ECA Statistical Activities in 1994-1995

Distr.:

LIMITED

E/ECA/PSPI.9/16

18 January 1996

UNITED NATIONS

Original: ENGLISH

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA

Ninth Session of the Conference of African Planners, Statisticians and Population and Information Specialists

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 11-16 March 1996

ECA STATISTICAL ACTIVITIES IN 1994-1995, EXAMINATION OF THE APPROVED 1996-1997 WORK PROGRAMME AND TRENDS FOR 1998-1999

E/ECA/PSPI.9/16

CONTENT

Page

I. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

II. WORK PROGRAMME 1994-1995 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

III. WORK PROGRAMME 1996-1997 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

IV. WORK PROGRAMME 1998-1999 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

V. CONCLUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

ANNEX I LIST OF PROFESSIONAL STAFF OF ECA STATISTICS DIVISION

ANNEX II WORK PROGRAMME FOR 1994-1995

ANNEX III PROPOSED WORK PROGRAMME 1996-1997

I. INTRODUCTION

1. The staffing situation of the ECA Statistics Division during the 1994-1995 biennium was more or less the same as in the 1992-1993 biennium, except that the post of Chief, Statistics Division became vacant on 29 December, 1994 and remained vacant throughout the second half of the biennium. The Division had, on average, 95.1 per cent of the total of professional work originally provided for it in the work programme budget as against 90.5 per cent during the biennium 1992- 1993. A list of professional staff of the Division is attached as Annex I.

2. It is proposed that the Conference should review the ECA statistical activities during the biennium 1994-1995 on the basis of the relevant work programme given in Annex II, and consider the approved 1996-1997 work programme (Annex III).

II. WORK PERFORMANCE 1994-1995

3. The objectives of the statistical component of the subprogramme as stated in the Medium-Term Plan for 1992-1997 are: (a) to strengthen the capacities of institutions at national, sub-regional and regional levels for data gathering, processing, analysis and dissemination, and (b) to develop and maintain specialized macro- and micro-economic statistical data bases.

4. The utilization of the actual resources available under the regular budget during the 1994-1995 biennium was as follows: substantive activities 59.2 per cent; operational activities 8.0 per cent; non-quantifiable activities 7.8 per cent and intermediate activities 14.8 per cent. The balance of available resources (5.3 per cent) was utilized to implement additional activities (3.4 per cent) and activities carried over from the previous biennium (1.9 per cent).

A. Measurable/quantifiable activities and outputs

5. Of the total number of activities quantified in the narrative of the Programme Budget for the 1994-1995 biennium, 98.5 per cent were implemented. These included support to the eighth session of the joint Conference of African Planners, Statisticians and Demographers; the preparation and dissemination of various recurrent and non- recurrent publications: for example, Framework for Monitoring Statistical Development in Africa; African Statistical Yearbook; African Socio-economic Indicators; Africa in Figures; Foreign Trade Statistics for Africa - Series A: Direction of Trade; Foreign Trade Statistics for Africa - Series C: Summary Tables; African Compendium of Environment Statistics; etc. Also disseminated were computer printouts; diskettes of data on ECA member States as gross domestic product, international trade, public finance, agriculture, industry, transport and communications, tourism, the environment, etc.

6. The following outputs/activities were added for the reasons given:

- Support to the Workshops on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems, Co-sponsored by the United Nations Statistical Division (UNSD), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Institute for Vital Registration and Statistics (IIVRS). The Workshop for English-speaking African countries was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 5-9 December 1994, and that for French-speaking African countries in Rabat, Morocco, 4-8 December 1995.

7. The purpose was to provide African perspectives to the International Programme for Accelerating the Improvement of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems.

- Support to the First Joint Conference of the International Association for Official Statistics (IAOS) and the African Statistical Association (AFSA), 20-26 May 1995. Two workshops were organized as part of the Conference. The first on Monitoring Living Conditions and Poverty, was organized by Statistics Norway in collaboration with the World Bank; the second Workshop on Principles of Effective Data Interpretation and Presentation was organized by Statistics Canada.

