A Review of the Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians (SCCS) as a Mechanism for Statistical Development and Harmonisation The Second Meeting of the Advisory Group on Statistics , Belize, June 23-25, 2008 Presented by Barbados

Content of Presentation Establishment of SCCS Activities to Promote Statistical Development & Harmonisation Challenges/Constraints Successes/Achievements Adoption of a Statistical Programming Approach Way Forward

Establishment of SCCS The Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians was established in the 1970’s. Over the past 30+ years, the SCCS has provided: A forum to discuss the progress, achievements and constraints faced by Member States in the production of statistics and to suggest the next steps forward.

The SCCS (cont’d) The SCCS also provides A means of information interchange for producers and users of statistics and donor organisations, intended to lead to the strengthening of statistical capacity, and the production of demand-driven statistics, relevant to users, and to the regional and international community, in general. Opportunity to review past approaches in the region, & to formulate or adjust strategies for the advancement of Statistics in the Region

Early Approach v. Recent Approach In the early years the development of statistics & the comparability of these statistics in the Region were promoted by the SCCS. However, the process was less coherent and coordinated than at present. In the advent of the Integration Movement in the Region (CSME), as well as in response to Globalisation, Liberalisation & IT development- More urgent need for relevant, harmonised and quality statistics for decision-making and policies. The approach to development and harmonisation of statistics now more focused and coordinated than previously obtained

Activities to Promote Development & Harmonisation of Statistics in the Region The CARICOM Secretariat in collaboration with SCCS undertook a number of activities to promote and achieve the production of reliable and comparable statistics in Member States. The documentation and dissemination of methodologies The identification of a core data set for Economic, Social, Environment and Information Communication and Technology Statistics The promotion and adoption of international standards, methodologies and classifications

Activities to Promote Development & Harmonisation of Statistics in the Region (Cont’d) Promoting the use of best practices by Member States Strenthening the capacity of NSOs by organising workshops, exchange visits, attachments, study tours and technical assistance The establishment of Regional Advisory Groups and National Coordinating Committees, especially in the area of Social/Gender and Environment Statistics Inclusion of the MDG indicators in the CARICOM Social Statistics Programme Examining and discussing the compilation of new areas of statistics

Challenges and Constraints The challenges experienced by Member States include the following: Lack of adequate human, technological and financial resources Low priority given to Statistics High staff turnover Lack of a statistical coordinating mechanism at the national level Lack of customer focus on the part of NSO’s

Challenges and Constraints (cont’d) Limited attention given to Social Statistics as traditionally Economic Statistics was the primary focus. Lack of harmonisation of definitions, methodologies, data collection procedures, and methods of data analysis and dissemination The need for more autonomy for the NSO’s

Sucesses/Achievements of SCCS As a mechanism for the development and Harmonisation of Statistics in the Region The SCCS has had varying degrees of success in most areas of Statistics, resulting from the varying stages of advancement and levels of capacity within Member States and also as a result of constraints previously mentioned, both at the regional and at the national levels. The highest area of comparability- Merchandise Trade data, - Harmonised Common External Tariff as base

New Approach The need for better organisation and strong coordination has been recognised and a decision was made to identify and adopt a new structured approach toward achieving the desired objectives i.e. statistical programming for the Region

Adoption of a Statistical Programming Approach The Regional Statistical Work Programme (RSWP) and Resolution on Investment in Statistics as a Priority in the Region- was developed by the CARICOM Secretariat in collaboration with the SCCS . Its objectives are: to advance the process of improving statistics in Member States in a structured framework. To address the weaknesses in the regional system, where countries are currently at various stages of development

The RSWP Minimum programme to be carried out by all Member States Sets out the core areas of work to be followed by all Member States to ensure harmonisation, relevance and quality data

The RSWP: Results Expected The monitoring of good governance, improving and monitoring public sector performance, targeting development programmes towards poverty alleviation, a more equitable distribution of resources and opportunities. Improved quality of statistical reporting at country level through improved availability of data & better use of statistics in decision-making at all levels of Government & the Private Sector.

Work Plan The work plan will include an assessment of deficiencies in the National Statistical Systems and will address these deficiencies. To ensure sustainability of the Programme, substantial financing will be required.

The Way Forward The way forward for the SCCS is now one of agreement by Member States regarding the gaps to be addressed, the strategies required to do so, and the identification of the wherewithal to arrive at the desired outcome. The programming approach facilitates a more organised and efficient way of sourcing and use of funds Donors and other international organisations are presented with all information on which they may make decisions regarding projects they may wish to support. This should also facilitate improved collaboration among these organisations and avoid duplication of effort.

The Way Forward (cont’d) The recent CARICOM Economic Statistics Meeting held on Strategising for the Improvement of Economic Statistics in the Region, Barbados, 19-20 June, 2008 The Meeting was productive and was well received by delegates ; can be said to have heralded the way for continued collaborative effort regarding the development and harmonisation of statistics in the Region. However, it must be noted that important aspects of programming are strong coordination, continuous monitoring, evaluation and reprioritising of activities to ensure relevance

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