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