Global Initiative to Improve

Agricultural and Rural Statistics

October 22/23, 2008

Expert meeting

Why need a strategic plan?

• Decline in data quality and availability of national and international agricultural/rural statistical systems

• Lack of statistical capacity and resources to deliver

• Emerging requirements for data.

Input from stakeholders

• Source book of indicators to measure impact of developmental activities (World Bank, FAO, GDPRD)

• FAO Expert review• Paris 21 Guide to planning a coordinated

national statistical system (NSDS)• International Household Survey Network• Handbook on Rural Household issues

(UNECE, Eurostat, FAO, OECD, World Bank• Gates Foundation –data base, improving HH

data in Africa

How determine content of a core statistical system?

• Determine basic data requirements

• Define indicators that describe—explain—evaluate needs from basic requirements

• Define input data used to compute the indicators

Basic requirements

• National Accounts• Monitor MDG’s, impact of development• Food Security• Ensure markets operate efficiently• Enhance investment decision making• Environment• Biofuels• Global Warming

Core determines starting point

• Countries with limited statistical capacity and resources begin with measuring core items

• All countries--Shift to new methodology begin with core items

• Capture core items while developing sample design and surveys to meet need for data integration.

Long Term Goal

1. International/National agreement on core indicators and methodology– Blue print for Nat’l Strategies (NSDS)– Basis for Statistical Capacity Building– NSO’s provide core set annually– NSO’s use as basis to obtain base line funding– Integrate with overlapping needs—other sectors– donors support core policy & integrate with

their needs

Goals

2. Establish a set of core and supplemental indicators for agricultural and rural statistics comparable across countries and additive to regional and global levels

3. integrate the core agricultural, fishery, forestry, and rural statistics with overlapping data requirements from other sectors such as health, education, labor, and measurements of poverty

Goals

4. Provide a set of best practices and methodology to improve statistical capacity and provide comparability across countries.

5. Establish a governance structure to coordinate statistical activities that overlap with other sectors

Strategic Plan to improve agricultural statistics

• Draft for discussion

• October 22-23—Meeting in Wash DC at World Bank

• Outcome of meeting will be first report to present to UN Statistics Commission—Feb 2009

More on strategic plan

• United Nations statistical commission review, suggestions, mandates

• Strategic plan drafted

• August 2009, satellite meeting to International Statistical Institute in Africa—review, discuss

• December 2009—present strategic plan to UNSC for Feb 2010 decision

More on strategic plan

• UNSC approve/amend

• Launch/ October 2010 International Conference on Agricultural Statistics