The global implementation programme for the 2008 SNA and

supporting statistics

Herman SmithUNSD/DESA

Workshop on the Implementation of the 2008 SNA, Kiev, 29 November – 2 December 2011

Agenda item 3a

Introduction 2008 SNA Implementation Programme

Short term indicators

Implementation tools

Monitoring the SNA implementation

Outline of presentation

Insufficient staff and training. For exhaustive coverage of economic activities – data

collection mechanism and supporting infrastructure need to be improved

Quality and policy relevance of basic economic and macroeconomic statistics are not well promoted

Lack of modern management, ICT infrastructure in the NSOs

Lack of coordination between TAs providing country, regional and international agencies

Reference manuals and compilation guidance not easily accessible.

SNA implementation - Impediments

The framework provides a structure for the SNA implementation programme to address and reinforce both

◦ statistical institutional infrastructure and

◦ the collection and reporting of statistics.

Statistical Production Process Framework

Statistical Production Process Framework

Institutional SettingInformation, Communication Technology (ICT)

Management and internal policy

Institutional arrangements

Registers and

Frames

Surveys Integration Framework

Dissemination

Structure for organizing the information base based on a stylized statistical production model

UNSC in Feb 2010 supported the implementation programme and encouraged countries to develop their own programmes of implementation

The Implementation Programme for the 2008 SNA and supporting statistics represents a global statistical initiative

UNSD conduct series of seminars with RC to align regional and global implementation programmes

Implementation programme

To assist countries in developing the statistical and institutional capacity to:

(a) Make the conceptual change over from the 1993 SNA to the 2008 SNA

(b) Improve the scope, detail and quality of the national accounts and

supporting economic statistics.

Objective of the Global Statistical Initiative

The efficiency and sustainability of the initiative rest on the agreed principles of the implementation strategy:

(a) strategic planning

(b) coordination, monitoring and reporting

(c) improving statistical systems

Principles of the global initiative

(a) Use of National Strategies for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) as the strategic planning framework

(b) The programme information structure built around the statistical production process, scope and compliance for the national accounts and supporting economic statistics

(c) The modalities of statistical capacity building through training and technical cooperation, publication of manuals and handbooks, research and advocacy

(d) The stages of implementation leading to the change over to the 2008 SNA.

Elements to operationalise the initiative

Strategic planning is a key principle in mobilizing political and financial support for investment in statistics

The NSDS is the most widely used strategic planning framework to connect national development objectives with a programme of work for statistical capacity-building

Strategic planning framework

To align the 2008 SNA country programme with national policy priorities and regional requirements

Consultative process is system wide

Resources are limited

Piece meal approach is not cost effective

Donor coordination is critical

Why a strategic approach?

To facilitate the coordination, monitoring and reporting on the SNA implementation in the multi-stakeholder environment.

Frameworks Minimum Required Data Set (MRDS)

based on UN-NAQ IMF GDDS and SDDS

Report on the statistical process data quality

The programme information structure

Three stagesEach country will determine the duration of the

various stages. However, it is expected that from 2014 onwards, many Member States will change over to the 2008 SNA

Stage IReview of strategic framework and detailing of

national and regional implementation programmes

Implementation stages

Statement of strategy – Development of an economic statistics programme for compiling the required scope and detail of the National Accounts to inform policy makers

Diagnosis of current situation – Assessment of the national statistical system to support the national accounts compilation

Development of strategic vision for national accounts and supporting statistics shared among stakeholders

Develop implementation plan based on agreed priorities with a minimum set of core indicators

Stage I - Review

Stage II. Adaptation of classification frameworks, business registers and frames, surveys, administrative data sources and information technology infrastructure; and

Stage III. Application of adapted frameworks and source data, backcasting and changeover to 2008 SNA.

