Guide to statistics in European Commission Development Co-operation
Eurostat Unit A6Susana Martins
The benefits from Eurostat experience:
Response to this recommendation: the “Guide”
Evaluation of the Commission Support for Statistics in Third Countries (2007)
A participative approach.
Our Unit
The “Guide” at a glimpse
Main target-user: staff working in statistical development cooperation, especially in the Delegations
The “Guide” explains why development statistics are important, how to use them and what needs to be done to make them available.
The “Guide” explains what is needed in the following situations:
– Use statistical indicators to design and monitor programmes
– Identify and develop support actions for statistics
– Advocate timely consideration of statistics over cycle of assistance
Versions of the « Guide »
Beta versionBeta version
- Available since February 2010, in the intranet
- Revision of the Parts on cross-cutting issue
- More than 350 hyperlinks
- Training in Brussels (June 2010)
Version 1.0Version 1.0
- Full revision of the Parts on cross-cutting issues
- 10 sections on statistics for policy issues
- More than 1000 hyperlinks
- Cross-references
- English and French
Version 2.0Version 2.0
- Interactive « Outline of knowledge »
- 10 other sections on statistics for policy issues
- Updated hyperlinks (2000) and cross-references
- English, French and Spanish
Eurostat – Unit D2 7
What is available in the “Guide” in 2012?
• International trade and balance of payments• Government finance and public sector statistics• Environmental statistics (part 1)• Business statistics• Transport statistics• Agricultural, forestry and fisheries statistics• Regional and small areas statistics• Justice and crime statistics • Social protection statistics• Sustainable development indicators
• Population and migration statistics• Labour statistics • Education statistics • Health statistics • Income and consumption statistics • Human settlements and housing statistics• National accounts, economic accounts and
non-observed economy• Prices statistics • Environmental statistics (part 2) • Living conditions and poverty statistics
a 20-pages « outline of knowledge » + 4 partsa 20-pages « outline of knowledge » + 4 parts
29/10/2010
A: Introduction: a guide to the “Guide”
Why statistics are important…
Detailing the structure of the “Guide”
How to use the “Guide”:
– Principles: readability, practicality, accessibility
– Boxes: « introduction », « to find out more », examples, checklists and
best practices…
– Links: cross-references in the Guide and more than 2000 hyperlinks
– Interactive table of content, glossary and research by keyword
B: Statistics in Development
Statistics in Development: explains the recently increased demand for statistics in developing countries by examining the international initiatives which focus on performance measurement and results-based policy making.
It starts with the global approaches, covering the Millennium Development Goals, Poverty Reduction Strategies and Managing for Development Results, focusing on the Paris Declaration and the Marrakech Action Plan for Statistics.
The discussion of the European Consensus on Development places the global initiatives in a European context.
B: Statistics in Development
Statistics for development cooperation, explains the increased demand for development statistics from a global policy perspective by examining the international initiatives which focus on performance measurement and results based policy making.
How statistics are made, gives a minimally technical introduction to the production of statistics.
Official statistics consists of data published by government agencies, regional and international organisations such as the UN as a public good, together with explanations of how the data were compiled (metadata).
B: Statistics in Development
Statistics and indicators in the EC development aid process, examines the indicators used to inform the policies.
It places the various types of indicators used by the EC in the context of their use at each stage in the programme cycle and in reporting to provide visibility and accountability.
Statistics across policy sectors, then focuses on international policy-related indicators:
– Millennium Development Goals (MDG) indicators,– Indicators commonly used for Poverty Reduction Strategies.
It includes a cross-reference between the EC's policy sector definitions and statistical activities.
C: Support for Statistics
Support for statistics explains the aims and methods used to
improve the capacity to produce and publish statistics and to
strengthen the ability of users to understand and analyse statistics.
The situation normally arises either when a country or region
requests support or when the EC’s agreed development cooperation
agenda with the country or region is clearly impeded by the poor
quality or absence of the data needed for policy / activity preparation
and evaluation.
The chapter includes a presentation of the concept of ‘quality’ in
statistics: what should a developing country’s statistical system be
able to provide for its users?
C: Support for Statistics
How to decide on a statistical action: considers support actions for
statistics capacity and/or strengthening the demand for statistics.
The chapter starts with a presentation of 'quality' in statistics: what
should a developing country's statistical system be able to provide for
its users?
It then considers how to evaluate a country's statistics and the
system that produces them.
In passing, it explains how to construct the EC's standard data
tables.
C: Support for Statistics
How to bring assistance to statistics: provides guidance on whether
and how to give support to statistics.
It discusses the relationship of statistics strategy with national
development and poverty reduction strategies and analyses the
development and implementation of statistics strategies.
The chapter also discusses capacity building in statistics, covering the
link to statistical strategy documents and practical considerations.
The chapter then moves on to examine in general how statistics
actions are to be done. Coordination at various levels is addressed:
who can do what and what needs to be done to ensure coherence and
eliminate duplication?
C: Support for Statistics
The EC's support to statistics: starts at the point when the
development partners accept that there is a need for external support
to statistics. The chapter aims to inform the decision about whether
and how the EC should be involved.
It first considers the EC's development statistics activities in the
context of country / regional strategies and programmes, including any
statistics strategy.
It looks at the purpose of statistics actions and how they are linked to
the development objectives using the logical framework. The chapter
finishes with a practical look at the various types of EC statistics
interventions, showing links with policies, identifying areas of
cooperation, listing examples and providing action points.
C: Support for Statistics
How to manage statistics actions: starts at the decision that an EC
statistics intervention is justified to achieve the goals agreed with its
development partners.
This chapter presents guidance on how to prepare actions to support
statistics capacity building and major statistical projects.
It provides practical advice for preparing and evaluating terms of
reference at each stage of the programme cycle.
D: Statistics for Policy Issues
Statistics for policy issues: looks at how statistics can be used and supported for decision making and monitoring achievements in the context of European Commision sector policy areas.
19 chapters that cover different statistical domains such as:
– Trade and Regional Integration– Environmental, Sustainable Management of Natural Resources– Infrastruture, Communication and Transport– Rural Development, Territorial Planning, Agriculture, Food Security– Governance, Democracy, Human Rights and Support for Economic and
Institutional Reforms– Human Development– Social Cohesion and Employment
D: Statistics for Policy Issues
Each chapter follows more or less a structure, presenting statistics in a context of sector policies, followed by information om their use, qualitative analysis and any support required
Structure:
– What are the sector policy applications and the statistics to inform them?
– What are the sources of data and metadata in this sector?
– What are the limits of data and how to check data quality in this statistical activity?
– How to build a statistical action in the sector?
The Future (2012/13)
Guide Version 3.0: update of the contents in English, French and Spanish
Developing the format “outline of Knowledge” in EN, FR and ES
Dissemination of the Guide version 3.0: e-learning course (December 2012)
Many thanks for your attention!
Contact person:
Susana MartinsSusana Martins
Eurostat | European Commission
Unit A6 - Statistical Cooperation
Tel. (+352) 4301-35078 - Fax : 4301-32769