Guide to statistics in European Commission Development Co-operation

Eurostat Unit A6Susana Martins

The benefits from Eurostat experience:

Response to this recommendation: the “Guide”

Evaluation of the Commission Support for Statistics in Third Countries (2007)

A participative approach.

Our Unit

The “Guide” at a glimpse

Main target-user: staff working in statistical development cooperation, especially in the Delegations

The “Guide” explains why development statistics are important, how to use them and what needs to be done to make them available.

The “Guide” explains what is needed in the following situations:

– Use statistical indicators to design and monitor programmes

– Identify and develop support actions for statistics

– Advocate timely consideration of statistics over cycle of assistance

Versions of the « Guide »

Beta versionBeta version

- Available since February 2010, in the intranet

- Revision of the Parts on cross-cutting issue

- More than 350 hyperlinks

- Training in Brussels (June 2010)

Version 1.0Version 1.0

- Full revision of the Parts on cross-cutting issues

- 10 sections on statistics for policy issues

- More than 1000 hyperlinks

- Cross-references

- English and French

Version 2.0Version 2.0

- Interactive « Outline of knowledge »

- 10 other sections on statistics for policy issues

- Updated hyperlinks (2000) and cross-references

- English, French and Spanish

Eurostat – Unit D2 7

What is available in the “Guide” in 2012?

• International trade and balance of payments• Government finance and public sector statistics• Environmental statistics (part 1)• Business statistics• Transport statistics• Agricultural, forestry and fisheries statistics• Regional and small areas statistics• Justice and crime statistics • Social protection statistics• Sustainable development indicators

• Population and migration statistics• Labour statistics • Education statistics • Health statistics • Income and consumption statistics • Human settlements and housing statistics• National accounts, economic accounts and

non-observed economy• Prices statistics • Environmental statistics (part 2) • Living conditions and poverty statistics

a 20-pages « outline of knowledge » + 4 partsa 20-pages « outline of knowledge » + 4 parts

29/10/2010

A: Introduction: a guide to the “Guide”

Why statistics are important…

Detailing the structure of the “Guide”

How to use the “Guide”:

– Principles: readability, practicality, accessibility

– Boxes: « introduction », « to find out more », examples, checklists and

best practices…

– Links: cross-references in the Guide and more than 2000 hyperlinks

– Interactive table of content, glossary and research by keyword

B: Statistics in Development

Statistics in Development: explains the recently increased demand for statistics in developing countries by examining the international initiatives which focus on performance measurement and results-based policy making.

It starts with the global approaches, covering the Millennium Development Goals, Poverty Reduction Strategies and Managing for Development Results, focusing on the Paris Declaration and the Marrakech Action Plan for Statistics.

The discussion of the European Consensus on Development places the global initiatives in a European context.

B: Statistics in Development

Statistics for development cooperation, explains the increased demand for development statistics from a global policy perspective by examining the international initiatives which focus on performance measurement and results based policy making.

How statistics are made, gives a minimally technical introduction to the production of statistics.

Official statistics consists of data published by government agencies, regional and international organisations such as the UN as a public good, together with explanations of how the data were compiled (metadata).

B: Statistics in Development

Statistics and indicators in the EC development aid process, examines the indicators used to inform the policies.

It places the various types of indicators used by the EC in the context of their use at each stage in the programme cycle and in reporting to provide visibility and accountability.

Statistics across policy sectors, then focuses on international policy-related indicators:

– Millennium Development Goals (MDG) indicators,– Indicators commonly used for Poverty Reduction Strategies.

It includes a cross-reference between the EC's policy sector definitions and statistical activities.

C: Support for Statistics

Support for statistics explains the aims and methods used to

improve the capacity to produce and publish statistics and to

strengthen the ability of users to understand and analyse statistics.

The situation normally arises either when a country or region

requests support or when the EC’s agreed development cooperation

agenda with the country or region is clearly impeded by the poor

quality or absence of the data needed for policy / activity preparation

and evaluation.

The chapter includes a presentation of the concept of ‘quality’ in

statistics: what should a developing country’s statistical system be

able to provide for its users?

C: Support for Statistics

How to decide on a statistical action: considers support actions for

statistics capacity and/or strengthening the demand for statistics.

The chapter starts with a presentation of 'quality' in statistics: what

should a developing country's statistical system be able to provide for

its users?

It then considers how to evaluate a country's statistics and the

system that produces them.

In passing, it explains how to construct the EC's standard data

tables.

C: Support for Statistics

How to bring assistance to statistics: provides guidance on whether

and how to give support to statistics.

It discusses the relationship of statistics strategy with national

development and poverty reduction strategies and analyses the

development and implementation of statistics strategies.

The chapter also discusses capacity building in statistics, covering the

link to statistical strategy documents and practical considerations.

The chapter then moves on to examine in general how statistics

actions are to be done. Coordination at various levels is addressed:

who can do what and what needs to be done to ensure coherence and

eliminate duplication?

C: Support for Statistics

The EC's support to statistics: starts at the point when the

development partners accept that there is a need for external support

to statistics. The chapter aims to inform the decision about whether

and how the EC should be involved.

It first considers the EC's development statistics activities in the

context of country / regional strategies and programmes, including any

statistics strategy.

It looks at the purpose of statistics actions and how they are linked to

the development objectives using the logical framework. The chapter

finishes with a practical look at the various types of EC statistics

interventions, showing links with policies, identifying areas of

cooperation, listing examples and providing action points.

C: Support for Statistics

How to manage statistics actions: starts at the decision that an EC

statistics intervention is justified to achieve the goals agreed with its

development partners.

This chapter presents guidance on how to prepare actions to support

statistics capacity building and major statistical projects.

It provides practical advice for preparing and evaluating terms of

reference at each stage of the programme cycle.

D: Statistics for Policy Issues

Statistics for policy issues: looks at how statistics can be used and supported for decision making and monitoring achievements in the context of European Commision sector policy areas.

19 chapters that cover different statistical domains such as:

– Trade and Regional Integration– Environmental, Sustainable Management of Natural Resources– Infrastruture, Communication and Transport– Rural Development, Territorial Planning, Agriculture, Food Security– Governance, Democracy, Human Rights and Support for Economic and

Institutional Reforms– Human Development– Social Cohesion and Employment

D: Statistics for Policy Issues

Each chapter follows more or less a structure, presenting statistics in a context of sector policies, followed by information om their use, qualitative analysis and any support required

Structure:

– What are the sector policy applications and the statistics to inform them?

– What are the sources of data and metadata in this sector?

– What are the limits of data and how to check data quality in this statistical activity?

– How to build a statistical action in the sector?

The Future (2012/13)

Guide Version 3.0: update of the contents in English, French and Spanish

Developing the format “outline of Knowledge” in EN, FR and ES

Dissemination of the Guide version 3.0: e-learning course (December 2012)

Many thanks for your attention!

Contact person:

Susana MartinsSusana Martins

Eurostat | European Commission

Unit A6 - Statistical Cooperation

Tel. (+352) 4301-35078 - Fax : 4301-32769

susana.martins@ec.europa.eu