What role for statistical capacity in
a “data revolution”?
Committee for the Co-ordination of Statistical Activities
Twenty-second Session
4-6 September 2013
Ankara, Turkey
Johannes Jütting
PARIS21
Statistical capacity & Post-2015
1. WHAT HAVE WE LEARNT FROM THE MDG
PROCESS ?
2. WHAT KEY FACTORS WILL SHAPE THE DATA
REVOLUTION ?
3. A DATA REVOLUTION: YES, BUT…..
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1. WHAT HAVE WE LEARNT FROM THE MDG
PROCESS ?
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Achievements
• Increased data use & enhancing status of data.
• Great strides in fostering co-ordination (evidence: BAPS,
PRESS, regional, within country-donor partnerships).
• NSDSs design and implementation.
• Dissemination of micro-data and co-ordination of surveys (ADP
and IHSN achievements).
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Problem: Misalignment
Percentage of pupils starting Grade 1 who reach last grade
of primary: Mozambique
UN
Administrative
NSO
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
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Problem: Some statistics left behind…
Source: Ghana Statistical Service, 2013
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Lessons learnt
 MDG monitoring overall positive impact…
• More surveys, data and statistics available.
• Countries following up after donors left.
• Statistical capacity efforts – NSDS as strategic
approach.
 …but created some new problems
• National data often not used.
• Methodological issues – reconciliation,
estimation.
• “Crowding out”? – donors (dis?)incentives.
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2. WHAT KEY FACTORS WILL SHAPE THE DATA
REVOLUTION ?
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DATA as a global public good
• Data demand indefinite.
• Most likely under-supply.
• Surge in data demand from various groups.
• Open data – open government –
accountability.
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Need for new institutional arrangements
Private
official
Public
nonofficial
User
Producer
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Using best new technologies
Source: “PARIS21 working paper
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3. A DATA REVOLUTION ?
Yes, but…..
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Evidencebased
policymaking
Data revolution for
what purpose?
-More data?
-Better policies?
-Better lives?
Tracking
Progress and
evaluating
policy
effectiveness
Increasing
government
accountability
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A call to action from the highest level
WANTED: a Data Revolution
“A true data revolution would draw on existing and new
sources of data to fully integrate statistics into decision
making, promote open access to, and use of, data and
ensure increased support for statistical systems.”
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Sound familiar?
Call for data revolution comes from Busan Action Plan
on Statistics, that seeks to :
Fully integrate statistics in decision making
Promote open access to and use of data
Increase resources for statistical systems
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Strengthening national capacity is a key
element of any data revolution

National ownership, benefit the people, build on
what we have.

Reduces the risk of “crowding out / in” ;
unsustainable financing.

Better data, better policies?

Innovations not only in data but also in capacity
building e.g. skill development.
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CCSA, data revolution and PARIS21

How to ensure strengthening a balance between
horizontal and vertical approaches?

How to bear in mind the reality on the ground in
many poor, (fragile) developing countries?

How to reach out beyond our circles to reach the
broader policy, advocacy communities?
PARIS21 stands ready to engage…
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