the busan action plan for statistics: a developing country perspective abdul rahman ghafoori
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The Busan Action Plan for Statistics: A Developing Country Perspective Abdul Rahman Ghafoori President General Central Statistics Organization, Afghanistan Meeting on the Busan Action Plan for Statistics 25 February 2012 New York. OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION. Background Over-all objectives - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
The Busan Action Plan for Statistics:
A Developing Country Perspective
Abdul Rahman GhafooriPresident General
Central Statistics Organization, Afghanistan
Meeting on the Busan Action Plan for Statistics25 February 2012
New York
BackgroundOver-all objectives
1.Fully integrate statistics in decision making2.Promote wider and open access to statistics3.Increase resources for statistical systems
In each objective :
• Progress• Challenges• Actions
OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION
Afghanistan suffered 30 years of war and still insecurity exists in about one-third of the districts in the countryStatistics a heavy casualty – physical and statistical infrastructure have been badly damaged and skill levels depletedBut huge demand exists for data for national reconstruction and developmentInternational community provides about 50% of national recurrent and investment budget CSO receives about $2.5m a year from the government and $2m to $5m from donors Statistics system needs to be rehabilitated
BACKGROUND
Afghanistan National Statistics Plan (ANSP) – national prioritiessets out manageable data collection given resource and capacity constraints;
CSO briefs the Council of Ministers on progress and key economic and social indicators;
Discussions with policy makers in ministries about priorities, e.g., Deputy Minister of Ministry of Labor on the labour force module;
Statistical Task Force meeting bringing key stakeholders together (national and international) to discuss latest developments and priorities
Obj: Fully integrate statistics in decision making
PROGRESS
Fast moving environment and priorities change frequently;
Capacity of decision makers to use statistics for decision making and monitoring is weak;
National processes for planning, budgeting and M&E are still underdeveloped. Hence, difficult to ensure statistics is fully integrated
Obj: Fully integrate statistics in decision making CHALLENGES
Seminars for users and producers of statistics as well as other workshops and conferences;
Council of Ministers updated on the key economic and social indicators available;
Build the capacity of statistical cells within line ministries to enable them to better link into the planning, budgeting and M&E processes within their ministries;
Continue with Statistical Task Force meetings
Need to better integrate statistics into the National Priority Programme process
Obj: Fully integrate statistics in decision making
ACT IONS
Efforts to improve the timeliness and reliability of data is continuous;
Improvements to the website;
Micro data access policy;
Statistical Year Book;
Accelerated Data Program (ADP) documenting datasets
Obj: Promote wider and open access to statistics
PROGRESS
Sharing and dissemination of information by Government Ministries;
Capacity to analyse data and be confident of its quality;
Different methodologies and concepts used across government can lead to confusion
Obj: Promote wider and open access to statistics CHALLENGES
Development of AMIS - cross government databank/base accessible to all users;
Further enhancements to the website;
Develop and implement a dissemination strategy;
Maintain a catalogue of available surveys/statistics of forthcoming reports;
Improve publishing capacity within CSO;
Improving CSO analytical capacity to improve presentation of information for stakeholders use
Obj: Promote wider and open access to statistics
ACT IONS
System wide approach to the development of statistics in place. Donors coordinate behind ANSP - in line with national priorities;
Statistics for Results Facility (SRF) funding received to support implementation;
Statistics Task Force (STF) provides a forum to ensure coordination of support and activities;
CSO in the lead in terms of coordinating the national statistical system and donor support
Lack of resources is currently not a major problem for Afghanistan but could be in 2015.
Obj: Increase resources for statistical systems
PROGRESS
Some donors still prefer to operate outside ANSP;
Large demand for data from International Community (including military); some are prepared to pay for what they need rather than aligning behind a prioritised strategy;
This leads to: i) spreading CSO capacity too thinly across many activities,
ii) distorted incentives for data collection, and; iii) duplication of efforts
Fiscally constrained environment means limited funding from the Government for statistics. Dependence on donor support will be required in the long term
Obj: Increase resources for statistical systems CHALLENGES
To continue efforts to bring donors into line;
UN is trying to better coordinate their agencies’ efforts in support of statistics;
CSO to continue to lobby for the government and donor funds to support the statistical system
Obj: Increase resources for statistical systems
ACT IONS
Thank You