1 In search of relevance Presentation to Portfolio Committee of Finance Statistician-General Pali Lehohla 23 May 2008

2 In search of relevance Strategic overview Key strategic priorities Challenges The future Presentation to the Portfolio Committee of Finance “In search of relevance”

3 In search of relevance To outline Stats SA’s key priorities in the work programme for 2008/09 in line with its strategy Purpose of the presentation

4 In search of relevance strategic overview

5 In search of relevance Stats SA’s role in society Strategic importance of statistics For evidence based decision making Managing for development results For deepening transparency For broadening and deepening democracy For managing Paris Declaration on aid effectiveness Anticipating emerging issues Manage and improve run-of-the-mill

6 In search of relevance Characteristics of a statistical organisation Intellectual Technological Political Logistics Administrative

7 In search of relevance Role of statistics towards evidence-based decision-making Society needs basic macro economic and social information to inform decision-making in public and private sector Economic growth Price stability Employment and job creation Life circumstances, service delivery and poverty Demographic profile and population dynamics

8 In search of relevance Critical societal issues and how statistics relate to it- The policy environment is fluid, and how statistics respond to it Emerging policy debates – Changes in the interest rates Increasing food prices Labour market dynamics Fighting poverty Does Stats SA’s work programme respond to these challenges

9 In search of relevance key strategic priorities

10 In search of relevance Key priorities During 2008/09, key priorities: Quarterly Labour Force Survey Living Conditions Survey (previously called Poverty Survey) Reweighted CPI Reviewing PPI Geo-referenced dwelling frame National Strategy for Development of Statistics International activities and the ISI

11 In search of relevance Quarterly Labour Force Survey “Capturing the pulse of the labour market” Aim: To comprehensively measure the dynamics of the labour market. LFS is the primary instrument to measure employment Re-engineering the LFS introduced in 2006 Data collection for QLFS initiated in January 2008 Improvements: Reviewed concepts and definitions of key indicators, frequency, timeliness, redesigned questionnaire and processes First results to be published in August 2008

12 In search of relevance Consumer Price Index “A new basket for the CPI in the making” Aim: The CPI measures price changes as experienced by consumers over time IES 2005 results key input into new weights for CPI basket Currently running parallel sample on new products New weights will be published by June 2008 Communication: move from old to new index Reweighted CPI to be released in February 2009

13 In search of relevance Producer Price Index “Prices at the factory gates” Aim: The PPI shows monthly movement in prices of producers for a part of the economy (excluding services) The series has last been reviewed and re-weighted in 1999 Effect: an outmoded product classification and basket of goods Re-weighting and overall improvement - unexpected problems in the transition from a very old system to a new Difficulty of collecting prices from new respondents for new products resulting in revisions PPI on a stable footing this year

14 In search of relevance Living Conditions Survey “Measuring poverty in multiple dimensions” Aim: Measuring the extent and distribution of household poverty and monitoring progress in poverty reduction Engage key stakeholders Finalise survey instrument and methodology Publicity and Training 12 month survey Data collection to start in November 2008

15 In search of relevance Geo-referenced dwelling frame “All information has a spatial dimension” Aim: To compile a complete, up-to-date database of all dwellings and other structures in the country Sampling frame for all household surveys and censuses Dwelling frame completed during 2009/10 EA demarcation for census 2011 completed during 2010/11 Intergovernmental collaboration 43% of dwelling frame completed by March 2009

16 In search of relevance National Statistics System “Setting priorities for the NSS” Aim of the NSS:.. Governance structure for NSS including roles and responsibility Compile NSDS in consultation with stakeholders Training stakeholders in SASQAF Priorities: Statistical support – National level – Education, Health & Home Affairs Provincial level – Provincial profiles Municipal level – Raising awareness of statistics NSDS by March 2009

17 In search of relevance International Relations “Statistical world cup coming to South Africa” Global statistical development and learning in a competitive climate – Hosting the ISI SADC – towards statistical capacity building and product harmonisation African statistical development in an uneven political environment – ASSD towards 2010 Round of Population and Housing Census National statistical development - ISIbalo programme Hosting ISI in 2009

18 In search of relevance Capacity Building “Towards statistical numeracy” Attract and retain technical skills Statistical capacity building Leadership and management development ISIbalo programme - Women in statistics - Young statisticians and demographers conference - Maths, stats and the girl child - Data analysis forum - ISIbalo statistics education

19 In search of relevance Key challenges Strategic Risks and Challenges: Data Management and Information Delivery project Business register Building leadership and management capabilities Strengthening analytical and methodological capabilities Corporate data processing Integrated fieldwork Relocating Stats SA

20 In search of relevance the future

21 In search of relevance The future Beyond Benchmarking GDP Living Conditions Survey Statistical Training Institute ISI in 2009 Census 2011 New Building Climate change bb

22 In search of relevance Conclusion Stats SA is on track on informing the nation: For the first time, comprehensive employment data on a quarterly basis Changing consumption patterns in the economy For the first time, comprehensive and integrated poverty profile of the country

23 In search of relevance Stakeholder satisfaction Degree of importance Price Indices Income & expenditure Poverty information Research and analysis GDP Sectoral economic statistics Business Register Quality and Methodology Financial data Employment (SEE and LFS) General household survey Census 2006 Geography MIS Datawarehouse Parallel samples Prioritisation of challenges in 2003 Attend to urgentlyMaintain and Improve Drop Innovate

24 In search of relevance Price Indices Income & expenditure Poverty information Research and analysis and CRS Second Economy Construction Service sector Geography MIS Datawarehouse Parallel samples Census 2006 Prioritisation of challenges in 2004 Attend to urgentlyMaintain and Improve Drop Innovate GDP Sectoral economic statistics Business Register Quality and Methodology Financial data Employment (SEE and LFS) General household survey Stakeholder satisfaction Degree of importance

25 In search of relevance Economic statistics Growth – GDP (construction, services sector, informal sector) Price Indices (CPI, IES and PPI) Employment (LFS, QES) Social statistics Community Survey Poverty information Second Economy Research and analysis Business register Capacity building Geography MIS DMID Parallel samples Census 2006 Attend to urgentlyMaintain and Improve Drop Innovate Sectoral economic statistics Quality and Methodology Financial data General household survey Stakeholder satisfaction Degree of importance Prioritisation of challenges in 2005

26 In search of relevance Economic statistics Growth – GDP (construction, services sector, informal sector) Price Indices (CPI, IES and PPI) Employment (Re-engineer LFS) Social statistics Basic services - Community Survey Poverty information Second Economy/Informal sector Support Human resource management Risk management Geography MIS DMID Parallel samples Census 2006 Priorities in 2006 Attend to urgentlyMaintain and Improve Drop Innovate Sectoral economic statistics Business Register Quality and Methodology Financial data General household survey Internship programme Stakeholder satisfaction Degree of importance Statistical Training Institute NSS Corporate Image

27 In search of relevance Economic statistics Growth – GDP (construction, services sector, informal sector) Price Indices (CPI, IES and PPI) Employment ( Re-engineer LFS ) Social statistics Basic services - Community Survey Poverty information Second Economy/Informal sector Support Human resource management Human capacity building 1 Geography MIS DMID Priorities in 2007 Attend to urgentlyMaintain and Improve Drop Innovate Sectoral economic statistics Business Register Quality and Methodology Financial data General household survey Internship programme Stakeholder satisfaction Degree of importance Statistical Training Institute NSS Corporate Image

28 In search of relevance thank you