united nations economic commission for europe statistical division why is disseminating millennium...

United Nations Economic Commission for EuropeStatistical DivisionUnited Nations Economic Commission for EuropeStatistical Division

Why is disseminating Millennium Development Goal indicators

important? Why should dissemination be

proactive?Training Workshop on Disseminating MDG Indicators and

Statistical Information

Astana, Kazakhstan, 23-25 November 2009

Petteri Baer, Regional Adviser, UNECE

23.11.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 2

…and the same goes for MDG Indicators…

Only used statistical information is useful statistical information!


Who needs MDG Indicators & statistical information?

Decision makers• In Business• In Administration• In Politics The Policy Cycle

Research and Educational Institutions

The Media Citizens NGOs…


What do we mean by the Policy Cycle?

Policy is “a course or principle of action adopted by a government, party, business or individual”

Policies may aim to retain the status quo or implement a programme of reform or change

In reality, the policy cycle is often a messy process


What is a Policy Cycle?

Settingobjectives

Costing programmes

Implementation Monitoring and

evaluation

Analysis

Policy and strategy

Results oriented, evidence-based

policy making


What is an effective and efficient Policy Cycle?

Know clearly where we are: analysis

Know where we want to go: objectives

Understand the steps needed to get there: policies and strategies

Capacity to follow the steps: sound implementation procedures

Know where we are at any time: effective monitoring system

Learning from experience to inform and improve the next generation of policies and programmes


What is an inclusive and accountable Policy Cycle?

Inclusive means that all relevant actors and stakeholders

• should be consulted and participate at various stages of the cycle

Accountable requires

• open and transparent procedures


What is Evidence-Based Policy Making? In recent years there has been an effort to improve the

policy cycle in many countries by moving to “evidence-based policy making”

Evidence-based policy helps people make well-informed decisions about policy, programmes and projects by

• putting evidence from good and reliable information sources and

• research based evidence at the heart of policy development and implementation

A shift to evidence-based policy making will increase the possibility of meeting the MDG goals


The Policy Cycle: Analysing the situation

Setting objectives

Fully costed programmes

Implementation

Analysis PRSP process: the theory

Policy and strategy

“Where are we now?”

• Including quantitative and qualitative analysis

• Characteristics of the population

• Macro, social, political constraints

• Current national strategies

Monitoring and evaluation


The Policy Cycle:Setting objectives

Setting objectives


Policy implementation

Monitoring

AnalysisPRSP process:

the theory

Policy and strategy

“Where do we want to go?”

• Set priorities and objectives

• Define medium- and long-term goals (for growth, poverty reduction etc)

• Integrate MDGs


The Policy Cycle:Developing policies and strategies

Setting objectives




Analysis PRSP process: the theory

Policy and strategy

“What do we need to do to reach objectives?”

• Examine existing programmes

• Identify priority policies and programmes

• Research: evidence-based policy making


The Policy Cycle:Costing programmes

Setting objectives

Costing programmes

ImplementationMonitoring

AnalysisPRSP process:

the theory

Policy and strategy

“How much is it going to cost and where is the financing

coming from?”

• Cost the range of policies and programmesthat have been identified

• Align with budget process


The Policy Cycle: Implementation

Policy formulation


ImplementationMonitoring

Analysis

PRSP process: the theory

Policy and strategy

• Following the steps to deliver the policies and programmes

• Pilot testing and implementing new programmes


The Policy Cycle: Monitoring and Evaluation

Setting objectives

Communication


Monitoring

Analysis

Financing

“Are we following the steps set out and moving in the right direction?”

“Have we reached objectives?”

“Do we need to review objectives?”

“How can we improve progress against objectives?”



How does an MDG strategy fit into the national policy cycle?

Developing a strategy for meeting the MDGs usually has involved / involves three stages (+follow-up):

• Setting a baseline and National targets

• Conducting a needs assessment

• Building policies and programmes around needs assessments


Important issues for the information providers on Indicators of MDGs

We should learn to know the need structures of our important users and user groups

We should make our information easily accessible for them

And we should put ourselves in continuous interaction with them in order to get to know them better


User demands – how can they be found out?

Is knowing user demands important – or not?

Not a simple task Which users’ voices

are heard? How good is the

coverage of our information sources?


