Paris21 Forum Reinforcing Statistical Co-operation at the Regional Level to Support Sustainable Development 5 – 6 October 2015, OECD Conference Centre, Paris, France Session 2: South-south learning on regional statistics cooperation

Experience from the Pacific Community 1.Introduction 22 PICTs (8 million -> 1,200) 21 NSOs (157 -> 7 countries with < 5 staff) Since 2011 regional statistical developments guided by Ten Year Pacific Statistics Strategy (2011 – 2020), 3 phase approach Phase-1 (2011 – 2014): massive investments in data accessibilty (fill data gaps: censuses and HH surveys; parallel developments in IMS (CRVS+EMIS); web-based access through National Minimum Development Indicator Database (NMDID), PRISM Phase-2 (2015 – 2017): improve data quality, data use

Experience from the Pacific Community 2. Tangible aspects of regional cooperation 1.Resources (Financial and Human) 2.Data (improve data quality, innovative collection systems, dissemination) 3.Technical cooperation and collaboration (country-country; inter-agency)

Experience from the Pacific Community 2.1 Resources Ten Year regional strategy facilitated multi-year resources commitment: predictable SPC funding for technical core positions, plus multi-year commitments by key financial partners 4 year commitment by Australia to Phase-1 ( ) Move to 3-year funding by New Zealand ( ) Successive 2-year seed funding by Asian Development Bank to regional Household survey program managed by SPC Making greater use of existing national human resources for regional deployment (South-South) – helps create “virtual” regional statistical system)

Experience from the Pacific Community 2.2 Data A.Improve data quality (integrity, comparability, timeliness) Growing adherence to international standards and regional systems and classifications (in line with international standards) Consistent practice across countries is essential to improve data quality, innovative collection systems, dissemination) Consistent practice across all major collections essential for provision of multiple data points over time (Example: Yr-1 Census; YR-4: Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES); YR-7: DHS; YR10: Census)

Experience from the Pacific Community 2.2 Data (PIC Unemployment rates)

Experience from the Pacific Community 2.2 Data B.Innovative Collection Systems: development of Pacific Living Conditions Survey prototype Prohibitive costs of regular HH surveys in small and widely dispersed populations over large areas of Pacific Ocean PLC Survey prototype developed with WB Support (includes core HIES/DHS modules to compile most population-based indicators, and allow extraction of other information required from, e.g. HIES (-> feeding into NA and CPI-rebasing) Results thus far: excellent compatibility regards HH income/ expenditure data) matched to HIES 2 years earlier; similar matching planned for 2016 (against DHS 2 years later) Prototype survey carried out at 25% of combined HIES+DHS costs

Experience from the Pacific Community 2.2 Data C. Developments in Data dissemination Greater attention to user-relevance and -friendliness : infographics, charts, GIS-maps, fact-sheets (with notes on policy relevance of key findings) Facilitate accessibilty of data – more web-based statistical information (

Experience from the Pacific Community Example of HIES Infographics and PLCS Factsheet (next slide)

Example of DHS Facts and Figures at your Fingertips Factsheets DHS Facts and Figures at your Fingertips Folder (reduces standard/dry DHS telephone-book format DHS reports to more user- friendly format for most users: each standard chapter is reduced to one back-to-front factsheet, which includes a Policy Note box, highlighting key findings that might be usefully addressed as a matter of priority.

and home pageswww.spc.int/prism

Experience from the Pacific Community 3. Technical cooperation and collaboration Brisbane Accord Group (BAG) excellent illustration of well- functioning multi-agency/party working environment

Experience from the Pacific Community 3. Technical cooperation and collaboration BAG secret of success – realization early on that Regional CRVS development too big a task for any one agency to tackle on its own; No single agency has the technical capacity and budget to effectively address all critical components: registration of births and deaths, IT skills regards system development, skills for accurate capture /classification of cause of death We operate as one, even when one/two agencies take lead role for particular tasks (“agency flags stay behind”)

Experience from the Pacific Community 4. Future outlook – post 2015 SDG agenda and global funding uncertainties for data and analytics 320+ SDG indicators could do with some trimming down; good start with SDSN proposal of 100, and UNSD 82 Global Tier-1 indicators Recently completed development of draft Pacific headline indicators of 62, plus matching exercise of Global Tier-1 showed overlap of 28 If current Global list remains, massive collection/reporting challenge for Pacific -> 116 (nearly double of MDG lists of 60) Danger of unfolding double-whammy scenario: (i) setting countries (specially SIDS) up for failure, plus (ii) risk of wiping out early gains during MDG period, without concerted international and national efforts to address current funding gap of 1 billion required annually by IDA eligible countries.

Thank you