Transcript International Standards for Compilation of Statistics: The Gap between Standards Adoption and Standards Implementation Katherine K.

International Standards for
Compilation of Statistics:
The Gap between Standards Adoption
and Standards Implementation
Katherine K. Wallman
Chief Statistician
U.S. Office of Management and Budget
Executive Office of the President
Motivations to adopt
International Standards
• more efficient to use existing international
standards
• shield statistical activities from political
interference
• requirements to report data to international
organizations
• framework for comparisons between
countries
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Consequences of
“a world without international
statistical standards”
• no agreed framework for inter-country
comparisons
• some countries less likely to produce data
at all, or likely to produce data of lower
quality
• creation of international databases more
difficult, if not impossible
• dissemination of internationally
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comparable data not possible
Case Studies:
1993 System of National Accounts
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•
•
early framework published in 1947 at request
of Statistical Commission
1993 SNA fourth revision
2001 effort to assess extent of implementation:
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–
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scope of the accounts
conceptual compliance
quality issues
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Case Studies:
1993 System of National Accounts
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Conceptual Compliance
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set of questions to assess compliance with
major 1993 SNA concepts
84/207 countries and territories had
implemented
Scope of Implementation
–
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minimum required data set (MDRS)
47/191 UN Member States fulfilled the
MRDS benchmark; 78/191 compiled 6 or
more tables
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Case Studies:
1993 System of National Accounts
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Quality Issues
–
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IMF Data Quality Assessment Framework
(DQAF)
IMF disseminating DQAF reports of 72
countries as data modules on the Reports
on the Observances of Standards and
Codes (ROSCs)
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Case Studies:
1993 System of National Accounts
•
Factors Impeding SNA Implementation
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Staff resources
Training
Data Resources
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Case Studies:
Standard Industrial Classification
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originally adopted in 1948 as standard
classification of productive economic
activities
3 objectives:
–
–
–
coordination of statistics published by
international agencies
inter-country comparability of information
organization and display of economic
statistics
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Case Studies:
Standard Industrial Classification
•
Barriers to Implementation of ISIC
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–
–
–
insufficient relevance
lack of adequate financial and staff
resources
insufficient technical capabilities
lack of legal requirements
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Case Studies:
Vital Statistics Systems
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•
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Originally adopted by Statistical
Commission in 1953
Principles and Recommendations for a
Vital Statistics System, Revision 2
adopted in 1999
to assist countries in developing
capacities to maintain systems of civil
registration and vital statistics
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Case Studies:
Vital Statistics Systems
•
Reasons for lack of progress
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under-enumeration of vital events
misreporting of information
changes in legal/administrative frameworks
problems with organization of the systems
lack of awareness or lack of incentives
lack of political support at the highest
levels
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Encouraging Implementation of
International Statistical Standards
• Impediments to implementation
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insufficient relevance
lack of authority to require implementation
lack of, or deficiencies in, legal frameworks
lack of available source data
insufficient budgetary and staff resources
lack of trained staff
insufficient guides and manuals
insufficient training programs
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Encouraging Implementation of
International Statistical Standards
• Where do we go from here?
– are all standards of equal importance?
– decide the purpose of the proposed standard
and level of detail in advance?
– consider relevance of the frameworks and
classifications?
– determine proper level of detail in guidance
on implementation of standards?
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Encouraging Implementation of
International Statistical Standards
• Where do we go from here?
– improve efforts to help countries better
understand the changes?
– assess coordination mechanisms for
implementing, maintaining and updating
frameworks and classifications?
– review adequacy of staff and resources to
assist with implementation?
– should ECOSOC require Member States to
meet a minimum level14of implementation?