Technical coordination and international cooperation: development factors of statistics in Tunisia

1
Technical coordination and international
cooperation development factors of statistics in
Tunisia
Republic of Tunisia Ministry of development and
International cooperation National Institute of
statistics
Taha KHSIB Head of the permanent secretariat of
the National Statistical Council CNS Tunisia

• ASKN Workshop
• Dakar, 28th September 01st October 2010

2
Content of the presentation

1. Introduction
2. The national statistical system in Tunisia
3. Coordination of the national statistical system
4. Contribution of International Cooperation to
   strengthen the capacity of national statistical
   system in Tunisia
5. Conclusion

3
Introduction

• Tunisian statistical system reform has been
  initiated since 1999 aiming at accelerating the
  pace of production of the necessary statistical
  information and its easy access by all public and
  private, domestic and foreign users. Significant
  actions have been made in
• Renovating legal basis of the statistical
  activity by the adoption of a new statistical law
  and its application decrees
• Creating the National Council for Statistics
  "NCS", an advisory agency, which missions are
• Designating the National Institute of statistics
  as being the central executive body of the NSS
  responsible for the technical coordination of
  statistical activities. It shall coordinate with
  public statistics structures for the collection,
  processing, analysis and dissemination of
  statistical information,
• The statistics public specialized structures
  "SPSS" depend on departments and are responsible
  for the collection, processing, analysis and
  dissemination of information within their fields
  of activities and not produced by the INS.
• Training institutions specialized in statistics -
  ESSAI training of statistical engineers - ISET
  training of senior technicians.

4
Introduction

• Statistical coordination is an important
  development of the National statistical system
  for consistency and proper organization.
  Coordination of the SSN in Tunisia includes two
  components
• Institutional coordination provided by the
  national Council for statistics,
• Technical coordination under the responsibility
  of the National Institute of statistics.
• The use of international standards and
  international co-operation are key principles in
  the development of statistical activities in
  Tunisia.

5
Definition of the National Statistical System

• The statistical law No. 99-32 - 13 April 1999 -
  describes the General objectives and the basic
  principles of statistical activity, the national
  system of statistics.
• Principles of operation of the system are enacted
  in Chapter 1 of the law. They are in perfect
  coherence with the fundamental principles of
  official statistics, such as adopted by the
  Commission of statistics of the United Nations in
  April 1994 and listed by most international
  organizations.
• The national statistics Council is a consultative
  body for coordination, consultation, monitoring
  and evaluation. It makes consistent statistical
  programs offered by public statistical structures
  and guidelines. It compiles statistical national
  program (SNP) related to the social and economic
  development plan of the period for the country.

6
Definition of the National Statistical System

• The National Institute of Statistics is erected
  in public establishment of non administrative
  nature under the tutelage of the Ministry of
  development and international cooperation.
• In addition to its main missions of producer of
  statistics in areas related to various aspects of
  economic and social situation of the country, NSI
  provides technical coordination of the SNS
  through the development of statistical
  coordinating instruments such as concepts,
  standards, classifications (activities, products,
  .), the business Registry and statistical
  methodologies. It ensures the harmonisation of
  these instruments with standards and
  classifications at international level.
• Public statistical structures (52) are preparing
  their own annual statistical programs that are
  passed to the CNS that develops the annual
  statistical program (ASP).

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Definition of the National Statistical System

• The National Statistical Programme (NSP) is
  prepared by the CNS in collaboration with NSI and
  other SSP for the period of the development plan
  and which is integrated in it.
• The NSP is developed in accordance with a
  methodology of consultation and dialogue between
  various stakeholders of the statistical system,
  such as producers and representatives of various
  categories of users of statistics.
• The SNP defined guidelines and statistical
  priorities for the reference period as well
  programs and statistical activities which will be
  carried out by various statistical structures.
• The first national program statistics (PNS1)
  covered the period 2002-2006 the second (PNS2)
  covered the period of the 11th development plan
  2007-2010. The CNS has just completed the third
  national program covering the period of the 12th
  development plan 2010-2014 (PNS3) statistics.

8
Coordination of the National Statistical System

• The institutional coordination of the national
  statistical system is ensured by the CNS, a
  consultative body for coordination, consultation,
  monitoring and evaluation. Institutional
  coordination work is developed in collaboration
  with statistical users/producers via meetings of
  sectoral committees and working groups of the
  CNS. Main tasks are
• to propose general guidelines and priorities of
  national statistical activities,
• to propose development programs of statistical
  activities, and identify new needs in statistics,
  
• to monitor statistical programs of public
  structures and statistical bodies,
• to generalize the procedures for obtaining visas
  for carrying out surveys,
• to control the visibility of the statistical
  activity.