8. The Conference was attended by 131 participants representing 23 African countries, 12 countries outside Africa and 16 agencies and institutions comprising United Nations agencies, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. The Organization of African Unity (OAU) participated in the Conference.

9. The purpose of the Conference, which had the theme "Managing Development in the 1990s and Beyond: New Trends in Statistics", was to further the role of statistics in developing countries, in Africa in particular, and to create a better understanding and cooperation between statisticians working in Africa and those working outside the region.

- Regional Survey of Statistical Organization and Training, 1994.

10. The action, undertaken within the framework of activities of the Coordinating Committee on African Statistical Development Sub- committee on Training, had as objective the survey of Directors of National Statistical Offices in order to find out: (a) their opinions of the quantity, quality and relevance of training available to them to meet their training needs; and (b) the organizational relationships between various parts of their National Statistical Systems (NSS).

B. Non-quantifiable activities

11. About 7.8 per cent of the actual work months available during the 1994-1995 biennium were used for non-quantifiable activities.

12. Under this category of activities, it should be mentioned that the Statistics Division continued to manage the Secretariat of the Coordinating Committee for African Statistical Development (CASD), and during the 1994-1995 biennium, it provided substantive support to the fourth and fifth meetings of CASD as well as meetings of the CASD Sub-committees on Training; Research, Methods and Standards; Data Processing; and Organization and Management of National Statistical Systems; the Third International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD.94) and the first Joint Conference of the International Association for Official Statistics (IAOS) and the African Statistical Association (AFSA). In addition, resources were used in the coordination of statistical activities at the global level through participation in the United Nations Statistical Commission; the ACC Sub-committee on Statistical Activities and in the implementation of specific projects in statistics such as the 1993 System of Nations Accounts (SNA).

13. Activities relating to the CASD and its Sub-committees have a direct impact on the overall subprogramme. The CASD is helping to coordinate the efforts now being made to revitalize and develop the African statistical network within the framework of the Strategy for the Implementation of the Addis Ababa Plan of Action for Statistical Development in Africa in the 1990s.

C. Operational activities

14. Meetings: The operational activities mostly requested by member States include advisory services and the organization of training seminars and workshops. During the first half of the biennium, workshops were held on Statistical Computing and Strategies for Accelerating the Improvement of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems. However, due to the implementation of the special measures related to the financial situation of the United Nations Secretariat during the later part of the second half of the biennium, the workshops on Statistics on Services in the Informal sector of Developing Countries; and the Regional Working Group on recommendations on the 2000 Round of Population and Housing Censuses in Africa, which had been scheduled for that period were postponed to the first half of the 1996-1997 biennium. Also postponed to the same period was the Workshop on the Implementation of the 1993 System of National Accounts (SNA) (French-speaking African countries) and the ECA/UNSD Workshop on Environmental Statistics, Indicators and Accounting (English-speaking African countries). The first workshop postponement was due to the lack of a sufficient number of positive responses towards participation in the meeting from member States by the deadline for receipt of such responses. (an appreciable number of positive response were received after the deadline). The Workshop on Environment Statistics was postponed due to resource constraints.

15. Environment Statistics: During the biennium, activities in the area of environment statistics were intensified in order to help member States (a selected number for a start because of limited resources) to improve their coverage of environment statistics as an integral part of regular statistical activities. The ultimate aim is to help countries in establishing/developing and strengthening national capabilities in the field of environment statistics by addressing conceptual, methodological and institutional aspects of the collection, compilation, analysis and interpretation of the natural and man-made environment.

16. In this connection, a consultant was recruited on short-term under a Dutch Government-financed project on Development and improvement of environment statistics in Africa. During the first part of the assignment, the consultant undertook missions to two member States in order to: i) analyze activities undertaken so far by these countries in the field of environment statistics, and ii) prepare a case study on further steps to be taken in the formulation/strengthening of national programmes on environment statistics.

