Paris21 – SPC Workshop
National Strategies for the Development of Statistics (NSDS)
8 – 9 July 2010, Noumea, New Caledonia
Regional capacity building initiative to
strengthen Pacific Island countries’ national
statistical systems – the importance of statistical
planning
Gerald Haberkorn
Manager, Statistics and Demography Programme
Secretariat of the Pacific Community
Noumea, New Caledonia
(www.spc.int/sdp)
Structure of Presentation
1. Policy Environment and operating reality for PIC
NSOs
2. Current State of statistical planning in the Pacific
Community
3. Strategic Planning: 2 parallel models
4. Main Lessons learned
1. Policy Environment and operating reality for
PIC NSOs
• Pacific Plan, 2006 – 2008
(Pacific Leaders’ vision for future social and economic development)
• SPC Corporate Plan, 2007 – 2012
• SDP Strategic Plan, 2006 – 2008
(2009 – 2012 in development)
– Good quality and timely economic, population and social data for PICTS
– More accessible data through innovative technology such as PopGIS and
PRISM
– More effective utilization of data and information for evidence-based
decision-making
• Triennial Regional Conference of Heads of
Planning and Heads of Statistics
Our main constituents –
national statistics and planning agencies of 21 PICTS
• National Statistical agencies
(technical support and training covering collections, analysis,
dissemination and utilization of statistics)
• National Planning agencies
(ensure data and information needs are articulated and
addressed, data easily accessible and utilized)
Our ideal constituents –
national statistical systems of 21 PICTS
• Statistics agencies and planning agencies …. PLUS
• Statistics providers in key line ministries
o
o
o
o
o
Education
Health
Agriculture (natural resources)
Treasury/Ministry of Finance
Central Banks, National Provident Funds
 Everyone collecting/producing/using official
statistics in a country: National Statistical System
Our key challenges
• Move beyond NSO to NSS emphasis (with NSO
playing the lead/coordinating role regards official
statistics)
• Assist countries in aligning political / policy mandates
with practical and sustainable solutions
2. Current State of Strategic Statistical Planning
in the Pacific Community
• All countries have some sort of (annual) work program
/ corporate plan
(despite this, many statistical activities in most countries are implemented
in response to available funds/donor requests - not necessarily
determined by national needs (content/timing) for such data/information)
• Most PICs make reference to statistical developments
in their National Development Frameworks
(yet without commensurate strategic initiatives/budgets)
• Up until 2 years ago, no country had a Statistical
development strategy/Master plan/strategic Plan
Current State of Strategic Statistical Planning –
Pacific Island NSOs (April 2010)
Country
PNG
Fiji
Samoa
Tonga
Vanuatu
Solomons
FSM
Kiribati
Cook Islands
Marshall Islands
Tuvalu
Nauru
Palau
Niue
Tokelau
Population
Staff Strat Plan Status
6,745,000 110 (91) no
in process
Assistance
Paris21
847,800 63 (52) no
planning stage Paris21
180,700 59 (49) no
planning stage Paris21
no
planning stage Paris21
102,000
245,000
549,600
111,400
100,800
15,700
54,400
11,100
10,000
20,500
1,500
1,200
31 (29)
21 (18)
18 (25)
16 (20)
10 (10)
9 (11)
6 (7)
5 (5)
5 (3)
2 (4)
2 (2)
1 (1)
Yes (2008) completed
ABS-AusAID
no
pipeline
Paris21
draft
draft
Yes (2008)
Yes (2008)
2009 (May)
ABS-AusAID / SPC
ABS-AusAID / SPC
Stats NZ-NZAid
ABS-AusAID / SPC
no
TA requested
draft
draft
Yes (2008)
Yes (2008)
2009 (May)
2009 (May)
completed
completed
2009 (May)
completed
completed
ABS-AusAID / SPC
ABS-AusAID / SPC
Stats NZ-NZAid
Stats NZ-NZAid
Pacific Island NSOs – key challenges,
common obstacles (country views)
Catalysts for recent developments
• Paris21 getting more active
(including visit by Antoine Simonpietri to SPC as part of IAOS side
meeting in Noumea, March 2006)
• PIC development partners getting more strategic
(questioning wisdom of continued ad hoc investments in statistics, without
overall strategic policy /planning framework – e.g. WB; multi-donor sector
SWAps)
• Individual country initiatives wishing to pursue a more
pronounced Statistics-wide approach
(Vanuatu, RMI, PNG, Samoa)
• Gentle and ongoing advocacy by SPC
o Collaboration with AusAID/ABS
o Seeking collaboration with Paris21
3. Examples of recent Statistical Planning in the
Pacific Community
…. coming up at 13.50 in Session 3 …
3. Examples of recent Statistical Planning in the
Pacific Community
•
Development of joint programme with AusAID and
ABS – two stage process
•
•
•
Enhance NSO capacity in project planning and management
Assist with capacity strengthening/building in strategic planning
Stage 1 (three outputs)
•
•
•
Project planning/management training in 3 countries
Field testing (in initial stage of activity implementation)
