Better Statistics For Better Results A New Facility

Better Statistics For Better Results A New Facility to Support National Partnership Approaches in Statistics PARIS 21 Secretariat PARIS 21 Steering Committee meeting, 6 June 2008

Statistics for Results Facility: goal Goal to “accelerate the strengthening of statistical systems in participating countries, so that there is a sustained improvement in the production of reliable statistics in order to better measure and manage for development results. ” PARIS 21 Steering Committee meeting, 6 June 2008

Statistics for Results Facility: modalities How will this be achieved? • Additional resources to complement national and other donor resources to implement NSDSs through a SWAp approach – this is part of the PARIS 21 agenda to facilitate the financing of NSDS implementation • Link improvements to needs of policy frameworks; improved dialogue and user-producer partnerships • Better coordinated and harmonised financial aid and TA • Monitoring of progress according to agreed framework PARIS 21 Steering Committee meeting, 6 June 2008

Significant action on statistical capacity in last 10 years Aim to build on achievements and lessons of last 10 years: • Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21 st Century (PARIS 21) • Marrakech Action Plan for Statistics (MAPS) • Increasing resources for statistical capacity building from multilateral and bilateral donors • … and others PARIS 21 Steering Committee meeting, 6 June 2008

Pressure to “scale-up” • Hanoi Third Roundtable: call for increased action - Countries have produced strategies, but have not found the resources to implement them - Link statistical capacity to PRSPs and development results - Better mobilize and coordinate financial and technical assistance • Key events - Discussions at World Bank Spring Meetings in 2007 and 2008 - Special meeting organized by OECD/PARIS 21 in November 2007 PARIS 21 Steering Committee meeting, 6 June 2008

Statistics for Results Facility: main features of proposed approach A new way of working + A fund to provide incentives to work in this way • Donors and countries work more closely together in strengthened partnerships for statistics and results measurement, and to mobilize additional resources at country level to implement NSDSs • Closer link between sector-wide plans for statistics and needs of development policy • Principles of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness applied to statistical capacity building • Facility fund provides grants to fill financing gaps PARIS 21 Steering Committee meeting, 6 June 2008

The facility can help in many ways, such as… 1. Helping to strengthening national partnership arrangements 2. Developing an agreed NSDS implementation or statistical improvement plan 3. Meeting financing gaps PARIS 21 Steering Committee meeting, 6 June 2008

1. Strengthened national partnerships • A defined group of key stakeholders helps develop, agree and implement a plan for improving statistics that are relevant for results - putting principles of SRF into practice • Built on existing arrangements (e. g. use existing M&E groups or others) and connections made to other groups • Important that a key policy body (as well as NSO) has leadership role to ensure efforts respond to needs • And that a lead donor has been identified PARIS 21 Steering Committee meeting, 6 June 2008

2. Developing an NSDS implementation or statistical improvement plan • If NSDS exists, national partnership develops and agrees a plan for implementing the NSDS – Costed, consultative, development results focused – TA needs identified and sourced • If country not ready for a full NSDS, national partnership develops a prioritized statistical improvement plan – An interim NSDS, similar function to an interim PRSP PARIS 21 Steering Committee meeting, 6 June 2008

3. Meeting financing gaps • Primary focus on raising resources at national level through the national partnership • In the case of a demonstrated financing gap, facility fund available through flexible World Bank Trust Fund • Initially two donors will finance the facility fund: approx. Netherlands, $40 m, United Kingdom, $100 m. • Oversight of facility fund by a Management Committee of contributing donors, World Bank, and PARIS 21 Steering Committee meeting, 6 June 2008

How do countries participate? • In initial pilot phase, Management Committee will select countries and invite their participation • Participating countries will need to identify national partnerships and come up with agreed statistical improvement plans • Application for grant based on this improvement plan; Management Committee will give an indication of grant size available • Grant appraisal and approval processes will follow policies of grant supervising agency PARIS 21 Steering Committee meeting, 6 June 2008

Project implementation (in cases where grant is given) Two cases: • Grants supervised by World Bank - Implemented by national authorities, supervised by World Bank country team (typical case) - Implemented by World Bank country team (in cases of weak implementation capacity) • Grants supervised by another donor - Funds transferred to another donor, if requested by donors to the central fund - Implemented according to procedures of donor • In both cases, use of SWAps and harmonized approaches encouraged as far as consistency with policies of supervising agency allows PARIS 21 Steering Committee meeting, 6 June 2008

Three examples (and possible pilot countries) • Ghana: Local partnership is forming, with Af. DB/EC/DFID/World Bank, DFID/World Bank in the lead. Local donor funds to be pooled in WB TF for Ghana, funding gap likely although NSDS not yet fully developed. • Mozambique: Fully developed and costed NSDS, government promoting national partnership effort with donors. Denmark is Lead Donor agency (pooling of Danish, Swedish, Norwegian funds); funds identified to implement latest NSDS, but gap remains. • Afghanistan: Statistical office has weak capacity; multi-donor scoping mission being organized by Asian Development Bank, who have also agreed to be Lead Donor in a national partnership and will provide some grant financing. PARIS 21 Steering Committee meeting, 6 June 2008

Who does what – at global level? • Participating donor agencies support the Facility and commit to its principles; may contribute to the Facility fund • Regional statistical agencies provide a coordination framework for the provision of TA by NSOs of both developed and developing countries • But main focus of activities is at country level … PARIS 21 Steering Committee meeting, 6 June 2008

Who does what – at country level? • Donor agencies participate/ lead national partnership arrangements; consider scaling-up support to SCB; adhere to Paris declaration principles; joint funding of NSDS implementation initially in pilot countries; lead donor helps country with funding proposal • Pilot countries strengthen user-producer dialogue; develop a NSDS implementation/ statistical improvement plan; develop partnerships with donors; develop funding proposal if needed • Statistical agencies provide coordinated TA and support to participating countries PARIS 21 Steering Committee meeting, 6 June 2008

Discussion Points • How can we make this new approach work in all countries? • What can we do to speed up progress? • What can we do to help countries which are not in the pilot? • How can we ensure that we see results from the pilots? • How can donors and statistical agencies from donor countries use this new initiative to make their statistical support more effective? And to scale it up? PARIS 21 Steering Committee meeting, 6 June 2008