Transcript Input to the future agenda of CCSA - Prepared by IMF and World Bank

Twentieth Session of the
Committee for the Coordination of
Statistical Activities (CCSA)
Input to the Future Agenda of the CCSA
Adelheid Burgi-Schmelz, Director,
Statistics Department, IMF
In collaboration with
Shaida Badiee, Director, Data Group, World Bank
September 17–19, 2012
The views expressed herein are those of the author and should not necessarily be attributed to the IMF,
its Executive Board, or its management
A. What is CCSA? (1/2)
In September 2002, the Committee for the Coordination of Statistical
Activities (CCSA) was established.
The CCSA adopted its terms of reference during its first session on
March 3, 2003 in New York. These terms of reference were revised and
approved by the twelfth meeting of the CCSA held in Tunis on
September 11-12, 2008. The new terms of reference can be viewed and
downloaded at http://unstats.un.org/unsd/accsub/2008docs-12th/TORs2011.pdf
An annual report on ongoing Committee activities is made available to the
United Nations Statistical Commission and if necessary or desirable the
report is referred to the High Level Committee on Programs of the United
Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB).
Members of the Committee comprise international and supranational
organizations, whose mandate includes the provision of international official
statistics in the context of the Principles Governing International Statistical
Activities, and which have a permanent embedded statistical service in their
organization and regular contacts with countries.
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A. What is CCSA? (2/2)
The committee focuses its work on the following six main
activities:
Efficient functioning of the statistical system
Common standards and platforms
Development of methodologies
Inter-institutional support
Outreach
Advocacy for statistics
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B. Efficient Functioning of the
Statistical Systems
What is working well: The CCSA has been functioning
fairly well thanks to the energy of the co-chairs including
the past co-chair who was very passionate about the
success of the CCSA during his term as co-chair.
What is not working: They say if it is working well don’t
fix otherwise you may damage! That said, there is
always room to improve on efficiency and I am sure
there are many ideas among us, hence the need to
brainstorm.
What can be improved and what are the limitations?
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C. Collaboration on Vertical vs.
Horizontal Subjects
The 2011 ICP Round or the 2008 SNA are good
examples of vertical collaboration. They usually bring
together a subset of CCSA members.
Horizontal subjects such as quality or training are
relevant to all CCSA members.
Could the CCSA Secretariat take a more proactive role
on horizontal subjects?
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D. Examples of Horizontal Collaboration
Common Standards and Platforms
Career Development and Training
Outreach
Advocacy
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E. Common Standards and Platforms
What is working well: We have made tremendous effort in
developing common standards and platforms for information sharing
either individually in our own institutions or jointly. The IMF for
instance has developed data standards—SDDS and SDDS Plus,
the GDDS, etc. Jointly and especially with the IAG agencies we
have developed the Principal Global Indicators website. The CCSA
now has new information based for available international
methodologies launched at the last UNSC meeting. Can we do more
and how? The answer is yes!
What is not working: We can do more by standardizing information
collection and sharing systems and the promotion of the SDMX is a
good example.
What can be improved and what are the limitations? We need more
collaboration.
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F. Career Development and Training for
Official Statisticians
CCSA started a networking project.
Maybe job vacancies could be shared systematically.
There is not an established academic curriculum to prepare
for our profession.
ISTAT and the ESSC are working on a master’s program, but
what about the global level? And what about statisticians
working in international organizations that require more and
more versatility across their organizational functions?
What about better use of the Virtual Statistical System (VSS)?
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G. Outreach
We saw the success of coordination in launching the
World Statistics day. Can we do more through the
CCSA? I’m sure there are many ideas in this room,
hence the need to brainstorm.
What could we do next?
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H. Advocacy of Statistics
What is working well: The Paris21 has done a wonderful
job on advocacy. Can this be broadened?
What is not working: While a lot has been accomplished
by the advanced economies, we have major gaps in key
data sets and diminished resources for statistics as a
result of the austerity measures. This is the message we
get in every conference of the G-20 on data gaps.
What can be improved and what are the limitations? We
need your ideas!
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http://www.imf.org/external/data.htm
“Meetings and Related Statistical
Materials”
Thank you for your attention!
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