III. WORK PROGRAMME 1996-1997

17. Annex III shows the work programme as contained in the 1996-1997 Proposed Programme Budget. It should be mentioned that as a result of reduction in cost structures a number of activities in the original proposals for the programme budget have been omitted. These concern especially the operational activities including seminars, workshops and group training etc. for which it was decided that no regular budget resources would be allocated, and that they would not be included in the programme budget if there were no firm indication of the extrabudgetary resources to fund them.

18. In accordance with the revised Medium-Term Plan for the period 1992-1997, the title of the subprogramme has been changed to "Statistical and Information Systems Development". The new subprogramme subsumes the activities of the former subprogramme "Statistical Development" and part of the subprogramme "Development Issues and Policies".

19. The subprogramme places emphasis on assisting countries in establishing and/or developing a durable structure for the collection, processing, analysis and dissemination of integrated demographic, social, economic and environment statistics as well as other development information; developing the statistical data required for planning, monitoring and evaluating social and economic development; developing national statistical expertise; developing national data and information processing capabilities, especially through establishment of national databases (as constituents of subregional and regional databases), national information centres and enhance the use of modern information technology; improving the quality, relevance, timeliness and intercountry comparability and exchangeability of the data being collected, through harmonization of standards and methodologies; and strengthening; developing and maintaining multisectoral and other development information databases to be disseminated to all the member States and to interested development planners and researchers; the access to these databases will be widened through electronic media and eventually direct access will be made possible through the planned network linkages.

IV. WORK PROGRAMME 1998-1999

20. In view of the renewal programme at ECA, which will indicate the strategic directions for ECA's future activities, no proposals for the work programme 1998-1999 are included in this document.

V. CONCLUSION

21. The Conference is invited to review the activities within the statistical component of the subprogramme, and make comments and suggestions on their implementation during the biennium 1994-1995, and on the activities planned for the period 1996-1997.ANNEX I

LIST OF PROFESSIONAL STAFF OF ECA STATISTICS DIVISION

I. REGULAR BUDGET STAFF

Office of the Chief

Chief of the Division Vacant

Statistical Development Section

Chief of Section A.E. Cummings-Palmer

(Sierra Leone)

Chief, Demographic and Rene Rakotobe

Social Statistics (Madagascar)

Chief, Statistical Data A.M. Farazi

Base (United Kingdom)

Environment Statistician Christine Kronauer

(Federal Republic of Germany)

K.K. Bockor

(Togo)

Demographic Statistician A.M. Bakyono

(Burkina Faso)

Associate Statistician K. Cassamajor

(statistical database) (Guyana)

Economic Statistics Section

Chief of Section A.K. Amelewonou

(Togo)

Statistician (Trade) E.F. Ching'anda

(Malawi)

Statistician (Industry) V. Tankou

(Cameroon)

Statistician (national accounts)S. Traor

(Mali)

Associate Statistician (Prices)A.P. Ngwako

(Botswana)

II. UNFPA COUNTRY SUPPORT TEAMS / UNFPA-CST

CST - Addis Ababa

Regional Adviser in E.A. Colecraft

Demographic Statistics (Ghana)

Regional Adviser in Data Jean-March Hi

Processing/Database Management(Cameroon)

Regional Adviser in Sampling J.O. Onsembe

(Kenya)

CST - Dakar

Regional Adviser in DemographicHamady Sow

Statistics (Mali)

Regional Adviser in Data R. De Clercq

Processing/Database Management(Belgium)

Regional Adviser in Census O. Bocoum

Cartography/Automated Mapping(Mali)

Regional Adviser in Sampling A. Mayouya

(Congo)

CST - Harare

Regional Adviser in DemographicJacob Tayo

Statistics (Cameroon)