Stage II - Adaption & III - Application

A series on meetings at the end of 2008 and beginning of 2009 in reaction to economic and financial crisis

2008 SNA the overarching framework for economic statistics, able to incorporates measurement issues arising from the financial crises

The availability of structural and annual data tell us about the past

Policy makers need information about the present to facilitate more timely policy responses

Short term indicators and the SNA

Short term indicators and the SNA

Need to improve the availability, periodicity and timeliness of short term indicators in accessible and analytically useful formats

Data collection practises need to be adapted to facilitate the dissemination of short term indicators

Short term indicators are also relevant for expanding the scope and detail of the national accounts

Work on short-term economic statistics – 4 themes

• Rapid Estimates• Business Cycle Composite Indicators• Tendency Surveys• Data Template and Analytical Indicators

Work on short-term economic statistics

• Data Template and Analytical Indicators

◦ Establish an internationally accepted data and metadata template for short-term economic indicators

◦ To develop a guide on the data template and reference metadata structure to assist the compilation of the short term indicators

◦ Explore feasibility of centralized national data hubs ◦ Using modern data sharing and exchange

techniques, such as SDMX and modern visualization tools for data dissemination and communication

Data template

Purpose

Economic monitor for macroeconomic surveillance ◦ Early warning signals and business cycle

monitoring

SNA compliant and compliant with other internationally accepted standards: BPM, prices, business statistics, etc.

Data template

Scope

◦ 12 categories (national accounts, production, prices, markets (labor, real estate and financial markets) and sectors (government, financial, non-financial, household and external sector)

◦ Periodicity and timeliness (monthly and quarterly)

Data template Macro structure for 12 categories:

◦ Tier 1 (internationally accepted core set)

◦ Tier 2 and 3: strategic indicators (sectoral accounts and “new” indicators but less available) and country specific indicators

◦ Adaptable to specific sectoral policy needs: agriculture and rural development and industrial sector indicators

◦ Flexible for alternative groupings for policy purpose (e.g. housing sector, financial sector, household consumption, etc.)

Meta data structure Standard harmonized structure

◦ Short description (basic information for statistical indicator – at international level)

◦ Detailed description (SDMX format with structured methodological description –propose limited “chapters” at country level)

Supporting internationally accepted statistical standards and country practices

◦ UN Knowledge Base on Economic Statistics◦ Methodological gaps identified related to Data template

(e.g. new order index, production index for construction)

National centralized data hubs

Single access point in countries:

◦ standard internationally accepted data and meta data dissemination template of short term indicators (“Economic Monitor”)

◦ tool for improved accessibility of data

◦ tool for harmonization and improved comparability of statistics and indicators

◦ tool for standardization of data transmission

UNSC Discussions

• Member States encouraged to

• set up national central data hubs on voluntary basis with flexible time frame

• submit compilation practices and use of short-term economic indicators to Knowledge Base on Economic Statistics

• Incorporate programme on short term statistics with the 2008 SNA implementation programme

SNA implementation tools

• UNSD and other ISWGNA members have developed a number of tools to facilitate the SNA implementation

• Website• Handbooks• Knowledge Base• Diagnostic tool• Status of the NA

To facilitate sharing of information UNSD developed a website with information supporting the implementation of the 2008 SNA and supporting statistics

Website at: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/nationalaccount/default.asp

SNA implementation website

OECD handbooks on Measuring capital and intellectual property products.

World Bank handbooks on Introduction to SNA and SNA compilation guidance

Eurostat’s Essential SNA: Building the basics

UNSD national accounts handbook on Financial production stocks and flows, in collaboration with the ECB

UNSD handbooks on International guidelines on industrial and trade statistics

National Accounts Handbooks

Knowledge Base on Economic Statistics and Macroeconomic Standards

Provide a centralized repository of information on all aspects of methodology and best country practices for the collection, analysis and dissemination of all areas of economic statistics and macroeconomic standards

Facilitate the international sharing and exchange of knowledge on economic statistics programmes as well as the provision of guidance to countries

A tool to assist in developing the statement of strategy

The statistical system information can be obtained from the web

This tool brings together information available at various international organisations into a single framework

Statistical System Information

Statistical System Information

Country Statistical agency

Legal Framework

Strategic Framework

Relevant documents

Projects/Programmes

Data

Statistical StandardsUNSD, IMF, World Bank, Eurostat, Paris21

Relevant documents

Data

Tool to assess the adequacy of the national statistical production process to support implementation of the 2008 SNA.

