1. Key components of an NSDS
Presentation by
PARIS21
During this presentation, I will outline the key components of an NSDS.

2. Contents NSDS Essentials NSDS as a coherence framework
Design and implementation process
Conclusion
[See NSDS Essentials in PARIS21 documentation]
Some issues important to the success of an NSDS are…….
Importance of high level political support and clearly defined leadership, typically by a country’s central statistics bureau
Need for a well planned process (or road map) to design the NSDS
Thorough process for identifying and prioritising user needs and to assess data gaps and weaknesses
Review of existing statistical production and analysis; capacity, legal and institutional framework and coordination arrangements
Agreeing (at the appropriate political level) on desired outcomes, building on what already exists and is in progress, e.g. GDDS improvement programmes
Setting priorities and strategies for implementation
Managing change
And engaging and motivating staff
NSDSs may take many forms depending on country experiences and progress. Much has already been done in the context of PRS and MDG monitoring and many countries participate in the GDDS programme……….

3. NSDS Essentials High level political support and leadership
Well planned process (“road map”) to NSDS design
Identifying user needs and data gaps and weaknesses
Reviewing existing statistical production and analysis; capacity, legal and institutional framework and coordination arrangements
Agreeing on desired results, building on what already exists and is in progress, eg GDDS improvement programmes
Setting priorities and strategies
Change management processes
Engaging and motivating staff
See NSDS Essentials in PARIS21 documentation
Some issues important to the success of an NSDS are…….
Importance of high level political support and clearly defined leadership, typically by a country’s central statistics bureau
Need for a well planned process (or road map) to design the NSDS
Thorough process for identifying and prioritising user needs and to assess data gaps and weaknesses
Review of existing statistical production and analysis; capacity, legal and institutional framework and coordination arrangements
Agreeing (at the appropriate political level) on desired outcomes, building on what already exists and is in progress, e.g. GDDS improvement programmes
Setting priorities and strategies for implementation
Managing change
And engaging and motivating staff
NSDSs may take many forms depending on country experiences and progress. Much has already been done in the context of PRS and MDG monitoring and many countries participate in the GDDS programme.

4. NSDS as a country-level coherence framework
Countries
DHS/
MICS
ICP
GDDS
MDG
etc
National Strategy for the Development of Statistics
(country)
As Tony outlined in this morning’s presentation, an NSDS can play an important role as a country-level coherence framework.
It is a strategic approach to statistical capacity building within which countries can place all national and international programmes in the context of user needs and priorities
An NSDS is not another international survey or statistical programme
If external and internal statistical activities can be thought of as being vertical, top-down initiatives, the NSDS is a horizontal initiative intended to encompass all data production, analysis, and use efforts.
It is an approach that can be applied by all countries – both big and small, both OECD and developing – if they want to

5. Coordination of Statistical Activities in a Country
Edu.
Agri.
Health
Labour
Similarly, the NSDS is a coordination mechanism for the national statistical system…
The NSDS should encompass all data production, analysis and use. It should be system-wide, covering and coordinating all actors in the system
The implementation of the NSDS may need to be incremental, perhaps starting with the NSO, but the strategy needs to be set in as broad a context as possible to enable:
Better co-ordination and co-operation
Alignment of supply and demand and to determine priorities
And to build interest in statistics and the strategy
NSDS needs to cover the entire National Statistical System for official statistics, including:
Line ministries as well as the NSO
Users (demand side ) as well as producers (supply side)
National, sub-national, regional and international needs and programmes

6. Coordination of Statistical Activities in a Country
Edu.
Agri.
Health
Labour
NSDS

7. NSDS design and implementation
Vision:
Where we want to be
Action Plans:
How to get there
Assessment:
Where we are now
Implementation:
Getting there, and staying there
Launching
PARIS21 partners have developed guidelines for designing NSDSs (this guide has been included in the workshop documents/pack)
This guide outlines the phases of the NSDS process, and – although we will look at each of these in more detail in tomorrow’s session – they typically:
start from political commitment, planning (the “road map”) and the launch of the NSDS design process
It then moves to an assessment of the current situation (where we are now) with respect to user needs, outputs and organisational framework
to where we want to be (the vision) and how to get there (strategic options /action plans)
culminating in implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
The preparation of a good strategy requires a carefully managed process; and will depend, crucially, on what is already in place and what existing mechanisms and processes the strategy can be built on.
The process is certainly not linear, and effective strategic planning is continuous with regular feedback, monitoring, and adaptation as conditions and needs change. And, however good the strategy is on paper, it is its implementation that determines its success.
Although an NSDS is unlikely to mean ‘business as usual’, regular outputs and existing improvement programmes of the agencies concerned will need to be continued while the strategy is being prepared and before it is fully implemented.

8. In conclusion National commitment:
Country-owned NSDS will need high-level government commitment to implement it
Statistical systems don’t exist in a vacuum:
Institutional and organisational development as well as financial realism are key to sustainabilty
Don’t frighten governments:
Plans need to be costed and need to be realistic
Lesson learning:
The NSDS approach must build on what exists and learn from country experiences
Some concluding remarks (not a summary):
National commitment
An NSDS should be a nationally-owned strategic plan for the improvement of national statistics and will need high-level government commitment to implement and fund it. Most funding will need to come from national governments, but a good strategic plan should also encourage donors.
Statistical systems don’t exist in a vacuum:
Institutional and organisational development, including leadership, management, human resource development, communications and infrastructure, are key to sustainability.
Also, don’t frighten governments. Strategic plans need to be costed and be realistic in terms of what countries, with external support, can afford: they should provide for PRS and MDG data needs and fit within national policy timetables and funding frameworks
Lesson learning:
The NSDS approach must learn from country experiences of strategic planning and programming of statistical activities and address constraints and blockages, both globally and in countries.
Thank you.