Regional Adviser in Census R.R. Tripathi

Cartography/Automated Mapping(India)ANNEX II

WORK PROGRAMME FOR 1994-1995

Activities

1. Parliamentary services

(a) Ten reports to the Conference of African Planners, Statisticians and Population and Information Specialists on: ECA statistical activities (1992-1993), work programme (1994-1995) and provisional work programme (1996-1997) (1994); Selected issues on the implementation of the Addis Ababa Plan of Action for Statistical Development in Africa in the 1990s: (1994)*; Methodological and technological developments in the 1990 round of population and housing censuses in Africa (1994);* The 1993 System of National Accounts: selected issues regarding its implementation in the African region (1994);* Role of Statistical Information Systems (SIS) in planning, monitoring and evaluation of national socio-economic development (1994);* Evaluation of 15 years of the Statistical Training Programme for Africa (STPA) (1994);* Civil registration systems, data collection, analysis and uses (1994)*; Importance of informal sector statistics for development planning (1994).*

2. Published materials

(a) Twelve recurrent publications: Statistical Newsletter (bi- annual); Directory of African Statisticians (biennial, 1994); Directory of electronic data processing centres and experts and statistical data bases in Africa (1995); African Statistical Yearbook: 1992-1993 issue (Volume I, 1994; Volume II, 1995); African Socio-economic Indicators (annual)*; Africa in figures (annual)*; Foreign Trade Statistics for Africa, Series A: Direction of trade (biennial, 1994); Foreign Trade Statistics for Africa, Series C: Summary tables (biennial, 1995); African Compendium of Environment Statistics (biennial, 1995); Directory of statistical training centres and associate centres participating in the Statistical Training Programme for Africa (biennial, 1994); Directory of statistical training centres not participating in the Statistical Training Programme for Africa (biennial, 1995).

(b) 14 non-recurrent publications: Review of progress in: (i) postgraduate and specialized statistical training in the African region (1994); (ii) Development of environment statistics in the African region (1995); Research at national statistical services and 02.3

centres participating in the Statistical Training Programme for Africa (STPA) (1995); Guidelines for the improvement of statistics on the situation of children in Africa (1994); Guidelines for the improvement of statistics on aging and elderly persons in Africa (1995); Use of micro-computers and related software packages for processing foreign trade statistics in African counties (1994); Compilation of energy balance sheets in Africa: practices and methods (1994); Implementation of the International Comparison Project (ICP) in Africa: progress and selected issues (1994); Review of coverage, quality and timeliness of tourism statistics in Africa (1995); Approaches to the measurement of selected demographic and social indicators (1995); Statistical data bases: the impact of new technology on development of national statistical systems in the African region (1994); Establishment and improvement of development information systems in Africa (1995).

(c) Technical material: Computer printouts of annual statistical indicators on: International trade (1994 and 1995); National accounts (1994 and 1995); Prices (1994 and 1995); Sectoral deflators/inflators for national accounts (1994 and 1995); Public finance (1994 and 1995); Agriculture (1994 and 1995); Transport and communications (1994 and 1995); Tourism (1994 and 1995); Industry, energy and construction (1994 and 1995); Environment (1994 and 1995); Demographic and social indicators; (1994 and 1995); Development, maintenance and dissemination of computerized data bases: ECA multi- sectoral statistical data base. Other technical material: Statistical annex to the Survey of Economic and Social Conditions in Africa (1994 and 1995); Distribution, on request, of statistical software to member States, under the "clearing-house" arrangements of CASD (on-going activity).

3. Information materials and services:

Statistical wall charts and graphs (1994 and 1995); Promotional material for commemoration of African Statistics Day - 18 November (1994 and 1995).

4. Operational activities

(a) Advisory services missions in support of programmes on: Statistical development and training at national, subregional and regional levels; Development and maintenance of national statistical data bases: Improvement of international trade statistics; Applying the 1993 System of national accounts and improving the quality of the basic economic statistics needed for their compilation as well as development policy formulation and planning*; Setting up integrated systems of industrial, energy and construction statistics and improving the coverage and timeliness of these data; Improving demographic and social statistics, with special emphasis on improvement of data on women, children, youth and the disabled; Establishing and/or improving environment statistics in national statistical offices.

