Transcript IMPLEMENTATION OF A COMMON RSWP MINIMUM

ST/RWP/AG/2008/2/3
IMPLEMENTATION OF A COMMON
REGIONAL STATISTICAL WORK
PROGRAMME (RSWP) OF MINIMUM
ACTIVITIES TO BE IMPLEMENTED BY
COUNTRIES:
A contribution of Suriname
Iwan A. Sno - Director
General Bureau of Statistics-Suriname
2nd Meeting of the CARICOM Advisory Group on
Statistics, Belize - June 2008
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OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION
 Introduction
 Preliminaries of implementation
 Minimum requirements for a Statistical Work
Programme
 Proposal for Minimum activities of a
programme
 Implementation Strategy
 Closing Remarks
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1- INTRODUCTION (1)
COMPONENTS OF EXISTING RSWP:
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Economy, Finance and Investments (twelve-12
topics or programme areas)
Population, Demographics, Social and Living
conditions (8 topics)
The environment (1 topic)
Information and Communication Technology (1
topic)
Public Relations and Data Dissemination (3
topics)
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1- INTRODUCTION (2)
In 2005, an advisory group (AG-RSWP) was
proposed and it was actually set up in 2006
to coordinate the implementation at the
regional level. In 2007 the Advisory Groups
for Social, Gender and Environment
Statistics and for the Regional Statistical
Work Programme were merged into the
CARICOM Advisory Group on Statistics.
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2- PRELIMINARIES OF
IMPLEMENTATION (1)
 Why do we need to produce Official
Statistics?
 Who has to pay for them?
 Who benefits from them?
 What are good Quality official statistics?
(The last question will be answered in section
5 – Implementation Strategy)
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Why do we need to produce Official
Statistics? (1)
 All official statistics are produced (or at least said
to be) for the benefit of society. We all know that
we need to produce good quality statistics for
informed decision-making. For simplicity we take
the example of Suriname’s GBS.
 The purpose of the GBS is to provide high quality
statistics to the national and international
communities, which give an insight into the
situation and development of the Republic of
Suriname as regards Demographic, Economic and
Social conditions
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Who benefits from Official Statistics?
(2)
 The Why, part in principle also answers, “Who
benefits”, but please note that this is not always
perceived in that manner by stakeholders. We are
sure that all of us can provide millions of examples
of people requesting information and if it is not
available they just think that the NSO is useless
and a waste of taxpayers’ money. Regrettably One
unhappy customer often sounds louder than ten
happy information seekers.
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Who has to pay for Official Statistics?
 Official Statistics, like the maintenance of law
and order, are “public goods”, which means
that they have to be funded mainly by
taxpayers” (underscore added).
 We like to note however that there seems to be a
trend of Statistical Offices having to generate
additional funds to be able to operate properly and
even have to compete with other institutions for
development aid.
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3- MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR A
STATISTICAL WORK PROGRAMME (1)
RECKON WITH:
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National requirements for good quality statistics
necessary for Policy making, Planning and Monitoring
purposes, as well as for Research
International (including regional) requirements and
obligations
Globalization, which more or less dictates cooperation
Adherence to or compliance with international standards,
principles and recommendations and guidelines
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3- MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR A
STATISTICAL WORK PROGRAMME (2)
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Alignment with the moving multiyear
programme of work for the UN Statistical
Commission.
Having (or getting in place in time), the
necessary: work force, hardware and
software, legal provisions and rapport and
solidarity between all stakeholders
Ownership of the programme
An active Research Programme
(etc.)
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4- PROPOSAL FOR MINIMUM ACTIVITIES
OF A PROGRAMME (Considerations)
 Adopting the RSW-programme and incorporating it
in the regular work programme is a very important
part of overall implementation (the RSWP is very
ambitious so execution is not easy- priority setting)
 Do we want to concentrate on activities within the
mandate of the NSO or do we want to look
beyond.
 Whether activities conducive to the CSME should
get a high rank on the list of priorities or not.
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4- PROPOSAL FOR MINIMUM ACTIVITIES
OF A PROGRAMME (Basics)
 We propose to use the amended GDDS data
categories / core indicators as a vehicle towards
implementing the RSWP. Most, if not all CARICOM
(associate) members subscribe to the GDDS, so
also in that respect, we speak a common
language. We like to use the amended Guide to
the GDDS as Population plays a less prominent
role in the “old’ GDDS, but Population is of
importance to every facet of development.
Furthermore, amendments should take the move
towards the CSME into consideration.
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4- PROPOSAL FOR MINIMUM ACTIVITIES
OF A PROGRAMME (Table)
CATEGORY
RSWP
GDDS
Remark
Minimum
Total nominal GDP by kind of activity
X
X
SNA-93
X
Total Real GDP by kind of activity
X
X
SNA-93
X
Expenditure on GDP
X
X
SNA-93
X
Quarterly GDP (Short term Statistics and Indicators)
X
X
Encouraged for GDDS
X
Production Index
X
X
Consumer Price Index
X
X
Producer Price Index
X
X
Encouraged for GDDS
Employment, Unemployment, Wages
X
X
ILO, strict or relaxed
Real Sector/ Economy Finance & Investment (SNA, Labour & Working Cond)
X
X
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4- PROPOSAL FOR MINIMUM ACTIVITIES
OF A PROGRAMME (Table, continued)
External Sector / Economy, Finance & Investment
Merchandise Trade Statistics (Total: Imports, Exports, Re-exports)
X
Direction of Trade
X
Trade by HS, SITC, EGG, etc.
