International Standards for Compilation of Statistics: The Gap between Standards Adoption and Standa

1
International Standards for Compilation of
StatisticsThe Gap between Standards Adoption
and Standards Implementation

• Katherine K. Wallman
• Chief Statistician
• U.S. Office of Management and Budget
• Executive Office of the President

2
Motivations to adopt International Standards

• more efficient to use existing international
  standards
• shield statistical activities from political
  interference
• requirements to report data to international
  organizations
• framework for comparisons between countries

3
Consequences of a world without international
statistical standards

• no agreed framework for inter-country comparisons
• some countries less likely to produce data at
  all, or likely to produce data of lower quality
• creation of international databases more
  difficult, if not impossible
• dissemination of internationally comparable data
  not possible

4
Case Studies 1993 System of National Accounts

• early framework published in 1947 at request of
  Statistical Commission
• 1993 SNA fourth revision
• 2001 effort to assess extent of implementation
• scope of the accounts
• conceptual compliance
• quality issues

5
Case Studies 1993 System of National Accounts

• Conceptual Compliance
• set of questions to assess compliance with major
  1993 SNA concepts
• 84/207 countries and territories had implemented
• Scope of Implementation
• minimum required data set (MDRS)
• 47/191 UN Member States fulfilled the MRDS
  benchmark 78/191 compiled 6 or more tables

6
Case Studies 1993 System of National Accounts

• Quality Issues
• IMF Data Quality Assessment Framework (DQAF)
• IMF disseminating DQAF reports of 72 countries as
  data modules on the Reports on the Observances of
  Standards and Codes (ROSCs)

7
Case Studies 1993 System of National Accounts

• Factors Impeding SNA Implementation
• Staff resources
• Training
• Data Resources

8
Case Studies Standard Industrial Classification

• originally adopted in 1948 as standard
  classification of productive economic activities
• 3 objectives
• coordination of statistics published by
  international agencies
• inter-country comparability of information
• organization and display of economic statistics

9
Case Studies Standard Industrial Classification

• Barriers to Implementation of ISIC
• insufficient relevance
• lack of adequate financial and staff resources
• insufficient technical capabilities
• lack of legal requirements

10
Case Studies Vital Statistics Systems

• Originally adopted by Statistical Commission in
  1953
• Principles and Recommendations for a Vital
  Statistics System, Revision 2 adopted in 1999
• to assist countries in developing capacities to
  maintain systems of civil registration and vital
  statistics

11
Case Studies Vital Statistics Systems

• Reasons for lack of progress
• under-enumeration of vital events
• misreporting of information
• changes in legal/administrative frameworks
• problems with organization of the systems
• lack of awareness or lack of incentives
• lack of political support at the highest levels

12
Encouraging Implementation of International
Statistical Standards

• Impediments to implementation
• insufficient relevance
• lack of authority to require implementation
• lack of, or deficiencies in, legal frameworks
• lack of available source data
• insufficient budgetary and staff resources
• lack of trained staff
• insufficient guides and manuals
• insufficient training programs

13
Encouraging Implementation of International
Statistical Standards

• Where do we go from here?
• are all standards of equal importance?
• decide the purpose of the proposed standard and
  level of detail in advance?
• consider relevance of the frameworks and
  classifications?
• determine proper level of detail in guidance on
  implementation of standards?

14
Encouraging Implementation of International
Statistical Standards

• Where do we go from here?
• improve efforts to help countries better
  understand the changes?
• assess coordination mechanisms for implementing,
  maintaining and updating frameworks and
  classifications?
• review adequacy of staff and resources to assist
  with implementation?
• should ECOSOC require Member States to meet a
  minimum level of implementation?