Presentation to Standing Committee on Finance Statistician-General

Content Introduction Statistical production, a national effort –Where do we come from –Where are we now –Where do we want to be Strategic enablers Conclusion

Introduction Strategic importance of statistics To inform planning For evidence-based decision-making For monitoring and assessment of policies and programmes Therefore, the production of statistics is a national effort

Statistical themes 1.Economic Growth and Transformation 2.Prices 3.Employment, job creation and decent work 4.Life circumstances, service delivery and poverty 5.Population dynamics 6.Health 7.Education 8.Safety and Security 9.Sustainable resource management 10.Food security, land reform and rural development Production of statistics, a national effort

Where do we come from Review methods and improving series Production of economic growth shared responsibility Where are we now Quarterly and annual GDP (production side) informed by regular monthly and quarterly surveys and other data sources Large sample survey programme deepening understanding of industrial segmentation Fragmented business registration systems that prevents a single consistent view of the economy Where are we going Integrated business registration system underpinning economic profile Surveys and administrative records complementing each other to create a full picture of the economy Production of economic statistics under single statistical authority Challenges and area of intervention Business sampling frame as the pillar of economic statistics not complete Intergovernmental collaboration with SARS, Cipro and others Economic Growth and Transformation

Where do we come from CPI debacle in 2003 Where are we now Introduced new collection methodology for CPI Introduced new collection methodology for IES to inform basket of CPI Where are we going Regularly updated CPI Industry specific PPI’s Challenges and priority area Reviewing the PPI Need for rolling survey programme to inform regular updates for prices Prices

Where do we come from Bi-annual labour force survey and Quarterly Employment statistics survey (formal sector) Where are we now Introduced a new vehicle (quarterly labour force survey) to collect employment data QLFS and QES not in sync Where are we going Integrated business registration system underpinning employment information Surveys and administrative records complementing each other to create a full picture of employment Challenges and area of intervention required Business sampling frame as the pillar of employment statistics in the formal sector not complete Synchronization of the source data Employment, job creation and decent work

Where do we come from Stats SA publishes annual information on life circumstances and service delivery through conducting surveys and censuses Where are we now The General Household Survey does not provide information at lower levels Municipal data based on irregular surveys and not administrative records Quality of administrative records at municipalities questionable Stats SA developed methodology for establishing a poverty line Stats SA conducted a living conditions survey to produce a poverty profile of the country Where are we going Functional administrative systems at municipal level Integrated social statistics system to inform development outcomes Challenges and area of intervention required Lower level estimation Fragmented sources and system Capacity constraints in municipalities and Stats SA Life circumstances, service delivery and poverty

Where do we come from Population Censuses conducted in 1996 and 2001 Community Survey conducted Midyear population estimates High levels of undercount Where are we now Planning for Census 2011 Pilot conducted in 2009 Dress rehearsal in 2010 Strategies developed to address high undercount, publicity campaign and educating the population Where are we going Increase usage of administrative records e.g. Population register Use of Census as a critical pillar for national statistical system Challenges and area of intervention required Legislative provisions for the frequency of censuses Enumeration of everyone and reduction of undercount Population dynamics & demographic profile

Legislative provisions Act provides for 5-yearly census to be conducted Community Survey conducted in stead of a census in 2007 based on the advice from council and recommendation from SG to the Minister –Deal with capacity constraints in Stats SA –Proper time for planning –Prospects for a 10-yearly census Reduction of undercount Stable supervisory workforce (20 000) Workforce need to be resourced adequately e.g. vehicles Interface between household and enumeration tools (length of stay) Workforce be known and respected in community Deploy workforce for a longer period (4 months - an hour a day) Recommendation: Deploy teachers as supervisors Employ anyone that qualifies as enumerators State of readiness Adequate capacity to manage Census 2011 Census 2011

Where do we come from Education statistics are produced by the Department of Education through annual surveys Education statistics are produced by Stats SA through the GHS and Population census Where are we now Interdepartmental collaboration established to improve quality of education statistics Education standards developed based on SASQAF Mapping data flow from schools level to user to identify quality constraints Where do we want to be Functional educational statistics system based on administrative records and survey data that informs development outcomes Challenges and area of intervention required Resource constraints both in the Dept of Basic Education and Stats SA Functionality of management information system Education

Where do we come from Health statistics are produced by the Department of Health through demographic and health surveys and administrative records Health statistics are produced by Stats SA through processing administrative data on vital registrations e.g. Births and deaths notifications Where are we now Fragmented and irregular publication of health statistics Interdepartmental collaboration established to improve quality of health statistics Assessment of Health information system conducted and quality gaps identified Mapping data flow from health facility level to user to identify quality constraints Where do we want to be Functional health information system based on administrative records and survey data that informs development outcomes Challenges and area of intervention required Fragmented health information subsystems Resource constraints both in the Dept of Health and Stats SA Statistical standards for health statistics Health

Where do we come from Crime statistics are produced by the Department of Police, Justice and National Prosecuting Authority through using administrative records Crime statistics were produced by Stats SA by conducting a Victims of Crime Survey in 1998 Where are we now Lack of trust in crime statistics Interdepartmental collaboration initiated Proposal compiled to SAPS on statistical support from Stats SA Where do we want to be Integrated crime statistics system based on administrative records and survey data that informs development outcomes Challenges and area of intervention required Accountability reporting at Police station level Statistical standards and definitions for crime statistics Resource constraints Safety and security

Where do we come from Statistical information on sustainable resource management fragmented Researched establishing an economic environmental accounts programme Where are we now Discussion documents compiled on Economic environmental accounts in terms of water, minerals and energy Global research to develop international standard for environmental reporting not finalised Where do we want to be Official statistics published on water, minerals and energy according to a system of economic environmental accounts Challenges and area of intervention required Establishing partnerships with other stakeholders in the field of sustainable resource management Implementing an international standard for economic environmental accounts within SA Sustainable resource management

Where do we come from Lack of appropriate data to inform policy programmes Where are we now Fragmented sources Methodological developments through participation in “War on Poverty” Improving tools to measure agriculture, food security and rural development Where do we want to be Official statistics to inform policy reform Integrated products Challenges and area of intervention required Develop tools for measurement in collaboration with key stakeholders Integration of sources and systems Food security, land reform and rural development

Building trust and public confidence Quality management system Business register Dwelling frame Integrative research and development Innovation management Integrated communication, marketing and stakeholder management Improve productivity and service delivery

Invest in the learning and growth Create an enabling information technology environment Create a conducive organisational environment Developing statistical capacity Statistical Training Institute

Statistical tools Governance Roles and responsibities - Production - Coordination Regulatory environment Standards setting (Statistician-General) Section 7(2)(e) & 14(6) Statistical advice & Technical Support (Statistician-General) Section 7(2)(i) Information Collection approval Data sharing Data provision (Minister) Section 14(1)-(3) & 14(8)(a) Certification (Statistician-General) Section 7(3)(b) & 14(7)(a) Strategic enablers

Conclusion Towards a new strategic direction Broadening the role and reach of official statistics Growth through coordination Enhanced quality Sustained capacity Doing more with the same