national statistical coordination board 1 paris 21/escap high- level forum on strategic planning in...

NATIONAL STATISTICAL COORDINATION BOARD 1

PARIS 21/ESCAP HIGH-LEVEL FORUM ON

STRATEGIC

PLANNING IN STATISTICS FOR SOUTH-EAST ASIAN

COUNTRIES6-8 JUNE 2006

Bangkok, ThailandBy

Romulo A. VirolaNSCB Secretary General

SESSION 5:ADVOCACY FOR STATISTICS: PHILIPPINE PERSPECTIVE


I. IMPORTANT THINGS TO NOTE IN STATISTICAL PLANNING PROCESSES

II. SOME PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED

III. SOME SOLUTIONS

IV. MECHANISMS IN PLACE IN THE PHILIPPINE STATISTICAL SYSTEM (PSS)

SESSION 5: ADVOCACY FOR STATISTICS


I. AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL

II. AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL

SESSION 5: ADVOCACY FOR STATISTICS


THINGS TO NOTE IN PLANNING PROCESS

• EXAMINE AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OFFERED BY ROLES OF

• PARIS 21

• ESCAP Stat Division/ASEAN Secretariat

• AHSOM

• UNSD/Other Bodies

Advocacy for Statistics at the International Level


SOME PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED

• Raises Users’ Expectations not matched by resources given by government to national statistical agencies

• Donor-driven initiatives not consistent with national priorities that in fact incapacitate/drain resources of national statistical agencies

I. Advocacy for Statistics at the International Level


SOME SOLUTIONS

• Advocacy at the international level should put higher emphasis on strengthening political will of governments to give higher budgetary priorities to statistics

• Greater and sincere efforts of international bodies and donor countries to coordinate themselves better



SOME SOLUTIONS

• Strengthen roles of regional bodies like ESCAP and the ASEAN Secretariat Statistics Divisions

Consider creation of an ASEANStat similar to EuroStat



SOME SOLUTIONS

• Genuine realization and acceptance by donors that countries have statistical priorities that should not be diverted/suppressed to suit ad hoc needs of the international community




• Identify key stakeholders

Finance and Budget Ministries

Congress

Key users of statistics

Key supporters & Key nonsupporters

Media

Advocacy for Statistics at the National Level



• Need to give top priority to relevance of statistical products and services to the key stakeholders

• Advocacy includes

expanding statistical manpower base

expanding use of statistics



SOME PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED

• Resource constraints that limit advocacy work

• Persisting perception about objectivity of government statistics

• Low salaries of statisticians in government

• Internal problems faced by statistical units within their own ministries


SO


SOME SOLUTIONS

• Put in place mechanisms to be able to give quality service to key stakeholders

Ensure provision of copies of publications to key stakeholders

Presentations to congress

Conduct users’ fora to manage users’ expectations better by talking about resource constraints


SO


SOME SOLUTIONS

• Statistical agencies must develop capacity to create demand for its products

Dissemination of Public Use Files

Setting up Micro Data Centers

• Training of statisticians to be better advocates of statistics, managers and fund sourcers



SOME SOLUTIONS

• Reach out to and use the media to raise public appreciation for statistics

• Identify potential champions of statistics

• Raise salary levels of official statisticians

• Promote statistics as a profession in the elementary and secondary schools



SOME SOLUTIONS

• Adopt best practices

Advance Release Calendars

Updated, information-rich and easy-to-access websites

Provision of metadata

Transparency of methodologies and revision policies



MECHANISMS PUT IN PLACE IN THE PHILIPPINE STATISTICAL SYSTEM

• Formulation of the Philippine Statistical Development Program ( 7th ) supportive of the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan

• Multi-agency composition of NSCB Board

• Creation of inter-agency committees to address improvements in sectoral statistics




• Conduct of Various Statistical Fora

User-Producer Workshops

Results Dissemination Fora

Workshops to address specific statistical concerns like MDG and Poverty Monitoring





Celebration of National Statistics Month

Conduct of National and Regional Conventions on Statistics

Conduct of the Philippine Statistics Quiz and Oratorical Contests among university and high school students





Conduct of press conferences and issuance of press releases

Conduct of statistical seminars for data users and members of the media



Thank You!Thank You!www.nscb.gov.phwww.nscb.gov.phinfoinfo@@nscb.gov.phnscb.gov.ph

national statistical coordination board 1 paris 21/escap high- level forum on strategic planning in...

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