1. 61th ISI WORLD STATISTICS CONGRESS
ST032: The benefits of regional programs/initiatives on statistical cooperation: some evidences drawn from the field
AFRISTAT’s action in the statistical development of its member states
By Paul-Henri Nguema Meye
Deputy CEO of AFRISTAT
Marrakech, 18 july 2017

2. Summary
Presentation of AFRISTAT
Benefits of regional statistical coopération in the area of AFRISTAT
Tracks for an even more successful regional statistical cooperation

3. I. Presentation of AFRISTAT
A. History and governance
The Economic and Statistical Observatory for Sub-Saharan Africa (AFRISTAT)
Reference dates
1993: Signing of the Treaty of creation (by 14 Member States of the zone franc)
1996: Start of operational activities.
Host country : Mali (HQ is based in Bamako)
Objective: Strengthening the statistical capacity of its Member States and those of the sub-regional economic integration institutions
governance bodies: Council of Ministers, Committee of management, Scientific Council (Advisory) and Directorate Generale
Funding: AFRISTAT Fund (ten-year capitalization Fund) and partners (activities) .

4. I. Presentation of AFRISTAT
B.Géographical Situation

5. I. Presentation of AFRISTAT C. Intervention strategy
It is based on three (3) pillars :
Development of methodological documents
Harmonization and promotion of comparability;
Strengthening the scientific credibility and transparency
Training
In-service;
Initial;
Technical assistance.
With emphasis on collaboration with other actors.

6. I. Presentation of AFRISTAT D. AFRISTAT’s comparative advantages
Knowledge of the real needs of its Member states
Competence and working experience in the context of Member states;
Highlighting the principle of subsidiary and not substitution;
The speed and flexibility in mobilizing its expertise;

7. II. Benefits of regional statistical coopération in the area of AFRISTAT
Agreement for the creation of a statistical institution of reference that manages to :
Ensure the use of methodologies harmonized and consistent with international standards;
Promote the use of tools for the development of statistics tailored to local needs;
Promote the coordination of support from stakeholders (RECs and others partners);
Ensure a constant technical assistance in its areas of competence.

8. II. Benefits of regional statistical coopération in the area of AFRISTAT
Growth and loyalty of partners
The consequences are:
(i) partners and areas of intervention are increasing ;
(ii) mobilized financing are more important.

9. II. Benefits of regional statistical coopération in the area of AFRISTAT
Growth and loyalty of partners: What are AFRISTAT’s contributions :
give many countries a minimum level of statistical development :
Organisational level:
use of strategic planning and result-based management :
All Member states have developed and implemented between one to three NSDS;
(ii) and the modernization of the institutional framework :
- Since 2000, 82% of member states have adopted a statistical law.

10. Growth and loyalty of partners: What are AFRISTAT’s contributions :
II. Benefits of regional statistical coopération in the area of AFRISTAT
Growth and loyalty of partners: What are AFRISTAT’s contributions :
give many countries a minimum level of statistical development :
Technical level:
provinding adapted methodological documents
Since 1996, AFRISTAT has put at the disposal of the users nearly 40 methodological documents covering 12 different fields.

11. II. Benefits of regional statistical coopération in the area of AFRISTAT
Growth and loyalty of partners: What are AFRISTAT’s contributions :
give many countries a minimum level of statistical development :
Technical level:
(ii) capacity building of Human Ressources
All technical statistical services are managed by national;
AFRISTAT and other international organizations recruit their experts in Member states;
South-south cooperation in technical assistance has increased.

12. II. Benefits of regional statistical coopération in the area of AFRISTAT
Growth and loyalty of partners: What are AFRISTAT’s contributions :
give many countries a minimum level of statistical development :
Technical level:
(iii) developing working tools.
The Phoenix-UEMOA tool for calculating Harmonised national household consumer price index (AFRISTAT) ;
The TABLO model constructed for macroeconomic forecasting (Insee);
The ERETES module for assistance in construction of national accounts (Insee and Eurostat) .

13. Growth and loyalty of partners: What are AFRISTAT’s contributions :
II. Benefits of regional statistical coopération in the area of AFRISTAT
Growth and loyalty of partners: What are AFRISTAT’s contributions :
(b) The character of AFRISTAT Executive Agency allows :
To Capture more funding to the profits of the NSS:
- generally, AFRISTAT ensures the implementation of projects in collaboration with the beneficiaries and reports alone to the donor
To instruct faster projects funded by partners:
- generally, AFRISTAT is the main interlocutor in the respect of the conditions of disbursement of the resources of projects

14. Growth and loyalty of partners: What are AFRISTAT’s contributions :
II. Benefits of regional statistical coopération in the area of AFRISTAT
Growth and loyalty of partners: What are AFRISTAT’s contributions :
(b) The character of AFRISTAT Executive Agency allows :
To reassure partners about the judicious use of the resources that they mobilize:
- evaluation and audit reports of the project are positive until today. This strengthens the trust placed in us by our main partners (AfDB, WAEMU, FAO,…)

15. 3. Satisfaction of stakeholders : Technical and financial partners :
II. Benefits of regional statistical coopération in the area of AFRISTAT
3. Satisfaction of stakeholders :
Technical and financial partners :
renewal and strengthening of the collaborative experiences;
Mid-term and final project reports are positive overall;
The evaluation reports of the work programmes of medium term of AFRISTAT are generally conclude by the wish to see the observatory to extend the areas of his intervention;
the impact assessments on the action of AFRISTAT are positive.

16. 3. Satisfaction of stakeholders : The Member states:
II. Benefits of regional statistical coopération in the area of AFRISTAT
3. Satisfaction of stakeholders :
The Member states:
receive methodological documents and working tools adapted to national needs;
have their technical capacities strengthened;
have continuous statistical productions

17. 3. Satisfaction of stakeholders : The Member states :
II. Benefits of regional statistical coopération in the area of AFRISTAT
3. Satisfaction of stakeholders :
The Member states :
record more short publication deadlines;
have a more diversified statistical production;
renew their confidence to AFRISTAT annually (2 times a year on the occasion of the 2 sessions of steering committee).

18. III. Tracks for an even more successful regional statistical cooperation
General actions:
Make the process of adopting regional statistical programs more participatory;
Promote south-south cooperation by using, as often as possible, local expertise;
Governments disburse their counterpart fundings in regional projetcts to ensure their full implementation and sustainability;
Encourage international organizations to do more efforts to disseminate their initiatives at country level for a better appropriation.

19. Actions concerning AFRISTAT :
III. Tracks for an even more successful regional statistical cooperation
Actions concerning AFRISTAT :
The Observatory have to :
strengthen its internal capacities in order to value the statistical production by analysis;
Revise his institutional framework to widen his possibilities of intervention in the non member states;
And
Member states have to pay their contribution on time for the good functionment of the institution.

20. Thanks a lot for your attention