National Strategies for the Development of Statistics and Their Impact on Agricultural and Rural Statistics Graham Eele, World Bank

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National Strategies for the Development of
Statistics and Their Impact on Agricultural and
Rural StatisticsGraham Eele, World Bank
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Contents

• New opportunities for statistics
• National strategies for statistics
• Implications for Agricultural and Rural
  Statistics
• Conclusions

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New Opportunities for Statistics
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The case for better statistics

• To manage the business of government
• To set and monitor policy
• To support markets
• To provide information for citizens
• For international reporting

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The role of governments

• Official statistics are public goods
• Financed from general taxation
• Needed for the business of government
• Better information assists markets
• Mechanism for transparency and accountability

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Statistics and development

• Increasing recognition of need for good
  statistics
• MDG monitoring
• Results agenda
• Poverty reduction strategies
• But many statistical systems, especially in
  developing countries are under pressure

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Statistical capacity
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National strategies for the development of
statistics
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Background

• Strategic planning not new to statistics
• Need to respond to changing demand, but with
  supply that changes slowly
• Problem of allocating scarce resources
• Balancing competing demands
• Increasing emphasis on efficiency and value for
  money

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National statistics

• Need for quality to be assured
• Increasingly wide range of data needed
• Many agencies involved in compilation and
  dissemination
• Application of fundamental principles
• Promote coordination and harmonization based on
  existing processes such as GDDS

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Strategic planning

• Emphasize national and system-wide coverage
• Covers medium to long-term time frame
• Based on detailed assessment of strengths and
  weaknesses
• Sets goals and targets vision
• Identifies and prioritizes actions and
  investments
• Includes detailed implementation plan

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How it works in practice

• Process as important as product
• Need for comprehensive and inclusive consultation
• Need for leadership and political support
• Importance of building in flexibility
• Build in mechanisms for monitoring and
  accountability

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Implications for Agricultural and Rural Statistics
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Getting involved

• Importance of being part of NSDS process
• Building political support
• Ensuring active participation in coordinating
  mechanisms
• Being able to specify clear goals and objectives

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Focusing on results

• Result of NSDS should be better use of
  statistics, not just better funded activities
• Importance of quick wins
• Need for better coordination of statistical
  programs
• Opportunity to re-build statistical systems, in
  line with national priorities

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Some technical issues

• Developing common infrastructure
• Better use of ICT
• Common databases
• Use of GIS
• New forms of data dissemination

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Conclusions
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Issues and opportunities

• Focus on demand and results
• Making the case for investment in statistics
• Donor coordination and support
• International data reporting
• Demonstrating value for money
• Emphasis on accountability

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Next steps

• Participation in existing processes
• Advocacy for strategic planning
• Good practice material from PARIS21
  (www.paris21.org)
• Development of a road map/proposal
• Review requirements for financial and technical
  assistance (TFSCB)