Data Reconciliation Issues

1. Workshop on MDG Data Reconciliation: Employment Indicators • 12-13 July, Beirut Data Reconciliation Issues NedaJafar jafarn@un.org

2. “Not everything that can be counted counts; and not everything that counts can be counted.” —ALBERT EINSTEIN

3. International Mandates • In July 2006, the Economic and Social Council adopted its resolution 2006/6 on strengthening statistical capacity in countries and included a set of recommendations to improve the coverage, transparency and reporting on all indicators • ESCWA resolution 287 (XXV) on Strengthening statistical capacities for evidence-based policymaking which “Encourages member countries to produce MDG indicators, and requests the secretariat to assist member countries in building their capacity to unify concepts and definitions”.

4. 297 (XXVI). Arab MDG monitor for societal progress 1. Calls upon all member countries to enhance coordination between national statistical offices and implement national strategies for statistical development, with a view to improving the coverage and transparency of indicators and methods of reporting on them and disseminating effective methods of monitoring nationally and internationally agreed development goals, including MDGs, by: (a) Defining priorities and developing a strategy to provide data for all indicators; (b) Identifying ways, including through capacity-building to improve monitoring and reporting on development indicators, including indicators relating to MDGs; (c) Ensuring that the supporting metadata comply with standard guidelines; 2. Requests the secretariat to assess the quality of national data and development indicators, including MDGs, and providing adequate resources to improve data quality and convergence with international standards

5. Findings: Major differences exist in the data availability reported by the two sources. The greater the difference in data availability reported, the higher the possibility of major shortcomings in the reporting mechanism between them UNSD therefore disseminates little more than half the data reported in national sources @least third of the national data are not reported in UNSD db National disaggregated data available and are not reported in UNSD database

6. Discrepancy in data value emanates from one or more components related to metadata : • definition • classifications • method of calculation • targeted population and subpopulation • proxy indicators • sources of data • data series • extrapolation/estimation methods

7. Objectives • Build national capacities • Improve data quality • Ensure transparency • Reduce data gaps and increase availability • Reduce inconsistency • Increase production • Enhance dissemination

8. Reconciling international and national sources for effective global monitoring • Global monitoring - IAEG • Compilation of international sources • Improving international sources and resolving data gaps and discrepancies • Regional monitoring - ESCWA • Compilation of national data • Improving national sources and resolving data gaps and discrepancies with international sources

9. Data compilation: from national sources to the MDG database International agency country office Agency Headquarters eg. UNICEF MDG Indicators database 60 MDG indicators + background/additional indicators 192 Member States Agency Headquarters eg.UNESCO Line Ministry in the country National Statistical Office in the country Agency Headquarters eg.ILO

10. Data provided by the international agencies

11. Country data Estimated Modelled DATA: national, modeled or estimated Source: MDG Indicators Database, at mdgs.un.org

12. Different types of data in international data sources

13. MDG metadata compilation • Development and enhancement of metadata for the global monitoring • Custodian agencies provide metadata and updates as necessary • Indicator metadata is stored in a repository • Footnotes are accessible together with the data • Exchanges usually via email

14. Improve transparency in the MDG Indicators Database Metadata for MDG Indicators in MDG Database

15. Regional Priorities • Improve data quality and transparency of methods • Identify good practices for coordination within national statistical systems • Identify good practices in reporting mechanisms to the international statistical system • Address key methodological issues, including the use of population figures, in the computation of the indicators • Develop improved training tools on the compilation of the indicators • Improve consistency and transparency in reporting and presenting data and metadata for the international monitoring (DevInfo and SDMX trainings) • Provide technical assistance to countries in the use of international definitions. • Improve the process of consultation by international agencies with countries before publishing their data

16. 9th SC PROPOSALS FOR IMPROVEMENT @ national level: (i) Data availability can be improved in the following ways: 1. Review current methodologies for imputations and consultation mechanisms with national statistical offices; Organize workshops and/or producing handbooks and guidelines to improve the production and transparency of indicators and methodologies Provide direction on recommended consultation mechanisms, with a view to bringing the least-tracked indicators, in particular, into line with international standards; 3. Carry out the required surveys and censuses, and improving administrative registers for the periodic production of data on MDG indicators, other development data and country-specific indicators; 4. Develop and maintain a central repository at the national and subnational levels that is disaggregated by sex, where applicable, and user-accessible;

17. (ii) Dissemination can be improved in the following ways: 1. Publish metadata with relevant indicators in order to improve transparency, quality and dissemination practices in line with international standards; 2. Provide disaggregated data, where applicable, by age, educational attainment, geographical area, ethnic group, urban/rural and gender in order to highlight patterns within countries, thereby facilitating comparisons across subpopulations for effective planning and budgeting by policymakers; 3. Publish a new round of MDG reports, taking note of the new MDG indicators and incorporating comprehensive coverage in terms of disaggregated data with relevant metadata and trend analysis to track progress towards the achievement of MDGs;

18. @ regional level: Review and identify regional priorities and propose ways of improving the production and analysis of MDGs, including development indicators; Propose future courses of action, particularly in terms of recommending areas and modalities for technical cooperation and statistical capacity-building; Develop and maintain a regional central database derived from national databases and publications aimed at monitoring availability, tracking progress and planning capacity-building activities in focused statistical areas; Review and discuss data gathering mechanisms available to international agencies, their methods of compilation of international data series, and the imputation techniques used to calculate regional and global estimates for MDG indicators;

19. @ regional level: Identify ways of improving compilation of regional data series by improving reporting mechanisms from national statistical systems to international agencies; Compile and review national metadata published in national central databases and make recommendations on ways of improving them; Review current methodologies for imputations and consultation mechanisms with member countries and recommend methods to improve methodologies, transparency and consultation mechanisms, both within countries and with international agencies.

20. Thank you