final review/evaluation (of training, field operations, initial outputs)
 Results
•
•
in all 3 countries, field operations on schedule
in 2/3, under budget, massive response rates (95%), quality
data outputs
Stage 2: two components
•
Extension of project planning/management
training to other countries engaging in major
collection activities (censuses, HH surveys)
Note: since this project initiative, such training has become an
integral component of ALL our census/survey TA activities
(alongside dedicated training activities on: sampling; data processing;
Data analysis and Report writing; data dissemination)
• Piloting of strategic statistical planning
3. Strategic Statistical Planning in the Pacific
Community – 2 models
Model 1: country-based
•
•
Piloting of approach in Marshall Islands – background
3 tangible training outcomes
•
•
•
•
Work through context of how to develop strategic plan
Work through all distinct strategic planning steps
Develop draft strategic plan
7 workshop modules
3. Strategic Statistical Planning in the Pacific
Community
Seven workshop modules
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Work through context of how to develop a strategic plan
Review SWOT Analysis previously undertaken by participants
Commence development of Strategic Plan – focus on Vision and
Mission statements (break-out into two working groups).
Drafting of Strategic Plan’s Vision and Mission statements (plenary)
Discuss and set strategic objectives and begin work on first draft
(working groups)
6.
7.
Finalize first draft of RMI Strategic Statistical Plan (plenary)
Review importance of ongoing plan monitoring, evaluation and
regular reporting
3. Strategic Statistical Planning in the Pacific
Community
Achievements/lessons learned
(+) Excellent workshop dynamic – helped by
•
•
novelty of topic,
course structure (interactive, mix of formal lecture, practical
application; intensive half-day sessions)
(+) Completion of quite a formidable draft – even more so
given it was a first for most participants (translation)
(-) involvement of participants from wider “statistical
community” was disappointing
(-) no integration into national development framework
(-) Outcome: strategic plan/forward work programme for
NSO – not for NSS
(… but ... we have to start somewhere)
3. Strategic Statistical Planning in the Pacific
Community
Model 2: sub-regional approach (pragmatic rationale)
•
No NSS in place (yet) in most Pacific island countries
and territories => choice:
i. developing one from scratch, or
ii. in stages, beginning with development of NS0-focused
long-term strategy as starting point
•
Opted for (ii) – at subregional level
•
•
Cultural/political similarities, provision of greater
“statistical reference” group (community of interest) at
that level than in small national-territorial administrations
Greater time efficiency (not necessarily greater costeffectiveness)
3. Strategic Statistical Planning in the Pacific
Community
Model 2 (three modifications to national workshop)
•
•
•
Seven modules spread over 4 days
Formal training in plenary – break-out working groups
in 3 groups of 2 countries/territories
Three co-trainers/instructors
=> As with national workshop, countries required to undertake SWOT
analyses at home prior to coming to sub-regional workshop
3. Strategic Statistical Planning in the Pacific
Community
Achievements/lessons learned
(+) Excellent workshop dynamic
(helped by novelty of topic, interactive course structure, plus mix of
formal lecture/practical applications; intensive full-day sessions)
(+) Enhanced dynamic given wider “community of interest”
(resembling a virtual sub-regional statistical system)
(+) Completion of 6 formidable drafts – as with earlier national
workshop, this was a first for most participants
(-) should have allowed more time
(7 intensive half days converted into 3.5 full days = good maths, not very
good pedagogy)
4. Main lessons learned
Employ two-pronged approach:
1. Two-stage approach for remaining small island states
i. sub-regional training/strategic plan development targeting
NSOs plus planning agencies, before =>
ii. possibly pursuing a more statistics-wide approach at a
later stage in-country.
2. For the larger countries (PNG, Solomon Islands, Fiji,
Samoa, Tonga) pursue a country-based strategy
•
(greater number of players -> good base -> building a
national statistical system in these countries).
4. Main lessons learned
3. Acknowledge PARIS21 expertise and experience,
and pursue active inter-agency collaboration in
these 5 countries (leverage of experience with CARICOM and
Caribbean NSO colleagues).
4. Involve development partners at early stage of
strategic statistical planning engagements with
countries (transparency, operational consistency, whole-ofGovernment / NSS focus – example World Bank).
•
That is why we are here.
Thank you.