PARIS21

Task Force On Statistical Capacity

IMF Statistics Department

May 21, 2001

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Premise of the presentation

Measuring statistical capacity

Equals

Assessing data quality

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Plan of the presentation Background Description of the framework Current and potential uses of the

framework Concluding remarks

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BackgroundA framework: its uses dictate that it be:

Comprehensive Balanced between experts’ rigor and

generalists’ bird’s eye view Widely applicable:

Across various stages of statistical development Across the major datasets

Designed to give transparent results Arrived at by drawing on national statisticians’

best practices

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Dataset

(6-digit)

“Lite”Generic

(3-digit) Summary of

Results

DatasetSpecific

(5-digit)

NA

etc

.

BO

P GFS

etc

. etc

.

Framework suite of tools

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Dimensions of data quality                         

                    

Integrity

Methodological soundness

Accuracy and reliability aand Serviceability

Accessibility

Quality-of-the-Institution

Quality-of-the-product

 

 

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Structure of the frameworkA cascading structure Five dimensions (plus prerequisites) of quality

And for each dimension; Elements that can be used in assessing quality

And for each element; Indicators that are more concrete and detailed;

And for each indicator; Focal issues that are tailored to the dataset

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Structure of the framework (cont’d)The cascading structure—an example For serviceability, one of the five

dimensions: Four elements are identified as being useful

in assessing that dimension: relevance, timeliness and periodicity, consistency, and revision policy and practice

For consistency, three indicators are identified to provide detail and concreteness for that element: intertemporal, internal, and intersectoral consistency

For internal consistency, the focal issues in [dataset] are…

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Framework preview Purpose: serve as a diagnostic

preview or for a nonstatistician’s assessment

13 specific (three-digit) indicators were identified (in the handout):

Relatively nontechnical Relatively easy to get information

Formatted (in the handout) as a worksheet

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Framework summary Summary presentation of results

Purpose: for nonstatisticians—such as policy advisors and potential investors—after a full assessment based on the DQAF

For clarity and comparability (in handout): For each dataset, a one-page table At the two-digit level (21 elements)

On a 4-point scale, from “practice observed” to “practice not observed”

With an “n.A.” Column With a “comments” column

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Uses of the framework To guide IMF staff

In assessing data for IMF’s use in surveillance and operations;

In preparing ROSCs; and In designing technical assistance

To guide country efforts (including self-assessments) in strengthening statistical capacity

To guide data users—to complement the SDDS and GDDS

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Concluding remarks General reaction

Welcome initiative Fills important gap Is careful and thoughtful Provides basis for coherent and

practical way forward in a complex field