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Coordination of the National Statistical System

• Technical coordination of the SNS is one of the
  important tasks of NSI as a central executive
  body system. It consists of the development of
  technical instruments for statistical
  coordination such as statistical classifications
  and methodologies harmonised with international
  standards.
• INS provides much of the statistical production,
• INS consolidates the use of administrative
  sources for statistical purposes and tries to
  strengthen it by issuing a decree (2010) laying
  down the procedures for the transmission of
  available information from authorities and public
  structures to NSI.
• INS is prime contractor for numerous operations
  carried out in partnership with other agencies,
  ensuring the sampling via its survey bases. Under
  specific conditions, NSI provides a network of
  enumerators for the benefit of some public
  statistical structures to help them conduct
  statistical surveys of major national importance.
• The Visa Committee as part of the CNS, examines
  requests by the SSP to obtain permission to
  conduct surveys. Participation of technical
  experts from NSI is compulsory.

10
Coordination of the National Statistical System

• Technical coordination of classifications the
  INS has designed a national device on
  classifications, which is centrally used and
  considers the requirements of international
  harmonization. In 2007 the INS undertook the
  review of the Tunisian classification of
  activities (NAT1996) and the Tunisian
  Classification of products (CTP2002). This review
  has lead to release in February 2010 a new
  national dispositive on classifications on
  activities and products
• The Tunisian Classification of activities of 2009
  (NAT2009)
• Built on the basis of the NACE Rév.2 2007 EU
  itself derived from the ISIC Rév.4 UN 2006.
• The Tunisian Classification of Products of 2009
  (CTP2009)
• Built on the basis of the 2008 EU itself derived
  in terms of detail UN 2006 CPC CPA.

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Technical co-ordination on Classifications
New structure for classification on activities and products, and comparison with previous Tunisian Classifications New structure for classification on activities and products, and comparison with previous Tunisian Classifications New structure for classification on activities and products, and comparison with previous Tunisian Classifications New structure for classification on activities and products, and comparison with previous Tunisian Classifications New structure for classification on activities and products, and comparison with previous Tunisian Classifications New structure for classification on activities and products, and comparison with previous Tunisian Classifications New structure for classification on activities and products, and comparison with previous Tunisian Classifications New structure for classification on activities and products, and comparison with previous Tunisian Classifications
Level for coding Classification on Activities Classification on Activities Classification on Activities Classification on Activities Classification on products Classification on products Classification on products
Level for coding NAT 1996(TUNISIE) CITI Rév4 (ONU) NACE Rév2 (UE) NAT 2009 (TUNISIE) CTP 2002(TUNISIE) CPA 2008 (UE) CTP 2009 (TUNISIE)
Section (1 lettre) 17 21 21 21 17 21 21
Sous-section (2 lettres) 31 Niveau inexistant Niveau abandonné Niveau abandonné 31 Niveau abandonné Niveau abandonné
Division (2 chiffres) 60 88 88 88 60 88 88
Groupe (3 chiffres) 221 238 272 274 221 261 261
Classe (4 chiffres) 501 419 615 662 497 575 609
Sous-classe (5 chiffres) 595 Niveau inexistant Niveau inexistant Sous-classes abandonnées Niveau inexistant Niveau inexistant Niveau inexistant
Catégorie (5 chiffres) Niveaux inexistants pour les activités Niveaux inexistants pour les activités Niveaux inexistants pour les activités Niveaux inexistants pour les activités 767 1342 1377
Sous-catégorie (6 chiffres) Niveaux inexistants pour les activités Niveaux inexistants pour les activités Niveaux inexistants pour les activités Niveaux inexistants pour les activités 2347 3142 3237
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Technical co-ordination on Classifications
Other coordinated operations

• In the review process, two coordinated operations
  came to graft to ensure national coordination as
  better regional integration
• The development by the ONA (National Office of
  handicraft), in coordination with the INS, the
  Tunisian activity classification of crafts (NATA
  2009) and Tunisian crafts product classification
  (CTPA 2009).
• These two classifications are derived from the
  2009 NAT and the 2009 CTP
• Initiated by the Tunisian NSI and within the
  framework of strengthening of coordination and
  cooperation between the Maghreb countries in the
  field of statistics, activities and products
  classifications are developed commonly to the
  five concerned countries.

