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More About NSDS Resources
WB STATCAP
STATCAP is a financing program designed to make investments in statistical capacity easier and more effective. Technically, it is a multi-country “horizontal” Adaptable Program Loan (APL), which was approved by the Bank’s Board in March 2004. Under STATCAP, countries will obtain separate loans, credits, or grants (if the country’s IDA envelop consists of grants) to finance the improvement of statistical capacity through an investment project, which will be appraised and prepared for approval at regional Vice President level following normal World Bank provisions for investment lending. The principle is that large-scale statistical capacity building projects are essentially very similar in nature from country to country – investments are usually needed to improve institutional capacity, to improve statistical infrastructure (such as classifications and sampling frames), and to improve physical working conditions, including through the use of information technology.
The cornerstone of a STATCAP project is the National Strategies for the Development of Statistics (NSDS), prepared through consultation with both data providers and data users. Work to develop a NSDS may be financed through a grant from the Trust Fund for Statistical Capacity Building (TFSCB). A STATCAP project may concentrate on improvements in one or more particular sectors, or it may take a comprehensive approach, provided that work is done within the framework of the NSDS. To support a long-term approach, countries may implement several linked projects, with the completion of the first serving as the trigger for the next, and with agreed mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation and appropriate indicators of success. Preparation of project documentation, including the Project Appraisal Document (PAD) will normally be based on the content of the NSDS. The NSDS should provide the rationale for the proposed investment, and essential background information, including a medium-term action plan with yearly budgeting, a road map, and a timetable. Procurement and financial management arrangements can be adapted from generic arrangements agreed within the program.
WB TFSCB
The Trust Fund for Statistical Capacity Building (TFSCB) provides grants of up to $400,000 for improving statistical capacity. Proposals for projects may originate from a number of different sources, including staff from national statistical agencies and other actors in national statistical system; and staff and/or consultants from donor agencies working with national agencies and concerned with statistical development. Applications should be prepared using a standard format and should follow the TFSCB Guidelines and Procedures. However it is strongly recommended that agencies interested in preparing an application contact the TFSCB Administration Unit or the local World Bank office at an early stage.
Project proposals that support the preparation of a NSDS or a plan to implement an NSDS can be submitted at any time and are reviewed immediately. Review of all other project proposals is dependent on the availability of funds; normally, the Chair of the Internal Management Committee (IMC) of the Fund announces a call for proposals twice a year, around March/April and September/October . Proposals submitted to these “windows” are reviewed simultaneously by the IMC and are approved based on the quality of the proposal, the extent to which it meets TFSCB criteria, and the availability of funds.
AfDB
The Bank’s Statistics Department is leading the effort of supporting African countries, financially and technically, to develop or update their NSDSs. The process is intended to ensure that statistical systems in African countries are improved to international standards and the countries’ statistical capacities enhanced in order to provide effective support for development policy decision-making processes, including monitoring of PRSPs and MDGs. The Bank is collaborating with the World Bank and OECD-Paris21 to ensure that all countries have up-to-date NSDSs by end-2007.
RRSF (AfDB)
The Reference Regional Strategic Framework for Statistical Capacity Building in Africa (RRSF) was prepared jointly by the African Development Bank, ECA, the World Bank and the Partnership for Statistics in the 21st Century (PARIS21). The Framework was adopted in February 2006 at the second Forum for Statistical Development in Africa (FASDEV-2) organized by the four sponsoring institutions. The Forum brought together all the key stakeholders involved in statistical development work in Africa: United Nations Agencies, multilateral and bilateral institutions, sub-regional organizations, statistical training centers and Directors of National Statistical Offices from 51 African countries. The stakeholders assigned AfDB and ECA responsibility for overseeing the implementation of the RRSF.
The RRSF provides a framework for guiding statistical development in RMCs and focuses on strengthening national statistical systems. It is intended to contribute to improved development outcomes and good governance in Africa by guiding and accelerating sustainable statistical capacity building activities. It reflects the desire of African countries, with the support of the international community, to meet the data challenges of the results agenda by 2015. It helps in particular to focus on strategic directions and appropriate implementation instruments for improving the planning, financing, management, and coordination of statistical development activities to meet demands for statistics of good quality.
PARIS21
The Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century(PARIS21) is an international partnership of policymakers, analysts, and statisticians from all countries of the world who are interested in promoting high-quality statistics, making these data meaningful, and designing sound policies. It was established in November 1999 in response to the UN Economic and Social Council resolution on the goals of the UN Conference on Development to act as a catalyst for promoting a culture of evidence-based policymaking and monitoring in all countries, and especially in developing countries. Its role is to foster effective dialogue among those who produce development statistics and those who use them through facilitating international events, supporting country-based activities, regional workshops, and subject matter task teams. PARIS21 is serviced by a small secretariat hosted by the Development Co-operation Directorate in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris, France. The work of the partnership is guided by a steering committee with representatives of developing and transition countries from each region of the world, bilateral donors, and the partnership's founding institutions: the OECD, World Bank, United Nations, International Monetary Fund, and the European Commission.
As endorsed by the Steering Committee at its meeting in October 2003, the PARIS21 Secretariat has focussed its 2004 - 2006 work programme on helping developing countries to design and implement a National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) to improve the basis for national development policies, including poverty reduction strategies, sector strategies and achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The target is for all low-income countries to design a strategy and to start implementing it in order to have nationally owned and produced data for all relevant MDG indicators by 2010
From 2007 onwards, the main aim of the PARIS21 partnership is to support implementation of well-designed and well-coordinated national and international statistical programmes, which have adequate funding and are centred on implementing NSDSs which both build statistical capacity and provide data for immediate priority needs. To carry this work forward, PARIS21 produces methodological guidance on strategic planning, helps track countries’ progress with their NSDSs, finds solutions to the obstacles that countries may have encountered, and facilitate advanced countries sharing their experiences on follow-up and strategic plan development with countries aiming at taking similar steps. PARIS21 also hosts two “satellite programmes” — the International Household Survey Network (IHSN) and the Accelerated Data Programme (ADP). The IHSN’s objective is to bring survey producers, sponsors, and users together to improve the use of survey data for policy making and monitoring. The ADP is a pilot programme intended to assist selected countries to undertake urgent improvements to produce consistent results for monitoring progress and measuring change in key development indicators, including the MDGs, between now and 2010.
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