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MEDSTAT

MGSC 19-20 March 2015 Point 3.3 of the Agenda

Christophe INGELSDG NEAR Regional programmes Neighbourhood South

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Objectives and purposes

• to promote evidence-based decision-making and to foster democratic development by improving the availability and use of statistical data in the nine ENPI South countries

• 1) to provide users with more and better data in the priority thematic sectors

• 2) to increase the use of these data

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The expected results of the project are:• - a measurable improvement in the statistical capacities of the

NSIs and the NSSs,• - a strengthening of the institutional capacities of the NSIs and

NSSs, including improved cooperation within the countries themselves,

• - further harmonisation of statistical data, in line with European and international standards,

• - a promotion of regional exchange of experiences and cooperation,

• - a more user-friendly dissemination of statistics, and• - a better understanding and an increased awareness of the

importance of statistics by the users (politicians, governments, administration, private sector, journalists, universities, civil society, EU bodies, international institutions).

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Conclusions : Producers/Users• MEDSTAT III had to promote the use of data by a

wide range of stakeholders, some of them of particular importance because of the role they play in the policy making process

• -MEDSTAT III heavily favoured Government agencies/ministries

• -The media were never involved in MEDSTAT III activities

• -Not enough visibility and outreach

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Conclusions : Linkages with other EU programmes

• MEDSTAT activities address the design of statistical products with emphasis on harmonisation with EU and international standards.

• MEDSTAT teaches us that establishing synergy with other EU projects and programmes can improve data production and use of data.

• (Most of the themes are high in the Neighbourhood agenda list: Migration, Energy, Transport, Labour… and benefit from specific EU funded programmes)

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Conclusions : South-South cooperation

• One of the main successes of MEDSTAT was to foster networking and exchange between the partners themselves

• A trend that should be maintained if not developed

• That means Med countries have sufficient experience to benefit from each other.

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Recommendations for National Statistics System

• A lack of appreciation in most ENP South countries of ‘the critical importance of evidence based decision making for good governance’ results in poor National Statistic System coordination

• Promote an appreciation of the critical importance of evidence based decision making for good governance

• Use the principles of the Code of Practice to bolster the position of the National Statistical Institutes and to revive the National Statistical Councils

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Recommendation on WGs set up

•- To be flexible and open to new groups, recognising the limitation in terms of funding•- To find interaction between the WGs and even to merge some or develop crosscutting activities•- Business registers as building blocks to link up the different thematic areas•- Open participation in the WG to Professional data users involved in the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership

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Recommendations on management

•Appoint a unique KE ("Animateur") for MEDSTAT IV to support the Working Groups with a clear commitment to the self-sustainability of the Working Groups’ leaders

•Use more often videoconference for WGs

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Recommendations on implementation• Seek synergies with bilateral (and regional)

projects and programmes. • (strategies for the development of such synergies should be

included in the WG action plans)

• Involve more experts from the partner countries for performing the activities

• Reflect more on partner countries experience and case studies during meeting/workshops

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Recommendations on training

• Constitute a group of senior experts-trainers

• Relate training subjects to innovative matters

(only, no basic topics)

• Cautiously select and follow up trainees (right

profile and dissemination)

• Partnership with existing training institutions

(AITRS or INSEA)

• Develop e-learning

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Our conclusion

• Improvement in quality along with approximation with EU norms still a valid objective

• In addition integration as much as possible with other EU thematic programmes,

• Increase the focus on user needs!