A Pilot Accelerated Data
Programfor Africa
Olivier Dupriez, World Bank
Fasdev II
Addis Ababa, February 2006
Building on the Marrakech Action Plan for Statistics
Pilot Accelerated Data Program for Africa
Managing for results: a growing demand for data
At national and international levels, for
national poverty reduction strategies, the Millennium Development Goals,
sector development strategies, results monitoring systems, etc
… but
Pilot Accelerated Data Program for Africa
The supply doesn’t satisfy the demand
Not available: 30% Obtained
from national sources: 60%Estimated by
international agencies: 10%
Estimates for 25 survey-based MDG indicators (2000-2004)Average for low-income Sub-Saharan Africa
Pilot Accelerated Data Program for Africa
One cause …Lack of surveys and censuses
Health survey in last 5 years
82 % of countries81 % of population
Poverty survey in last 5 years
56 % of countries62 % of population
Pop. census in last 10 years
67 % of countries53 % of population
99 % in Europe,95% in Asia,only
53% in Africa
Pilot Accelerated Data Program for Africa
One solution: better survey and census planning
• Improve timing, sequencing and frequency – Currently: often ad-hoc, donor-driven– Recommended: a continuous household survey
program, with a population census every 10 years, e.g.,
Very few countries follow such a model
Year 1 Health and demographic survey
Year 2 Light monitoring survey
Year 3 Multi-topic survey with detailed consumption or expenditure moduleYear 4
Year 5 Light monitoring survey
Year 6 Population and Housing Census
Pilot Accelerated Data Program for Africa
But more surveys is only part of the solution
• Reliability – Data not always reliable– Surveys are complex undertakings – Need better supervision, simpler design
• Comparability – Surveys not always comparable (over-
time and across countries)– Need harmonization and “discipline”
Pilot Accelerated Data Program for Africa
But more surveys is only part of the solution
• Relevance – Do we collect what is most needed?– Problem also on demand-side– Need assessment and interaction with users
• Analysis and use: – Many surveys under-exploited due to limited
analytical capacity by producers, and limited access by secondary users
– Need micro-data preservation and dissemination strategy
Pilot Accelerated Data Program for Africa
Proposed solution:the Pilot Accelerated Data Program
• An integrated approach:– Inventory and dissemination of existing data
• International Household Survey Network “Toolkit” and guidelines (for documentation, dissemination)
– Analysis and assessment of existing data – Review of survey methods and practices– Design medium-term survey programs (within
NSDS; aligned with PRSP)– Support new data collection activities
Pilot Accelerated Data Program for Africa
Customized to country needs
• No pre-determined survey instrument ; builds on existing data collection programs
• Different focus in different countries:– Assessment of methods and data
dissemination in “high capacity” countries; – Identifying priority needs and data collection
in “low capacity” countries
Pilot Accelerated Data Program for Africa
Implementation
• A MAPS activity ( Advisory Board)• Country-executed (NSOs, PRSP units)• Six pilot countries in Sub-Saharan Africa
– Proposed: Congo DR, Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Mozambique, Niger
– Criteria: diversity (statistical capacity, language, etc)
• World Bank funding • Cooperation with other donors and IHSN• 3 to 5 years (from 2006)
Pilot Accelerated Data Program for Africa
Scaling up ?
• Lessons learned form pilot program may guide scaling up to all low-income countries in Sub-Saharan Africa
0
50
100
150
200
250
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Surveys only Surveys+censuses
Estimated annual cost:
$109m (surveys+censuses)
$38m (surveys only)
Estimated annual cost:
$109m (surveys+censuses)
$38m (surveys only)
Pilot Accelerated Data Program for Africa
In conclusion
• An “approach” more than a “project”
• Contributes to implement 21 out of the 80 recommendations made in the RRSF