOLUTIONS • Reach out to and use the media to raise public appreciation for statistics • Identify potential champions of statistics • Raise salary levels of official statisticians • Promote statistics as a profession in the elementary and secondary schools

15. Advocacy for Statistics at the National Level SOME SOLUTIONS • Adopt best practices • Advance Release Calendars • Updated, information-rich and easy-to-access websites • Provision of metadata • Transparency of methodologies and revision policies

16. Advocacy for Statistics at the National Level MECHANISMS PUT IN PLACE IN THE PHILIPPINE STATISTICAL SYSTEM • Formulation of the Philippine Statistical Development Program ( 7th ) supportive of the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan • Multi-agency composition of NSCB Board • Creation of inter-agency committees to address improvements in sectoral statistics

17. Advocacy for Statistics at the National Level MECHANISMS PUT IN PLACE IN THE PHILIPPINE STATISTICAL SYSTEM • Conduct of Various Statistical Fora • User-Producer Workshops • Results Dissemination Fora • Workshops to address specific statistical concerns like MDG and Poverty Monitoring

18. Advocacy for Statistics at the National Level MECHANISMS PUT IN PLACE IN THE PHILIPPINE STATISTICAL SYSTEM • Conduct of Various Statistical Fora • Celebration of National Statistics Month • Conduct of National and Regional Conventions on Statistics • Conduct of the Philippine Statistics Quiz and Oratorical Contests among university and high school students

19. Advocacy for Statistics at the National Level MECHANISMS PUT IN PLACE IN THE PHILIPPINE STATISTICAL SYSTEM • Conduct of Various Statistical Fora • Conduct of press conferences and issuance of press releases • Conduct of statistical seminars for data users and members of the media

20. Thank You! www.nscb.gov.phinfo@nscb.gov.ph