Poor data affects plans

 By FREDDY MOU

PAPUA New Guinea has disaggregated and fragmented statistics in a poorly managed and coordinated national statistical system in both the public and the private sectors, a senior public servant says.

That has resulted in the country finding it difficult to draw up effective development plans and programmes, Julianna Kubak said.

The National Statistical Office, in partnership with the National Planning and Monitoring Department, held a stakeholders’ consultation workshop yesterday in Port Moresby and highlighted some of these problems. 

Kubak, the acting secretary for planning, said PNG a lacked sound evidence-based policy, making that result in poor development outcomes because the national statistical system was fragmented and largely uncoordinated.

“As a matter of fact, my department (planning) is unable to produce the new population policy due to lack of timely statistics. This is on hold, until the Census 2011 final figures are produced. As such, we have to delay this policy,” Kubak said.

She said the trends within which development programmes and projects were planned, implemented, monitored and evaluated.

“There is now great need, more than ever before, to strengthen statistical capacity, to support, design, monitor and evaluate all development plans and strategies. Monitoring the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and targets has been paramount as the upcoming Post 2015 development agenda that will focus on sustainable development goals (SDGs) will continue to remain high on the global development agenda,” she said. The workshop was attended by government officials and representatives of churches, among others.