African Centre for Statistics

United Nations Economic Commission for AfricaUnited Nations Economic Commission for Africa

Reference Regional Framework for Statistical Reference Regional Framework for Statistical

Capacity Building in Africa (RRSF) Capacity Building in Africa (RRSF)

Ben KiregyeraBen KiregyeraDirectorDirector

African Centre for StatisticsAfrican Centre for Statistics

19 October, 200719 October, 2007

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MotivationMotivation

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 broaderFrameworks and initiatives

ScopeScope

Introduction

What is RRSF?

National Strategy for the Development of

Statistics (NSDS)

Capacity Building strategies

Critical success factorsSlide 3

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Introduction 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

Evaluation of AAPA in 2000

Assessment Results

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IVIV““Virtuous Virtuous

Circle Circle countries”countries”

Low Low DemandDemand

High High DemandDemand

Good Good QualityQuality

IIII““DataData

Supply-Supply-constrained constrained countries”countries”

II““Vicious Vicious Circle Circle

countries”countries”

IIIIII““Data Data

Demand-Demand-constrained constrained countries”countries”

Poor Poor QualityQuality

Twin problem of data Twin problem of data demand and supply demand and supply

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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

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Labour

Education

Transport

etc

Agriculture

Health

NSO

Uncoordinated National Statistical System

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Labour

Education

Transport

etc

Agriculture

Health

NSO

Partially coordinated National Statistical System

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Fully coordinated National Statistical System

Labour

Education

Transport

etc

Agriculture

Health

NSO

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Challenges Opportunities

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

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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

PARIS21WB Trust Fund for Statistical Capacity BuildingMulti – and bilateral donors

New emphasis on statistics by the African Development Bank

Renaissance of statistics function at UN ECA with establishment of the African Centre for Statistics

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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

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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

What is RRSF?What is RRSF?

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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

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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

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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

RRSF Capacity Building RRSF Capacity Building StrategiesStrategies

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Strengthen Regional Statistical Training Centres Building statistical capacity in sub-regional organizations

(ECOWAS, SADC, COMESA, etc)

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National Strategy for National Strategy for the Development of the Development of Statistics (NSDS)Statistics (NSDS)

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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

What is NSDS?

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

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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)

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Bottom-up approachBottom-up approach

NSDS

SSPS(Agric)

SSPS – Sector Strategic Plan for Statistics

SSPS(Health)

SSPS(Edn. )

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Critical success factorsCritical 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

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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

Thank Thank you!you!

African Centre for Statistics

Visit us at http:www.uneca.org/statistics/

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