13
Technical co-ordination on Classifications

• Other coordinated operations

• INS has hosted a group of technical work,
  consisting of representatives of the Maghreb
  statistical bodies.
• Technical consultation meetings were organized in
  Tunis for this purpose
• The two projects prepared in this framework were
  presented to the Maghreb Conference statistics
  held in Algiers from 6 to 8 July 2009.
• In order to complete the work thus begun, a
  consultant has been hired with the support of the
  ADB's cooperation between the Bank and the
  General Secretariat of the UMA.
• NUMA 2009 and 2009 CUMP were approved in the
  meeting of the Ministerial Committee of the UMA
  in charge of Finance, held 15-16 March 2010 in
  Algiers. They will be presented at the next
  meeting of the Ministerial Committee of the UMA
  in charge of economy and finance for
  ratification.

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Technical co-ordination on Classifications
Other coordinated operations
Structure of unified Maghreb Classifications on activities and products Structure of unified Maghreb Classifications on activities and products Structure of unified Maghreb Classifications on activities and products Structure of unified Maghreb Classifications on activities and products Structure of unified Maghreb Classifications on activities and products Structure of unified Maghreb Classifications on activities and products Structure of unified Maghreb Classifications on activities and products Structure of unified Maghreb Classifications on activities and products
Level for coding Classification on Activities Classification on Activities Classification on Activities Classification on Activities Classification on products Classification on products Classification on products
Level for coding CITI Rév4(ONU) NACE Rév2 (UE) NUMA (Maghreb) NUMA (Nationale) CPA 2008 (UE) CUMP (Maghreb) CUMP (Nationale)
Section (1 lettre) 21 21 21 21 21 21 21
Division (2 chiffres) 88 88 88 88 88 88 88
Groupe (3 chiffres) 238 272 274 274 261 261 261
Classe (4 chiffres) 419 615 618 618 575 579 579
Catégorie (5 chiffres) Niveaux inexistants pour les activités Niveaux inexistants pour les activités Niveaux inexistants pour les activités 1342 1368 1368
Sous-catégorie (UE, nationale) Niveaux inexistants pour les activités Niveaux inexistants pour les activités Niveaux inexistants pour les activités 3142 entre 1368 et 3200
Possibilité déclatement dans les
nomenclatures nationales et impossibilité de
regroupement
15
Contribution of international cooperation to
strengthening the capacity of the Tunisian NSS

• Tunisian statistical system used international
  cooperation as an important instrument to
  accelerate its internal development and
  strengthening its relations with various external
  partners,
• The objective was to strengthen the capacity of
  statistical structures by training, exchange of
  experiences and expertise and to monitor
  developments of methods and techniques in the
  field of statistics. This enables
• to facilitate adaptation to standardized
  concepts, classifications, methods and
  statistical practices,
• to improve the NSS and to act on the quality of
  the produced statistical information and its
  comparability with international data, thus
  facilitating exchange of information.

16
Cooperation at bilateral level
Contribution of international cooperation to
strengthening the capacity of the Tunisian NSS

• Bilateral cooperation was for long the main axis
  of cooperation of NSI notably through regular
  cooperation and supported with the French
  Institute of statistics (INSEE).
• Cooperation with INSEE has known an important
  development during the 1980s with the
  implementation of multiannual and annual plans of
  cooperation contributing to the achievement of
  important projects
• introduction of a system of national accounts,
• establishment of statistical coordination
  instruments (Business registry,
  classifications,...),
• development of statistics in several areas of
  activity.

17
Cooperation at bilateral level
Contribution of international cooperation to
strengthening the capacity of the Tunisian NSS

• Cooperation activities affect many sectoral
  statistical areas under the tutelage of various
  ministries and public bodies as agriculture,
  education, monetary and financial statistics.
• In the past years, INS offered a framework home
  for visitors from African and Arab institutes of
  statistics, to inform them of the Tunisian
  experience in various statistical domains
  including establishment and coordination of
  statistical development strategy, Population
  census, surveys on consumption, prices and
  national accounting

18
Contribution of international cooperation to
strengthening the capacity of the Tunisian NSS
Cooperation with European Union  The
Euro-Mediterranean regional statistical
cooperation program MEDSTAT

