This site aims at presenting a comprehensive set of information and knowledge, as well as links to major documents, related to statistical capacity building in developing countries. Weaknesses in many countries’ statistical systems have created obstacles to the design, monitoring and evaluation of national poverty reduction programmes and global initiatives such as the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs).

Strengthening statistical capacity is therefore required to improve development results at national, regional and global levels. To do so, many developing countries, with partner support, have decided to design a National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) providing the country with a strategy and development plan for the entire national statistical system (NSS) to improve the basis for national development policies, including poverty reduction strategies, sector strategies and achieving the MDGs.

This web site provides information on the NSDS process for some 80 developing countries presented under the following categories (accessible from the left side of the page):

• Strategic Management and NSDS: basic principles and documents related to the nature, the design and the implementation of an NSDS;
• NSDS Resources: majors partner initiatives that refer to NSDS support in its purpose, including the work conducted by PARIS21 partners and the Secretariat;
• Country NSDS Progress: country by country, status and progress made in designing or implementing an NSDS;
• Report and Summary Table: a global report on statistical capacity building.

This NSDS website results from a partnership-collaboration with the World Bank and complements the WB Country Statistical Information Database.

News

• Guinea and Niger have just released their statistical advocacy booklet.
  (posted on 30/10/08)