Paris21 Meeting on Implementing the Busan Action Plan for Statistics New York, Saturday 25 February 2012, 09.30 – 12.00, Conference Room DC2-2111

A Regional Perspective in implementing the Busan Action Plan for Statistics in Small Island Developing States – observations from the Secretariat of the Pacific Community

Gerald HaberkornManager, Statistics for Development Programme Secretariat of the Pacific CommunityNoumea, New CaledoniageraldH@spc.int(www.spc.int/sdp)

Busan Action Plan for Statistics

Two general observations:• Commend those involved in drafting this Plan for a

comprehensive job well done.• Document could have been even stronger with greater

explicit strategic emphasis on improving traction: => how to address ongoing challenges of getting more policy- makers and planners to use (be required to use?) a growing range of available data

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Busan Action Plan for Statistics

Context – Pacific Island region:• Substantial statistical improvements over past 15 years:• data collection (100% census participation in 2000, and 21 of

22 PICTs undertaking a population and housing census in the 2010 round), and growing number of countries undertaking comprehensive (and expensive) household surveys (DHS, HIES),

• gradual improvements in data quality and timeliness of release of statistics,

• greater accessibility to statistics (more user-friendly reports; easier access on NSO and SPC/PRISM websites).

Busan Action Plan for Statistics

• Making greater use of data by policy-makers and planners on the other hand, has not kept pace with recent statistical developments.

• Reasons vary from a lack of institutional/political demands to do so, to what appears to be still some general discomfort with numbers.

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Busan Action Plan for Statistics

Overriding challenge:• Not just improve statistical literacy as highlighted in BAP• Need to go one step further: assist in creating a more

statistics-wise culture of “doing business” (key bottlenecks are not just outdated technologies or a lack of statistical awareness, but a political desire for/commitment to change)

Busan Action Plan for StatisticsAction 1• Strengthen/refocus national and regional priorities

emphasizing improving systems that address country-level development priorities.

• Key focus is on increased in-country capacity.• Integrate international and domestic data collection activities

Action 1(i) Relevance to the Region (ii) Relevance to Small Island

Developing states All 5 proposed activities represent a near

perfect fit with key strategic components of Ten Year Pacific Statistics Strategy (TYPSS), 2011 – 2020.

Emphasis on “near perfect”: not all proposed activities 3-5 can be implemented immediately; staged process

PSSAP Phase 1 (2011-2014) priorities are on: o Development of new Multi-purpose HH

survey (Pacific Living conditions survey) o Improvements to admin databases (vital

statistics, education, health) o New initiatives incorporated in TYPSS:

Agriculture/Rural statistics (including food security), and labor force

Most countries’ NSOs already have, or will have by 2014 a multi-year strategic plan with corresponding work program

6 countries embarking on NSDS

Gradual TYPSS roll-out of activities across countries

Busan Action Plan for StatisticsAction 2• Implement standards for data preservation, documentation

and dissemination that permit full public access to statistics

Action 2(i) Relevance to the Region (ii) Relevance to Small

Island Developing states Good fit with specific TYPSS strategic

objective Partnership with Paris21/World Bank APD

programme Facilitate dissemination of data

standards and common survey methodologies o Key TYPSS strategic component

(mandated by Pacific Plan) o Development of new Multi-purpose

Pacific Living conditions survey o Development of common core set of

census questions o Development of common Pacific HIES

methodology

Good progress made in some countries, Work-in-progress in others

Country buy-in through TYPSS endorsement

Busan Action Plan for StatisticsAction 3• Develop programs to increase the knowledge and skills

needed to use statistics effectively for planning, analysis, monitoring and evaluation, thus increasing transparency and accountability and improve accessibility of statistics at national and international levels.

Action 3(i) Relevance to the Region (ii) Relevance to Small Island

Developing states Solid fit with TYPPS: addresses issue of increasing

statistical literacy and awareness (but like BAP is less explicit on how to get intended data users become practicing data users)

emphasizes importance of adequate resourcing of NSOs (human, financial), as well as greater recognition of statistics and statisticians in policy development

Some progress being made, with development plans and new policy initiative showing greater statistical foundations

Cannot think of one NSO

head who would disagree

Busan Action Plan for StatisticsAction 4• Build /retain results monitoring instruments to track

outcomes of all global summits and high level forums • Rigorous monitoring of global initiatives requires

collaboration between national and international statistical organizations

• Recognize statistical capacity building, incl TA, and training

Action 4(i) Relevance to the Region (ii) Relevance to Small Island

Developing states Monitoring all global summit/ high level forum

resolution is a huge ask for Pacific Island NSOs: just two (MDGs, CEDAW) entail 200+ indicators.

Welcome emphasis/commitment to develop implementation plan (TA, training, financing); cautious about implementability given HR constraints of most NSOs.

TYPSS: inclusion of all pop-based MDG and some other global indicators in SPC National Minimum Development Indicator database (challenge to include too many other international commitment/indicators – would undermine concept of “minimum”)

TYPSS focus on gender statistics, and other examples of “new” global commitments (e.g. Agricultural/Rural statistics)

Cannot think of NSO heads who would disagree

NSOs interested to see tangible commitments to “implementation plan”, yet most would struggle to handle ever growing global monitoring demands.

Current under review/ validation by countries

Busan Action Plan for StatisticsAction 5• Ensure financing for statistical information is robust and

that funding instruments and approaches reflect new modalities and actors in development finance

Action 5(i) Relevance to the Region (ii) Relevance to Small

Island Developing states Already happening in our region:

Multi-year funding commitments (2011-2014) by principal partner, AusAID;

Key TYPSS strategic focus on capacity building: Development of long-term CB strategy to kick off later this year based on NSO skills audit (in progress)

Monitoring TYPSS implementation: role of PSSC (6 NSO, 4 FTPs)

Concern about parallel emergence of several “new” critical global initiatives (competing for already committed and perhaps insufficient new resources).

A growing number of countries making statistics part of their general ODA negotiations with partners.

AusAID setting trend: bilateral partnerships for development (multi-year/multi-sector programs)

BAP Implementation – key criteriaCriteria to be followed in BSA implementation

(i) Relevance to the Region/ (ii) Relevance to Small Island Developing states

Broad international support exist, identified lead agency to support in-country implementation

Strong regional political support – Pacific Plan 2006 (endorsed by Heads of Government of all 15 PIC, plus Aus and NZ)

TYPSS – SPC coordinating agency PSSC provides governance oversight

In-country capacity development is primary focus

Is one of two foci. Regional capacity development on equal footing :

addresses special SIDS need (employ/deploy national capacity for assignment in PIC NSOs lacking capacity in specific sectors)

Outcomes are identifiable, monitorable, time-bound

TYPSS M&E framework NSDS NSO strategic plans / multi-year work programs

Implementation is “bureaucracy-light” and will rely on existing partnership, agencies. Institutions

TYPSS SPC coordination PSSC oversight

BAP Implementation – remaining grey area

Financial support for statistics will come primarily from domestic revenues, but donor support remains essential.

Regional perspective Fully dependent on external

resources (nature of our existence)

Impossible for us to address every new global initiative without additional resources (human. budget)

Country perspective Impossible for

most countries Would be very

hard pressed to handle new/ additional global initiatives