More and more statistical publication takes place on the internet…

This is a very positive development

Availability and accessibility of official statistics has grown substantially

In the beginning of the year 2008

• >500 Million internet hosts in the world!

This also increases pressure on timeliness

Internet hosts in the Worldin the beginning of each year

* Millions *

0.00002 0.03 0.716

147

433

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

1982 1987 1992 1997 2002 2007


So - isn’t it enough if we provide information on our web site? Searching on Google…

“Inflation”• 30 Million answers• Ergebnisse 1 - 10 von ungefähr

30‘700'000 für Inflation. (0.26 Sekunden)

“Social statistics”• 73 Million answers• Ergebnisse 1 - 10 von ungefähr

73‘100'000 für Social Statistics. (0.08 Sekunden)

• For USA “only” 4 Million

• For Switzerland “only” 1 Million

• For Kazakhstan “only” 0.2 Million


And note:– There are other traps on the way!

Just putting your information on your web site does not automatically mean it is utilized

Even though your web information is utilized, it does not mean that your most important users make use of it


All potentialusers

These guysare real users

Heavy user

Traps on the way, continued

You may cover only a tinyshare of your potential users- but not recognize it!


Traps on the way, continued

Counting the popularity of your web site by “hits” may deceive you because • a substantial part of

the “fabulous growth” comes from search engines checking if you have any new information


To develop understandable messages may also not be all that easy in the jungle of statistical information


How do we perceive ourselves? How do decision makers perceive our services?

How important is our role in real decision making?

In practical terms? How covering is our

information on users? Do we know enough

about our potential users, our potential customers?


User demands – the basic ones

User friendly Easily accessible Understandable and clear Focused on the essentials With visual presentations Impressive Balanced


Basic quality demands for statistical services

Q=

Relevance Accuracy Timeliness Punctuality Accessibility Clarity and Comparability


Trade-offs almost every day

Timeliness is a must – but what about accuracy?

Relevance is a must – but what about needs specific only to one or a few users?

Remember:Only used statistics is useful statistics


User friendly statistical services

…can be established only through interaction with users• Interaction with real users• Not with solely our

imagination on them• Not only governmental

users• Not only the ones we by

tradition are mainly used to


Who bears the responsibility that communication with users works well?

The future… The importance… Our place in society

is at stake… Users’ judgement

may well define, how our statistical services are perceived and used


Who bears the responsibility that communication with users works well? (2) Is it the individual

statistician, the subject-matter expert?

Program managers? Information & PR Unit? Or – Is it a challenge for

the top management?• Who should bring in a

systematic approach on building user relations, if it is missing?

3.6.1999

Source: Seppo Määttä & Timo Ojala (1999). TASAPAINOISEN ONNISTUMISEN HAASTE - Johtamin en julkisellasektoril la ja Balanced Scorecard. Edita Oy.

MissionMandate

Responsibilities

CapabilitiesResources

STRATEGIC SCOPE


A modulated approach - basics for efficient user services The importance of

• A good information architecture

• Effective databases• Metadata information

available• Linking identifications

exist between different data

• XML helps to build electronic bridges


The importance of user friendly Database services Statistical agencies produce quite a lot of

statistical information Different users have different aspects of

interest, they want information• By industries, By enterprise sizes• By regions• Comparisons over different time periods• International comparisons• And numerous other aspects…

PC-Axis, PX-Web… User friendly services!


Often it is not easy, especially if information providers work in silos - and behave as that would be ideal


Internet has in recent years pushed for building corporate imagos

It has also highlighted the often very different approaches different departments/divisions/units may have on ways of publishing data

Sometimes these differences are reflected on the web site of the NSI!


Tools assisting work for better satisfaction of user needs

Customer databases• Information on regular and heavy users

Customer Relationship Management system （ CRM）• For good and systematic follow-up and

planning of interaction with regular and heavy users

• Example NSO:s: Canada, Finland, Estonia Business Intelligence systems


But – that’s already another story

Thank you for your attention

Remember:• Only used statistics is

useful statistics Final question – who will

have the responsibility for systematic satisfaction of user needs on information on MDG Indicators & on Statistical Information in general?

A learningCustomerRelationship

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