Assessing National Statistical Systems

PARIS21 Task Team Meeting Washington, DCMay 21-23, 2001

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Principles of official statistics

Statistical system is part of the information system, provides statistical data as a public good.

Statistical agencies make decisions on the methods and procedures for the collection, processing, storage and presentation of statistical data.

Presents data in a certain format. Statistical agencies are entitled to comment on

erroneous interpretation and misuse of statistics.

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Principles of official statistics (cont.)

Draws data from statistical surveys and administrative records.

Data collected by statistical agencies are to be strictly confidential and used exclusively for statistical purposes.

The laws, regulations and measures under which the statistical systems operate are to be made public.

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Principles of official statistics (cont.)

Coordination among statistical agencies is essential.

Statistical agencies use international concepts, classifications and methods promotes the consistency and efficiency of statistical systems at all official levels.

Bilateral and multilateral cooperation in statistics contributes to the improvement of systems of official statistics in all countries.

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Assessments of National Statistical System

Review current outputs and assess their relevance to users.

Determine national priority statistical outputs, their contents and periodicity.

Define the information production system, including data collection, processing, storage and dissemination capabilities.

Propose an adequate legislative and institutional framework.

Propose a statistical development plan.

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Components of a National Statistical System

StructureHuman

resources

Managementprocesses

Coordination

Infrastructure &equipment

LegislationFinancialresources(budget)

Accountability &reportingPublic image

Relationshipwith users &customers

Supporting Environment

Internal Organization

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The structure of the national statistical system

National Statistical Agency. Line ministries. Regional and local offices.

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Coordination and management

Centralized.Decentralized.Strategies and targets.

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Human resources

General management. Financial management. Human resource management. Technical statistical analysis. Survey design and management. Cartography. Communications, publications and design. Computer systems analysis and programming.

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Infrastructure and equipment

For Data collection. Data processing and analysis. Data dissemination.

To Increase efficiency. Increase accessibility. Reduce costs.

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Management Process

The ways a statistical agency is managed. For: Setting goals. Developing system wide values. Measuring progress. Assessing staff performance. Communicating at all levels.

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Components of a National Statistical System

StructureHuman

resources

Managementprocesses

Coordination

Infrastructure &equipment

LegislationFinancialresources(budget)

Accountability &reportingPublic image

Relationshipwith users &customers

Supporting Environment

Internal Organization

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The statistical legislation

The statistical law governs: The responsibilities and functions of the statistical

agency. The organizational structure of the national

statistical system. The rules for the obligatory supply of information. The relationships between data suppliers and

users. Being accountable for its actions and outputs on a

regular basis.

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Statistical legislation (cont.)

Statistical law guarantees: Confidentiality and non-disclosure of information

supplied. Publishing and disseminating information free from

political interference. Preparing and publishing an advance publication

calendar. Independence of the statistical agency from political

control.

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Budgets Statistics are a public good and financed from

government revenue allocated through the budget. The capacity of the statistical system is determined to a

large extent by the level and stability of the financial resources it receives.

The more successful national statistical systems are ones where increased resources are seen to result in improved outputs.

Balancing donor funding and budgetary funding and improving budget management.

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Accountability and reporting Accountability and reporting must be open,

transparent and regular on how those resources have been used what products have been produced and what plans are in place to improve performance.

The statistical agency may be required to make an annual report to

parliament or to an independent statistical commission or board.

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Relationships with users and customers

A wide spectrum of users - policy makers, administrators, planners, researchers, activists, citizens, students, and media representatives.

The needs of users can be explored formally or informally.

Scientific cooperation with professional associations, institutes, universities, and scholars.

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Relationships with users and customers (cont.)

Consultation with users and suppliers for: Planning services to best meet the needs and

expectations of users. Monitoring the effectiveness of services and the

load placed on suppliers. Prioritizing services and resources. Setting relevant performance standards. Fostering good relations.

Providing early warning of problems.

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The public image of the statistical system

Being more open about methods, techniques and how resources are being used.

Campaigning for the need for reliable, trustworthy and timely data.

Improving the design and structure of statistical reports, abstracts and other products.

Providing training and special briefings for data users. Providing briefings for journalists and other media

workers. Using external processes to provide a framework against

which progress can be assessed.