Global SNA Implementation Strategy

GULAB SINGH

United Nations Statistics Division

Training Workshop on 2008 SNA for ECO Member States

14-17 October 2012, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Outline of presentationOutline of presentation

Introduction. 2008 SNA Implementation

• A Global Statistical Initiative• Stages of implementation• Short-term Economic Indicators and SNA• SNA Implementation tools• Monitoring the SNA implementation

Lessons from 1993 SNA Implementation• FOC Group• Barriers to the implementation of 1993 SNA

IntroductionIntroduction

UNSC endorsed the 2008 SNA at its 39th session in 2008 and requested the ISWGNA to formulate implementation strategy.

ISWGNA formulated the 2008 SNA implementation strategy based on principles of (i) Strategic planning, (ii) Coordination, monitoring and reporting; and (iii) Improving statistical systems.

UNSC at its 40th session supported the implementation strategy and encouraged countries to develop their own implementation programmes.

SNA Implementation - Global InitiativeSNA Implementation - Global Initiative

The Implementation Programme for the 2008 SNA and supporting economic statistics represents a global statistical initiative.• Synergies with other programmes like ICP, FAO’s

programme on improvement of agricultural statistics

UNSD conduct series of seminars with RCs to align regional and global implementation programmes.

Country visits the next phase – to help countries develop strategic vision and implementation programme.

Objective of Global Statistical InitiativeObjective of Global Statistical Initiative

To assist countries in developing the statistical and institutional capacity to:

• Make the conceptual change over to the 2008 SNA

• Improve the scope, detail and quality of the national accounts and supporting economic statistics.

Operationlising Implementation StrategyOperationlising Implementation Strategy

Use of National Strategies for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) as the strategic planning framework

The programme information structure built around the statistical production process, scope and compliance for the national accounts and supporting economic statistics

The modalities of statistical capacity building through training and technical cooperation, publication of manuals and handbooks, research and advocacy

The stages of implementation leading to the change over to the 2008 SNA.

Operationlising Implementation StrategyOperationlising Implementation Strategy

Strategic Planning FrameworkStrategic Planning Framework Strategic planning is a key principle in mobilizing political and

financial support for investment in statistics

The NSDS is the most widely used strategic planning framework to connect national development objectives with a programme of work for statistical capacity-building

Why a strategic approach? To align the 2008 SNA country programme with national policy

priorities and regional requirements Consultative process is system wide Resources are limited Piece meal approach is not cost effective Donor coordination is critical

Operationlising Implementation StrategyOperationlising Implementation Strategy

Coordination, monitoring and reportingCoordination, monitoring and reporting

To facilitate the coordination, monitoring and reporting on the SNA implementation in the multi-stakeholder environment.

Frameworks• Minimum Required Data Set (MRDS) based on UN-NAQ

• IMF GDDS and SDDS Report on the

• statistical process

• data quality

Operationlising Implementation StrategyOperationlising Implementation Strategy Improving statistical systemsImproving statistical systems

Institutional SettingInformation, Communication Technology (ICT)

Management and internal policy

Institutional arrangements

Registers and

Frames

Surveys Integration Framework

Dissemination

Structure for organizing the information base based on a stylized statistical production model

Implementation stagesImplementation stages

Three stageso Stage I: Review of strategic framework and detailing

of national and regional implementation programmes• Statement of strategy – Development of an economic

statistics programme for compiling the required scope and detail of the National Accounts to inform policy makers

• Diagnosis of current situation – Assessment of the national statistical system to support the national accounts compilation (self assessment diagnostic tool)

• Development of strategic vision for national accounts and supporting statistics shared among stakeholders

• Develop implementation plan based on agreed priorities with a minimum set of core indicators

Implementation stagesImplementation stages

Stage II: Adaptation of classification frameworks, business registers and frames, surveys, administrative data sources and information technology infrastructure.

Stage III: Application of adapted frameworks and source data, backcasting and changeover to 2008 SNA

Each country will determine the duration of the various stages. • It is expected that from 2014 onwards, many Member States

will change over to the 2008 SNA following a gradual two or three year transition for each stage.

Short-term Economic Indicators and SNAShort-term Economic Indicators and SNA

A series on meetings at the end of 2008 and beginning of 2009 in reaction to economic and financial crisis

2008 SNA the overarching framework for economic statistics, able to incorporates measurement issues arising from the financial crises

The availability of structural and annual data tells us about the past

Policy makers need information about the present to facilitate more timely policy responses

Short-term Economic Indicators and SNAShort-term Economic Indicators and SNA

Need to improve the availability, periodicity and timeliness of short term indicators in accessible and analytically useful formats

Data collection practices need to be adapted to facilitate the dissemination of short term indicators

Short term indicators are also relevant for expanding the scope and detail of the national accounts

Short-term Economic Indicators and SNAShort-term Economic Indicators and SNA

UNSC at its 42nd session considered an international programme of work on short-term economic statistics as part of a coordinated statistical response to the economic and financial crisis.

The Commission, amongst other things, approved preparation of handbooks that provides guidance, best practices and harmonized principles to help countries compile and report internationally comparable short-term statistics:• Rapid Estimates• Business Cycle Composite Indicators• Tendency Surveys• Data Template and Analytical Indicators

SNA Implementation ToolsSNA Implementation Tools

UNSD and other ISWGNA members have developed a number of tools to facilitate the SNA implementation Website: To facilitate sharing of information UNSD developed a website

with information supporting the implementation of the 2008 SNA and supporting economic statistics. (http://unstats.un.org/unsd/nationalaccount/default.asp)

Handbooks: Prepared by the ISWGNA member organizations providing compilation guidance.

Knowledge Base: a centralized repository of information on all aspects of methodology and best country practices for the collection, analysis and dissemination of all areas of economic statistics and macroeconomic standards.

Self Assessment Diagnostic tool: To help countries self assess the status of their statistical system supporting compilation of economic statistics.

Status of the NA: Outline provides information on each of the economic indicators, together with the international recommendation for compiling the indicators.

SNA Implementation - MonitoringSNA Implementation - Monitoring For 1993 SNA implementation - A set of six milestones to

assess the scope of accounts compiled by countries; plus

Three data sets• Minimum data set that need to be compiled - The minimum requirement

data set (MRDS) - milestones 1 and 2 • Recommended data set - importance in assessing developments of

an economy, and • Desired data set - comprises useful data that should be compiled if

possible.

To assess the compliance with major 1993 SNA concepts a set of questions

The IMF quality assessment framework to assess the quality of the national accounts

2008 SNA Implementation - Monitoring2008 SNA Implementation - Monitoring

For the purpose of 2008 SNA implementation monitoring MRDS now include:• Quarterly accounts: (i) nominal and volume measure of

GDP by industry or by expenditure, and (ii) integrated accounts until net lending for the total economy and the rest of the world.

• Annual institutional sector accounts until net lending: corporations, general government, households and NPISHs

Recommended set include the annual compilation: sectoral financial accounts and balance sheets and other changes in assets accounts.

Desired set include the quarterly compilation: sectoral financial accounts and balance sheets and other changes in assets accounts

2008 SNA implementation - process

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Vision

Setting of goals

Decide on scope and detail of national

accounts compilationWhere we want to be

AssessmentAssessment of the

NSS to support national accounts

compilation

Where are we now

Action PlanActions to reach

goals

How to get there

Implementation

How to stay there

COUNTRY OWNERSHIP

Political Commitment

Statistical capacity

Thank You

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