THIRD INTERNATONAL ROUNDTABLE MANGING FOR DEVELOPMEN RESULTS

1. THIRD INTERNATONAL ROUNDTABLEMANGING FOR DEVELOPMEN RESULTS Uganda’s Experience in Reforming the National Statistical System Presented by: Mr. John B. Male-Mukasa Executive Director, Uganda Bureau of Statistics HANOI 5 – 8 FEBRUARY 2007

2. OUTLINE • INTRODUCTION • HISTORICAL BACKGROUND • STATISTICAL REFORMS IN UGANDA • STRATEGICES FOR EHNANCING STATISTICAL DEVLEOPMENT • MAIN LESSONS LEARNT • CONCLUSIONS

3. 1. Introduction • It is now recognized internationally that better statistics are an essential part of an enabling environment for development. • Better statistics do ( or should) lead to better policies and development outcomes. • According to a PARIS21 pamphlet, “in many of the poorest countries, statistics are weak and policy-makers seldom use them, leading to poor decisions and poor outcomes”.

4. Vicious cycle of statistical underdev’t of NSS in Sub-Saharan Africa

5. 1. Introduction (cont’d) • In recent past, African countries have signed up to the new focus on managing for development results (PRSP, MDGs policies) which is “data intensive”. • New demands on the weak NSS have given impetus for statistical reforms and development of statistical capacity to break out of the vicious cycle of statistical under-development.

6. 2. Historical Background • In the 1970s and 1980s, Uganda like many other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa experienced precipitous decline in statistical production. • New government that came to power in 1986 embarked on major economic and institutional reform agenda and process. Needed good statistics to support the reforms and policies as well as to monitor and measure progress. • From 1987,steps have been taken to rehabilitate and improve the national statistical infrastructure and capacity to deliver good statistics and build confidence in official statistics.

7. 2.Historical Background (cont’d) • Rehabilitation of national statistical infrastructure extended beyond NSO to include other key players in NSS including, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MGAs). • In spite of these measures and efforts, national statistics remained weak, • limited consultations between users & producers, • little collaboration between data producers and analysts and • limited data analysis generally.

8. Statistical Reforms in Uganda • Transformation of the Statistics Dep’t into a semi-autonomous highly professional gov’t statistical agency, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (The Uganda Bureau of Statistics Act 1998). • Bureau mandated to oversee and improve the mgt of the NSS to provide reliable, consistent, accurate and timely data for policy formulation and planning.

9. Statistical Reforms in Uganda (cont’d) Bureau governed by a small, technocratic Board of Directors whose functions among others, is: • protecting and promoting integrity of official statistics, • staff appointment, • approving the work programme and budget of the Bureau and • periodically reviewing the structure of the Bureau.

10. Statistical Reforms in Uganda (cont’d) In addition to the above reforms, gov’t undertook to support the development of statistics in the country by: • Building statistical components in important national development programmes and projects • Using statistics extensively in evidence-based macro-economic management and policy making esp. in monitoring poverty reduction programmes • Including the core statistical activities of the Bureau under the “Protected Budgetline” (PAF) • Attracting donor funding to relocate the Bureau close to the users of statistical products and services

11. 4.Strategies for Enhancing Statistical Development The Bureau has developed mutually-supportive strategies and taken actions to promote development of statistics and their use for evidence-based policy and decision making. They include: • ensuring credibility & transparency of official statistics • designing & implementing a consistent advocacy programme • staying relevant to national policy-making process • broadening and deepening coordination, collaboration and networking • production of more innovative information products • developing a Plan for Statistical Development • creating a conducive work environment for the Bureau staff

12. 4.1Ensuring credibility and transparency of official statistics • Employment of a cadre of highly qualified and skilled staff • Culture of data quality that emphasises application of international standards, methodologies and best practices across the NSS. • Advance publication of a release calendar consistent with IMF/GDDS and simultaneous release of data

13. 4.2 Designing & implementing a consistent statistical advocacy programme • Statistical advocacy aims to proactively create statistical awareness and make compelling case for statistics • Increase demand for statistics by demonstrating their use in policy and decision making • Mobilising resources for statistical production • Uganda’s advocacy programme has included: • cultivating “champions for statistical development • use of news makers • celebrating Africa Statistical Week • staying relevant to policy making process

14. 4.3 Broadening & deepening coordination, collaboration & information sharing Created a Coordination Directorate for internal and external coordination, promote mutual support and achieve synergy • Coordination between data users and producers • Coordination between Bureau & training institutions • Coordination between Bureau & Research agencies • Statistics-donor coordination

15. 4.4 Improved data analysis & production of innovative products • Making statistics understandable is an advocacy tool for its use • Policy-related analysis establishes relationships among various variables and illustrates policy issues • Link with agencies with analytical capacity such as Economic Policy Research Centre, Poverty Monitoring and Analysis Unit, etc, have facilitated this • Innovative products such as Poverty Maps and thematic reports increase use of data and information for decision making

16. 4.5 Designing the Plan for National Statistical Development • UBOS provided leadership in the design of a Plan for National Statistical Development (PNSD) covering period 2006/7 – 2010/11 • It is a medium-term comprehensive and coherent framework that addresses issue of: • Data limitations • Rationalizing use of resources for statistical development • Integrating statistics with national policy processes • Introduction of modern management principles in management of national statistics

17. 5. KEY LESSONS • Autonomy of the NSO enhances its visibility and enhances the public confidence in official statistics • The Governing Board of the autonomous agency should be small and professional in statistics and related fields whose primary responsibility should be to promote & preserve: • professional independence and • administrative autonomy of the agency as well as • enhancing its professionalism

18. KEY LESSONS (CONT’D) • It is important to design and implement a consistent advocacy programme for statistics in order to break out of the vicious cycle of statistical under-development • NSOs to take lead in promoting coordination, collaboration and information sharing among stakeholders in the NSS

19. KEY LESSONS (CONT’D) • NSOs should provide leadership to the process of designing and implementing a national statistical plan that covers all data producers, users and sectors

20. 6. CONCLUSIONS • It is possible to reverse the decline in statistical production, but it takes far reaching statistical reforms. • The reforms should restructure, resource and reposition the NSOs to enable them to provide leadership to and coordinate National Statistical System.

21. Thank You PLOT 9 COLVILLE STREET P.O BOX 7186 KAMPALA TEL. 041-706000 FAX 041-237553 E-MAIL ubos@ubos.org Website www.ubos.org WELCOME TO THE STATISTICS HOUSE