The role of training & capacity building in the modernisation of statistical systems Transformative Agenda for Official Statistics: Caribbean Conference Carol Coy Statistical Institute of Jamaica

Introduction “Human capital is probably one of the essential factors in the perspective of the modernization of statistics” 1 Statistical production requires specialized knowledge on subject matter statistics Continuous staff training and development are therefore essential to maintaining and enhancing the capacity of a National Statistics Office (NSO) 1 Concept note- Regional/Sub-regional conferences on transformative agenda for official statistics

Introduction Statistical capacity building still remains a challenge in the region despite assistance from International Development Partners

Current Situation Adequate training is available in economic statistics in areas such as national accounts, prices, balance of payments, government financial statistics, tourism as well as in labour force statistics Designated international agencies see these areas as critical to their work and so give priority to training

Current Situation Areas in need of support: Social statistics, statistical infrastructure such as sampling, data analysis, survey management Non-technical Management & leadership Communication Report writing & presentation skills Project management

Challenges Small size of statistical offices limits the pool of knowledge in the organization- especially in specialised areas such as sampling limits the available time for training High staff turnover especially among technical staff including information technology Difficult to compete with private sector or other high income countries in the region Lack of succession planning

Challenges Training is costly – usually cannot be accommodated in the limited budgets of NSOs Needs of NSOs, given specialised nature of statistics, not being fully met by the local universities Limited focus placed on exposing staff at the managerial level to soft skills such as leadership, change management, communication

Training/Capacity Building-STATIN On the Job Training New statisticians undergo 2-3 week training period at the start of employment. Focus is on subject matter area but there is some exposure to the work of other divisions In-house experts facilitate training in areas such as SAS, database management, index number theory

Training/Capacity Building-STATIN On the Job Training Data Collection Training is always undertaken prior to surveys A comprehensive training programme for data collectors is done at periodic intervals to include areas such interviewing techniques, communication skills, data collection quality issues, security

Training/Capacity Building-STATIN In-House training facilitated by external experts Internally Funded e.g. Bureau of Labor Statistics, University of Michigan. Areas of focus include sampling and data analysis techniques Externally funded-poverty analysis, public speaking and presentation, supervisory management A training component is usually included in technical assistance to ensure knowledge transfer

Training/Capacity Building-STATIN Local External Training Government of Jamaica sponsored training in areas such as poverty mapping small area estimation project management leadership

Training/Capacity Building-STATIN Overseas Training Targeted training that might not be available locally or regional for e.g. summer programs at University of Michigan Regional/international workshops organized by international and regional bodies such as IMF, CARTAC, Caribbean Tourism Association, CARICOM, UNECLAC, STATCAN under the PRASC project, ILO.

The Way Forward A strategic view must be taken on training and capacity building if transformation of NSOs/NSS is to be successful There must be a clear and direct link between training and succession planning NSOs will need to undertake a gap analysis to determine the skills and competences that are required to sustain the current and planned programs

The Way Forward Regional training is the best option given the small size of NSOs in region. It is uneconomical for each country to develop its own national training system South-south cooperation will also be critical, including attachments NSOs must take advantage of e-learning. Examples; SEEA training by UNECLAC and UNWTO free online courses on tourism statistics

The Way Forward Closer collaboration with regional universities to host short term courses geared at improving statistical skills Training offerings beyond technical areas must be expanded to include those skills necessary for managing change and driving transformation such as leadership, management and communication.

The Way Forward Increased investment is required from national governments to build statistical capacity Governments should therefore implement the “Action Plan for Statistics in the Caribbean ” which was endorsed at the 37th meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in July 2016.

The Way Forward Specific Action Required Action Plan Issue 1: “Governments should undertake the strengthening of the National Statistical Systems (NSS) and specifically the National Statistical Offices (NSO) “ Specific Action Required Identification of training in statistics for staff of the NSO and NSS and priority given relative to the award of scholarships by Governments/International Development Partners (IDP)

The Way Forward Action Plan Issue 2: “Governments should pursue the upgrading of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) base” Specific Action Required The training of statisticians as data scientists to make more effective use of IT and Statistics should be enabled.

The Way Forward Thank You