1. International Statistics
The Market & The Kitchen
Dr. Safaa Amer

2. The Market - Demand
Data Revolution changing the way that economies and societies are functioning
Data for development: Sustainable Development Goals (SDG Agenda 2030)
Public, private, civil society, and institutions = producers & users!
More data and better data needed
Boost inclusive growth
Fight inequalities
Understand climate change
Measure and monitor progress

3. The Market - Demand
Quality
Data
Timely
Disaggregated

4. The Market - Supply Data quality issues:
Incomplete, outdated, and approximate data
Data inconsistencies across sources
Lack of adequate metadata and para-data
Weak capacity in developing countries
Data access and bureaucracy issues

5. The Market - Supply Based on 2017 OECD Data for Development Report
77 developing countries have “inadequate” poverty data
Only 56% of countries worldwide have birth registration data that are 90% complete
Only 37 countries have national statistical legislation that complies with UN fundamental principles of official statistics
13% of countries worldwide have a dedicated budget for gender statistics
No data exist for 2/3 of SDG Indicators
Serious methodological and strategic challenges

6. The Kitchen - Traditional Data Sources
With a Recipe!
Methodology
Output
Basic descriptive statistics
Weighted Analysis
Statistical Analysis
Visualization
Mixed Methods
Quantitative Data
Census
Administrative records
Surveys
Qualitative Data
Measurement Error
Sampling Error
Frame & Coverage Error
Non-response Error
Data Management

7. The Kitchen - “Digital Breadcrumbs”
Data brokers and analysts are designing algorithms with growing power
Big Data: Satellite Imagery, Social Media, Health Trackers, Mobile phone companies, Banks, Web scraping, etc.
Used by recruitment agencies, dating sites, election campaigns
Data mining, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, etc.
Increasing importance in faster and higher impact :
Responding to outbreaks of infectious disease
Assessing and responding to natural disasters,
In development to ensure no one is left behind by providing insights on the needs and location of the most vulnerable people
Used recently by governments, donors, and development statisticians
 Changing the Map

8. The Kitchen - Where are we?
High demands on national statistical systems
Low statistical capacity
Insufficient budget
 overwhelmed
Increasing need for striking balance between:
Producing data for global monitoring of development and national policy making
Short term versus long term needs and results
Need for protocols and standards for quality and ethics of big data use
Under-utilization of the power of technologies

9. Shopping List! -What is Needed?
Strengthening statistical systems in developing countries
Greater Investment in capacity building for data collection
Bridge the divide and coordinate data collection efforts
Complement the data from statistical offices rather than replaces them for efficiency
Invest in data visualization and communicating results in layman-terms

10. Shopping List! - What is Needed?
Boost data production: high-quality standards while protecting privacy and confidentiality
Combine multiple sources of data under a clear ethical and quality protocols
Linking traditional data ecosystems to big data and bridging the digital and analytical divide

11. The Kitchen - Remodeling
Make Statistical laws, regulations and standards fit for evolving data needs
Data ecosystems fit for purpose
Ethical and Quality Standards
Improve the quantity and quality of financing for data
Data infrastructure
Boost statistical and data literacy through new approaches
Sustainable capacity building
Improved environment

12. The Kitchen - Remodeling
Increase efficiency and impact through “data compacts” or other coordinated, country-led approaches
Incentives for harmonization, accountability, and coordination
Invest in and use country–led results data to monitor progress towards the sustainable Development goals
Vision integration across local and international needs
Data accessibility
Produce and use better data to help understand the overall state of SDG financing
Reduce duplication, targeting investments, accounting for everyone’s needs, aligning country priorities for data

13. Creative Cook/Statisticians  … But more responsible one!
Better Data
Better Policies
Better Lives
No one left Behind!
Creative Cook/Statisticians 
… But more responsible one!
Fake News & alternative facts

14. Last But Not Least - The Consumer!
Data use challenges
Under-utilization
Miss-utilization
Data limitations
Data documentation
Tools for analysis
Capacity to use data especially complex survey data
Ethical considerations
Need to label our data for the consumer and raise statistical awareness

15. Thank You!