Self assessment of statistical prerequisites outlined in stages I and II of the 2008 SNA implementation programme.

Leads to developing a vision for improving the availability and quality of the economic statistics required for compilation of national accounts.

Diagnostics tool

The tool is based on the widely used CES Classification of Statistical Activities

The Classification provides a structured presentation of statistical activities aimed at ◦ collecting, producing and disseminating data, ◦ developing standards, ◦ harmonization and implementation of statistics. ◦ Statistical activities are organized in five

statistical domains.

Diagnostics tool

Cross classify the statistical activities of domain 2 and selected activities from domain 1 and 3 with domain 4 and 5

This allows the assessment of economic activities in terms of ◦ process, ◦ organization and ◦ managerial aspects of official statistics

Diagnostic tool

Outline provides information on each of the economic indicators, together with the international recommendation for compiling the indicators.

This allows the mapping of the data gaps revealed by the DT with the data needs to facilitate the development of a vision document on where to go.

Status of National Accounts and Supporting Economic Statistics

A set of six milestones to assess the scope of accounts compiled by countries; plus

three data sets (a) minimum set of accounts that need to be compiled; (b) a recommended set of accounts; and (c) a desired set of accounts.

To assess the compliance with major 1993 SNA concepts a set of questions

The IMF quality assessment framework to assess the quality of the national accounts

Monitoring the 1993 SNA implementation

To provide guidance to countries considering expanding the scope of their national accounts

To serve as a monitoring instrument for measuring the level of national accounts development

Purpose of the milestones twofold

1. The milestones taken as the order in which additions to national accounts must be approached.

2. The milestones make no reference to the detail of national accounts implementation

3. The milestones make no reference to conceptual or quality issues

Limitations of the milestones

Three data sets to assess the scope of national accounts implementation according to the 1993 SNA

◦ The minimum requirement data set (MRDS) - milestones 1 and 2.

◦ The recommended data set - importance in assessing developments of an economy

◦ The desired data set, which comprises useful data that should be compiled if possible

Report to UNSC an assessment of the MRDS based on the United Nations national accounts database.

Required data sets

The 1993 SNA scope and compliance measures are deemed to be adequate to also assess the scope and compliance for the 2008 SNA.

However need for more timely information to facilitate

appropriate policy responses include quarterly national accounts as an

option

Scope and compliance measures for the 2008 SNA

The MRDS now include: quarterly accounts

nominal and volume measure of GDP by industry or by expenditure

integrated accounts until net lending for the total economy and the rest of the world.

annual institutional sector accounts until net lending corporate, government, households and NPISH’s quarterly compilation of these sectors is now

recommended.

Scope and compliance measures for the 2008 SNA

Recommended set include the annual compilation Sectoral financial accounts and balance sheets

and other changes in assets accounts

Desired set include the quarterly compilation Sectoral financial accounts and balance sheets

and other changes in assets accounts

The compliance questionnaire was adjusted to reflect the 2008 SNA concepts

Scope and compliance measures for the 2008 SNA

◦ Report of the Intersecretariat Working Group on National Accounts Section VII. B. Guidelines for monitoring the

implementation of the 2008 SNA. Annex: Information system for assessing the progress of

the implementation of the System of National Accounts 2008

◦ English: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/statcom/doc11/2011-6-NationalAccounts-E.pdf

◦ Russian: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/statcom/doc11/2011-6-NationalAccounts-R.pdf

Scope and compliance measures for the 2008 SNA

Thank You