(b) Four workshops on: Statistical computing: selected issues (1994) (XB); Implementation of the 1993 System of National Accounts in African countries (1995);* The biennial meeting of directors of centres participating in the Statistical Training Programme for Africa (1995) (XB); Improvement and development of environment statistics in Africa (1994).

(c) Field Projects: Statistical development programme for Africa; Regional advisory service in demographic statistics.

5. Co-ordination, harmonization and liaison

Participation in the meetings of the ACC machinery on statistical issues; participation in other technical co-ordination meetings of the UN system and other international organizations in the field of statistics and other development information.

ANNEX III PROPOSED WORK PROGRAMME 1996-1997

1. Parliamentary services

(a) Parliamentary documentation: One report to the ECA Conference of Ministers on the Implementation of the Addis Ababa Plan of Action for Statistical Development in Africa in the 1990s (1996); Four reports to the Conference of African Planners, Statisticians and Population and Information Specialists on: Statistical needs assessment and strategy development: the African experience (1996); Implementation of the 1993 System of National Accounts in the African region (1996); The Coordinating Committee on African Statistical Development (CASD) and its sub-committees: Major achievements and selected issues (1996); ECA statistical activities (1994-1995), approved work programme (1996-1997) and work programme (1998-1999), (1996).

(b) Substantive servicing of the Conference of African Planners, Statisticians and Population and Information Specialists (1996).

2. Published materials

(a) Twelve recurrent publications: Statistical newsletter (bi- annual); Africa in figures (annual); Intra-African Trade Statistics (biennial), (1997); African Statistical Yearbook, 1995, Volume I (1996), Volume II (1997); African Compendium of Environment Statistics (biennial) (1997); Directory of Statistical Data Processing Capacities and Databases in Africa (biennial), (1997); Promotional materials for commemoration of African Statistics Day - 18 November (1996 and 1997).

(b) Seven non-recurrent publications: Possible alternative approaches to population censuses in Africa (1996); National experiences in the formulation of statistical development plans (1997); Availability, estimation and management of data in African countries: Selected issues (1997); New modes of statistical data capture, dissemination and distribution (1997).

(c) Technical materials: Integrated computer printouts of annual economic, social and environmental indicators. (1996 and 1997); Statistical Annex to the Survey of Economic and Social Conditions in Africa (1996 and 1997); Development, maintenance and dissemination of ECA multi-sectoral statistical database (on-going activity).

3. Operational activities

(a) Advisory Services

Advisory missions in support of programmes on: Statistical development and training at national, subregional and regional levels (two missions); Development and maintenance of national statistical data bases (two missions). Applying the 1993 System of National Account and improving the quality of the basic economic statistics needed for the compilation as well as for development policy formulation, etc., (four missions); Improving environment, demographic and social statistics (two missions).

(b) Group training:

Workshops on: Compilation of public sector accounts in the framework of the 1993 System of National Accounts (SNA), (one for French-speaking African countries, 1996 and one for English-speaking African countries, 1997); Enhancing statistical capacity including statistical information systems in African countries, (one for English-speaking African countries, 1996 and one for French-speaking African countries, 1997); Environmental accounting for selected African countries (1996) (XB).

4. Coordination, Harmonization and Liaison

Coordination with United Nations agencies and ACC task forces working in the statistics fields in Africa, in particular: Participation in meetings of the ACC machinery on statistical issues (on-going activity); Representation of ECA at the 29th session of the United Nations Statistical Commission (1997); Contributions to activities of the Coordinating Committee on African Statistical Development (CASD) and its sub-committees, and the African Statistical Association (AFSA) (throughout the biennium); Participation in the coordination and implementation of the phase II development of the United Nations Economic and Social Information System (UNESIS); Participation in other technical coordination meetings of the UN system and other international organizations in the field of statistics.

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