• MEDSTAT Program, introduced through Barcelona
  agreements in 1995, started by the 1st phase
  MEDSTAT I (1996-2003), then 2nd phase MEDSTAT II
  (2006-2009),
• MEDSTAT is characterized by its regional
  character and its geographical scope of its
  interventions, with important means put at its
  disposal,
• The overall participation in this program has
  been beneficial for the INS of Tunisia by a wider
  opening to new European and Mediterranean
  countries and by boosting and improving
  statistical activities in key areas.
• Objectives of the program are to strengthen the
  NSSs in the Mediterranean region in 10 countries
  Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco,
  Palestine, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey, and in 9
  statistical sectors trade, transport, migration,
  tourism, environment, national accounts, social,
  energy, and agriculture

19
Contribution of international cooperation to
strengthening the capacity of the Tunisian NSS
Cooperation with European Union  The
Euro-Mediterranean regional statistical
cooperation program MEDSTAT
Actions undertaken in each of the sub-projects
of the program experienced unequal success in
their execution because of peculiarities and
specific requirements of each sub-program,
Training actions constituted an important axis
of the program and have helped many Tunisian
statisticians to participate in seminars,
specialized sessions in their areas of competence
and to contact their European/Mediterranean
counterparts.
20
Contribution of international cooperation to
strengthening the capacity of the Tunisian NSS
Cooperation with European Union  The
Euro-Mediterranean regional statistical
cooperation program MEDSTAT
MEDSTAT II was completed by the end of 2009.
The Euro-Mediterranean partners have decided to
continue the cooperation in the field of
statistics with the preparation and
implementation of a 3rd tranche (MEDSTAT III)
covering the period 2010-2012 and the preparation
of a regional strategy for statistical
cooperation covering the period 2012-2022.
21
Bilateral cooperation in the framework of the
European neighbourhood policy

• European neighbourhood policy (ENP) was developed
  in 2004 to establish relationship favoured by the
  EU and all its neighbours, based on mutual
  commitment to common values
• Twinning is one of the instruments/methods used
  within the framework of the ENP. Its objective is
  to support Tunisian administration and public
  institutions in the implementation of the
  Agreements of Association in all aspects -
  economic, commercial and services efforts.

22
Bilateral cooperation in the framework of the
European neighbourhood policy

• Twinning is a tool that let send representatives
  of central/regional authorities of EU Member
  States to work with their counterparts in a
  partner country to prepare the implementing
  capacity building project in a given sector.
• INS has benefited from a slight twinning in 2007
  for the capacity building for its economic
  observatory (P3A - OCE) another one, more
  important, has started in 2008 and ended in April
  2010 on the development of a statistical
  enterprises information system (P3A-Sise).

23
Cooperation with other agencies and international
organizations

• Cooperation with Arab States
• INS participates in meetings, workshops and
  seminars organized by the statistics of League of
  Arab States Committee aiming at strengthening the
  coordination and Arab cooperation in the
  statistical area
• NSI executives participate actively in training
  courses organized by the Arab education and
  research statistics Institute that are programmed
  annually on various themes.

24
Cooperation with other agencies and international
organizations

• Cooperation with African States
• INS participates in activities of the various
  projects and statistical cooperation programs
  prepared by several African organizations. These
  organizations include
• The African Union Commission has prepared a draft
  African Charter for statistics which purpose is
  the development of statistics on the continent,
  including the production, management and
  dissemination of statistical information at
  national, regional and continental levels.
• The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
  (UNECA) continues its statistical activity
  through the African Commission for statistics
  (STATCOM - Africa) and the African Center for
  statistics (CAS), which is the executive body of
  UNECA in the matter.
• The African Development Bank (AfDB) leads an
  intense activity for strengthening capacity of
  African statistical agencies in various areas,
  including preparation of the NSDS and launching
  of ICP-II

25
Cooperation with other agencies and international
organizations

• Other International Cooperation
• In the past ten years, several activities of
  international cooperation have been undertaken
• In 2004 - 2005 a cooperation program funded by
  the World Bank with a donation of 240 000
  contributed to strengthening the capacity of INS
  in statistical coordination, dissemination
  policy, employment and poverty, and human
  resources management.
• INS is working with the consortium PARIS21
  through supporting technical and financial
  statistical activities, including the
  formalization of Arab development of statistics
  and regional/national strategies (NSDS), the
  establishment of a documentation and archiving
  files statistics program for its accelerated
  statistical program on surveys (PSA).
• Accession of Tunisia to the IMF special standard
  for data dissemination this helped improving the
  production and dissemination of statistical
  information in some areas including those related
  to monitoring of economic forecast and employment.

