NSO gearing up for data

By GEORGE TAUNA
HAVE you ever wondered how national policies are formulated or what measurements and indicators are used in order to ensure equal distribution of goods and services to get maximum benefits? Do you know who
provides the data and statistics in PNG?
The outcomes of development, especially the improvement of lives of citizens around the world are guided by a country’s national policy frameworks.
Firstly, changing of world’s economies exerts a lot of demand on data and statistics, as data and statistics are used by policy makers throughout the world to base their overnment’s development goals and aspirations. Data and Statistics are used to make evidence based decisions that will bring expected outcomes in addressing development issues.
As part of the global community, PNG is no exception and it’s planning, policies formulation and decision making is derived and framed out of the statisticsproduced by statistical agencies throughout the country. Although data and statistics may not have greater bearing in the minds of average Papua New Guineans, their impacts, however, are enormous and are undeniablein evidence based planning and decision making.
Secondly, until and unless we begin to appreciate data and statistics we will never realise the important role PNG’s National Statistical Office (NSO) and other agencies in the National Statistical System (NSS) play in that regard, especially in compilation of data and statistics for development planning. NSO is the mandated State agency to produce official statistics such as macroeconomic and social and demographic statistics from data collected in national censuses and surveysit conducts and from administrative sources. Other players in statistics are line government departments and agencies that conduct specific surveys or collect data through administrative processes.
In its efforts towards meeting its obligation to the governments and further strengthen its ties with important stakeholders and development partners, NSO swung into early Christmas mode by hosting a two days take holders workshop last week at the Dream Inn hotel in Port Moresby.
The workshop was attended by important stakeholders including Development Partners such as United Nations,
Australian High Commission, Australian Bureau of Statistics and International Monetary Fund through their Pacific Financial Technical Assistance Centre (PFTAC). Key government agencies in attendance were; Health Department, Education Department, Bank of PNG, Treasury Department, National Research Institute, Department of National Planning and Monitoring, Department of Implementation and Rural Development, Department of Provincial and Local Government Affairs, Department of Labour and International Relations, and University of Papua New Guinea. These, together with others who deal with statistical data or provide support to statistical activities, are very important in the development of statistics in PNG.
The theme for the workshop, Appreciating Data and Statistics for Development Planning, was fitting for the occasion as calls were constantly echoed for all to appreciate data and statistics, strengthen partnershipsand most importantly,share resources in collecting, analysing,and making statistics available to meet the ever increasing demand forstatistics.Evidence based policy and planning satisfies the government’s desire for a whole government approach towards development in the country.
The workshop, a first of its kind in many years for the NSO, was the brainchild of none other than the National StatisticianRokoKoloma. This is an important part of his efforts to reform the organisation that was once accused of being dysfunctional.
Koloma, in his opening speech, toldthe participants; “there was a National Executive Council decision (Decision No. 162/2014) to reform NSO in 2014, and from that day on, we have taken some major steps in looking at ourselves as an organisation while taking criticisms as they came but we have put our heads down and continuously worked our hearts out just for the sake of ensuring that important statistics are produced for this country.”
“Many will ask how far I have gone with the reforms and I can honestly tell you that we are around the 60 to 70 percent mark.
There was a time where we were accused of not producing the GDP estimates that are very important for the country especially measuring the performance of the economy. To date we have produced GDP recently from the year 2006 to 2014 and we are working towards releasing the 2015 GDP estimates.”
“We also are working very hard so that in the next year before the APEC summit we should be able to present to the government our GDP estimates up to 2017.”
The workshop also served as a platform for allthe divisional headswithin the NSO to outline their important roles and functions, achievements, challenges and future plansin a unified approach toward the same goal.
Presentations over the two days by NSO, stakeholders and Development partners reaffirmed the importance of data and statistics in development planning and how data from one agency is used by others in their respective responsibilities or in validation of data from different sources.
This is where data sharing becomes critical. Set international Standards must be observed in data collection and compilation of statistics. All stakeholders must work together in partnership to ensure data and statistics is available to users including global agenda such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Presentations also highlighted areas where improvement is needed and where other stakeholders can collaborate and provide assistance in enhancing capacity and capabilities.
Stakeholders alsoreiterated the importance of collaboration and sharing of resources.Development partnerswho have been very supportive shared their views on ways forward as part of their agenda in meeting universal development targets, such as the SDGs.
At the end of the meeting it was evident that statistics and data trulydeserve to be appreciated for their critical roles towards development in the country. For this reason,Koloma plans to make these
workshops an annual event in order to move NSO forward and make it become the premier institution for statistics and data collection in the country… Next week we will look at reforms that NSO is undertaking.
George Tauna is Public Relations Officer at NSO.