X
Import and Export Price Indices and Terms of Trade
X
BOP Current Account Balance
X
X
Central Bank Mandate
BOP Reserves
X
X
Central Bank Mandate
BOP Total Balance
X
X
Central Bank Mandate
External Debt (Public and publicly guaranteed by Maturity)
X
Central Bank Mandate
International Reserves (Gross official, in USD)
X
Central Bank Mandate
X
Central Bank Mandate
X
Central Bank Mandate
X
Exchange rates (spot rates)
X
International Trade in Services
X
Investment Flows
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
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4- PROPOSAL FOR MINIMUM ACTIVITIES
OF A PROGRAMME (Table, continued)
Fiscal Sector / Economy, Finance & Investment
Revenue, Expenditure, balance and financing with breakdowns
X
X
Ministry of Finance Mandate
X
Government Procurement Statistics
X
X
Ministry of Finance Mandate
X
Domestic Debt and Foreign Debt
X
X
Ministry of Finance Mandate
X
Domestic Credit
X
Central Bank Mandate
Broad Money or Narrow Money
X
Central Bank Mandate
Monetary Base
X
Central Bank Mandate
Interest rates
X
Central Bank Mandate
X
Central Bank Mandate
Financial Sector / Financial Services
Share Price Index (Stock market)
X
Economy, Finance & Investment - Other
Industry profile / business statistics and indicators
X
X
Agriculture
X
X
Tourism
X
X
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4- PROPOSAL FOR MINIMUM ACTIVITIES
OF A PROGRAMME (Table, concluded)
Socio-Demographic data / Population, Demographics, Social & Living Conditions – MDGs
Population Characteristics (Size and Composition, Households and Families)
X
X
MDG-items
X
Dynamics of Growth (Births, Deaths, Migration) / Vital Statistics
X
X
MDG-items
X
Education (Inputs -resources / process - enrolment rates / outcomes - attainment)
X
X
MDG-items
X
Labour & Working Conditions (Economic activity, Informal sector estimates, etc.)
X
See Real Sector for GDDS
X
Health (inputs -resources / process -service delivery / outcomes -morbidity, mortality by cause) / HIS
X
X
MDG-items
X
Poverty (MDGs)
X
X
MDG-items
X
Decision Making
X
Crime
X
Migration/Free Movement Statistics
X
Environment
X
X
ICT
X
X
X
CSME
X
Public Relations and Data Dissemination
Data Dissemination Strategy
X
X*
Public Relations ( Sensitization and improved interaction)
X
X
Statistical Coordination (Coordinate NSS, adapt Legal instruments, Reinforce regional coordination)
X
X
Total activities
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Newly Proposed for GDDS
X
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5 - IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY
(1, walking on two legs)
 For implementing a minimum RSWP, we propose walking
on two legs. One leg is the Regional inputs and
coordination and the other leg is the national efforts to
implement the RSWP. Clearly coordination of movements
of the two legs will definitely mean that progress can be
made relatively fast.
 For the regional leg, we have to ensure that we strengthen
the Coordinator of the Coordinating activities (Statistics
Programme of CARICOM and we have to ensure that no
member lags too far behind in any area. The national leg is
nothing more or less than what we have termed last year
the ten commandments of Statistical System Survival.
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5 - IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY
(2, ten commandments part 1)
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Forge and/or foster strategic ties with national and
international partners
Participate (faith)fully in the CARICOM RSWP
Continuous institutional strengthening and investment in
human capital
Strengthening the legal framework that underpins and
supports the statistical system, particularly as it relates to
“incentives”, fines and summary judgments, but also
regarding unrestricted access to information from all
official (public, semi-public, etc.) units and regarding the
Supremacy of the Statistics Act
Aggressively promote sound use of statistics for informed
policy making
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5 - IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY
(2, ten commandments part 2)
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Keep staff morale high and minimize staff turnover
Strike a proper balance between demand and supply of
statistics
Make publications user friendly and give popular but
technically correct accounts of various statistical issues
within its domain of competence
Strict adherence to the so-called RATACCC (Relevance,
Accuracy, Timeliness, Accessibility, Comparability,
Coherence, Comprehensiveness) quality attributes in all
work – So these make good quality official statistics!
Promote healthy competitions between statistical units,
both nationally and internationally. (Issue of ranking)
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CLOSING REMARKS
 Technical Cooperation within and between countries may
well be the key to success for National Statistical Systems
 It is imperative that “small” countries get their fair share of
attention, both at international fora and in international
publications.
 If we abide by the above-mentioned Ten Commandments,
our chances of obtaining a sound, sustainable and wellperforming Statistical System must be very high. This will
be beneficial for governments and people, nationally,
regionally and internationally.
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THANK YOU
 EASY QUESTIONS WILL BE ANSWERED
RIGHT AWAY AND DIFFICULT
QUESTIONS WILL BE TAKEN HOME (IF
YOU ARE LUCKY YOU’LL GET AN
ANSWER!)
 I.A.S. - SURINAME
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