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Statistical cooperation between Maghreb countries

• Objective
• To strengthen coordination and statistical
  cooperation between countries of the Maghreb, and
  work towards the emergence of a North African
  statistical system,
• To create a Maghreb statistical structure within
  UMA to support coordination and exchanges in the
  field of statistics.
• To ensure a better integration of Maghreb
  statistical activities in its regional and
  international environment
• To strengthen activities of concepts
  harmonization, classifications and production
  methodologies as well as dissemination of
  statistical information in accordance with
  international standards in this area,
• To contribute to strengthening capacity of the
  statistical structures of the Maghreb countries
  and developing activities of implementing NSDS.

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Statistical cooperation between Maghreb countries

• Adoption of a gradual approach to the objectives,
  allowing
• To continue to take initiatives at the level of
  Maghreb statistical agencies to carry out various
  common actions
• To work towards consolidation of institutional
  and organizational aspects of the UMA structures.
• In this approach, following decisions were taken
• The experts Group on statistics of UMA was
  transformed into the Statistical Maghreb
  Commission mainly comprised responsible of
  Maghreb national statistical institutions.
• Developing a Maghreb strategy and action Plan to
  coordinate the development of statistical
  cooperation
• Regular organization of a Maghreb Conference on
  statistics to monitor statistical cooperation
  development

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Statistical cooperation between Maghreb countries

• Set a first group of actions (1)
• Statistical coordination instruments
  Classifications. Development of a Maghreb project
  on activities and products classifications fully
  harmonized with corresponding European
  international classifications
• Statistical production selecting sectors to be
  subject to a first series of Maghreb
  undertakings
• Demographics Maghreb population in 2010-2040,
• Employment and wages projections approximation
  and harmonization of surveys on employment and
  wages in accordance with ILO standards.
• Living condition and poverty harmonization of
  social indicators
• National accounts complete adoption of the SNA
  93 throughout the Maghreb and prepare integration
  involved by SNA 2008,

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Statistical cooperation between Maghreb countries

• Set a second group of actions (2)
• Enterprises statistics A seminar on
  international experiences and the Maghreb was
  organized in Tunis in May 2009 to exchange
  experiences with European countries
• Dissemination, documentation and archiving
  projects have been initiated by the UMA in
  collaboration with countries
• To establish a data bank on Maghreb statistics,
• to develop an annual Maghreb statistical
  publication ,
• To develop a unique statistical questionnaire for
  all requirements and data exchanges.
• Program TOOLKIT INS of Morocco and Tunisia are
  currently working with PARIS 21 to implement this
  program for a better organization of
  documentation and archiving of surveys.

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Statistical cooperation between Maghreb countries

• Set a second group of actions (3)
• Statistical Training
• For improving statistical training an attention
  is paid to training needs and especially
  vocational training. It has been recommended to
  incorporate a component related to this aspect to
  prepare the Maghreb statistical cooperation
  program.

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Constraints and prospects of the Maghreb
statistical cooperation

• It is crucial to define a statistical plan of
  action for strengthening cooperation and
  coordination between Maghreb countries and to
  mobilize stakeholders organizations in the
  Maghreb countries and in UMA, regional and
  international bodies as well as donors in the
  field of statistics.
• For financing activities, PARIS21 and the ADB
  provided important support. The rest has been
  funded by the statistical agencies of the Maghreb
  countries. In order to ensure the continuation of
  this cooperation, the funding should be
  perpetuated.

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Conclusion

• Reforming the NSS has enabled the renovation of
  the legislative and institutional framework of
  the statistical activity and the establishment of
  mechanisms to promote actions for production of
  statistical information, their dissemination and
  use.
• Directions of development have focused on
  strengthening statistical coordination and public
  statistics structures for more coherence and
  efficiency of the NSS components and upgraded
  activities.

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Conclusion

• Opening of Tunisia on its external environment
  led to seek better economic and social
  information and ensuring conformity with
  international standards quality and comparability
  with the partner countries.
• Bilateral, regional or multilateral international
  cooperation is a powerful vector for this goal
  and help improve the NSS capabilities. The first
  initiatives to revitalise the cooperation among
  Maghreb countries in the field of statistics have
  been successful it is important to continue this
  momentum to intensify and perpetuate the process.

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• Thank You