Ackim Jere SADC Secretariat Gaborone, Botswana

1. Technical Assistance and Institutional Strengthening to Implement the System of National AccountsProposed effective Ways to support Member States – The case of SADC Ackim Jere SADC Secretariat Gaborone, Botswana Second Meeting of the Continental Steering Committee of the African Project on the Implementation of the 2008 System of National Accounts 2-4 April 2014, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

2. Outline of Presentation • Introduction – About SADC • RISDP and Statistics • SADC Institutional Framework • SADC Regional Strategy for Development of Statistics • 2008 SNA in SADC RSDS Context • Key proposed Measures to Assist Member States in 2008 SNA implementation

3. 1 - Introduction – About SADC • SADC as a sub-regional organization was established at the Summit of Heads of State and Government on 17 August 1992 in Windhoek, Namibia. • SADC currently composed of 15 member states, namely, Angola, Botswana, DRC, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe • SADC Secretariat in Gaborone, Botswana • SADC Mission: “To promote sustainable and equitable economic growth and socio-economic development through efficient productive systems, deeper co-operation and integration, good governance, and durable peace and security, so that the region emerges as a competitive and effective player in international relations and the world economy

4. 1 - Introduction – About SADC (cont’d) SADC Regional Selected Statistical Indicators, 2012 • Combined Population 283.6 million inhabitants • Combined GDP 655.1 billion US dollars • GDP per Capita US $ 2,310 • Average Growth Rate 4.3% • Average Inflation Rate 8.0% • Annual SADC HCPI December 2013 5.8%

5. 2 - RISDP and Statistics Development and implementation of programmes in SADC generally guided by the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) adopted by Summit in Arusha, Tanzania in 2003 RISDP: • 15 year regional integration development framework, setting the priorities, policies and strategies for achieving the long-term goals of the SADC. • Intended to guide Member states, SADC Institutions, regional stakeholders, international cooperating partners in the process of deepening integration to turn the Community’s vision into reality. • Statistics duly identified in the RISDP as a cross cutting issue • Priority focus Interventional areas: • Development of a legal framework in Statistics; • Harmonization of Statistics in the SADC region; • Provision of relevant statistics for regional integration; • Statistical capacity building development in SADC; • Development of integrated regional statistical database; and • Development of statistics database on poverty. • Program PurposeKey Result AreasEstimated Total CostProgram DurationKey Result AreasBeneficiaries of the ProgramCBRI • Overall objective • Project Purpose • Results Areas

6. 3 – SADC Institutional Framework The following key structures make up the institutional framework in which Statistical operations are undertaken in SADC: • Council of Ministers for overseeing the functioning and development of SADC and ensuring that overarching policies are properly implemented. This also provides the context for the development of statistical system in the SADC region • SADC Secretariat – executive wing of SADC responsible for strategic planning and management of SADC programmes including statistics • SADC Statistics Committee (SSC) whose membership comprise of Heads of NSOs of Member States essentially provides technical/strategic and policy direction to development of statistics in SADC. • The SSC can constitute Technical working groups or Task Force to deal with specific issues when need arises. Development of SADC RSDS accomplished under a Task Force arrangement

7. 4 – SADC Regional Strategy for Development of Statistics (RSDS) RSDS recently developed and approved by Council in February 2013. RSDS Overall objective is to improve development outcomes and governance by strengthening National Statistical Systems in SADC. Specific Objectives include to: • Raise awareness of critical role of statistics information in planning, policy research, monitoring and evaluation; • Promote greater use and adoption of evidence based decision making; • Improve capacity for statistical production; • Sustain statistical information systems in the region through adherence to best practice using state of the art technological innovations statistical development and resource mobilisation

8. 4 – SADC Regional Strategy for Development of Statistics (cont’d) RSDS Approved by SADC Council in February 2013, Maputo, Mozambique Six Main Strategic Themes 1 - Widen the scope and range of available regional statistical data and indicators 2 - Increase comparability and quality of prioritised regional statistics; 3 - Improve services to users and promote wider use of regional statistics; 4 - Strengthen stakeholder partnerships and coordination of the SADC Regional Statistical System (SRSS); 5 - Harness the latest innovations in Information, Communications, and Technology for statistical development in the region; and 6 - Promote statistical capacity building in the region

9. 5 – 2008 SNA in SADC RSDS context Among other areas the SADC RSDS specifically identified National Accounts as a top priority area among 10 areas for intervention under Strategic theme 2 – Increase comparability and quality of prioritized regional statistics National Accounts identified among top priority areas for intervention under Strategic Theme 2 of RSDS. Expected Key Outputs under Theme 2: • Consensus built and core staff trained on concepts and definitions, standards and frameworks etc • Manuals and guidelines for production of standardized and harmonized statistics developed • Agreed frameworks and common statistical standards and methods adopted RSDS addresses two specific Statistical Areas for National Accounts: (i) Harmonisation of National Accounts in SADC (ii) Migration to 2008 SNA Proposed measures • To adopt regional approach for 2008 SNA implementation and harmonization of National Accounts • To develop a SADC training manual with common standards, sources and methods based on 2008 SNA • To generate harmonized data based on 2008 SNA for all Member States • Harmonization of CPI initiative in SADC member states dates back to 2002 • EU/SADC Price and Economic Statistics Project (2002-2006) main vehicle • Financial support mainly from European Union (EU). PMU at Secretariat • Development and Implementation of HCPI not intended to replace national CPIs; • HCPI development for comparable CPIs across MS in region in terms of especially coverage of products, classification system used, geographical coverage and the periodicity of collection of data” • CPI one of the macro-economic convergence indicators identified in the SADC Protocol on Finance and Investment for monitoring progress towards macro-economic convergence of the SADC region. Comparability is however deemed essential

10. 5 – Key proposed Measures to Assist Member States in 2008 SNA implementation in RSDS context At National Level • Encourage establishment of National Accounts Committees comprising producers, users and others stakeholders ( including cooperating and development partners) to drive the 2008 SNA implementation for sharing experiences through regular meetings . • Organization of sensitization advocacy programmes for high level government officials on importance of (2008) National Accounts • Promote development and implementation of tailor made training/capacity building programmes to address specific concerns of respective Member States. Member States encouraged to utilize training materials developed for basic course in statistics, programme of short courses on official statistics for SADC • In service training type programmes also advocated for sub-professional staff . • Promote staff exchange programmes between Member States on 2008 SNA implementation within the south –south cooperation • Undertake audits of NSS of MS to determine current capacity for 2008 SNA implementation • Provide support for strengthening national legal frameworks for coordination and management mechanisms for statistics including National Accounts statistics.

11. 5 – Key proposed Measures to Assist Member States in 2008 SNA implementation in RSDS context (cont’d) At Regional level • Mobilise appropriate technical assistance and support from partners for Member States to implement 2008 SNA • Advocate through SADC Council for more resources from National Governments generally for Statistics including National Accounts within RSDS framework • Strengthen SADC Regional National Accounts sub-committee to provide technical oversight on migration by MS to 2008 SNA taking into account the experiences of 1993 SNA implementation • Establish a regional user-producer forum for sharing experiences and knowledge on National Accounts • Promote the design and implementation of appropriate regional training/capacity building programmes aligned to the goals and key objectives of the 2008 SNA Regional project • Promote Peer Review Mechanisms among Member States focusing on National Accounts particularly 2008 SNA. • Develop advocacy programmes to support implementation of 2008 SNA in collaboration with Member States • Development of a regional legal framework for statistics

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