WIXLIB

GCPRAS171JPN 2002 ER.doc; 08 March 2011; 11:24statistical data collection, processing, analysis and dissemination in the region is seen as an importantprecondition for agricultural and food security policies, and the project is set to play an important part in thisendeavour.The mission views the first phase of the project as a pilot phase, which has tested approaches, tried outcollaboration arrangements, developed institutional links and refined concepts. The project still has to moveto a stage where physical results become more widely visible. The original project (GCP/RAS/171/JPN)lacked the resources to go beyond raising awareness for the limitations in countries' statistical systems andproviding initial technical training. While some countries have made great strides in transforming theirstatistical systems, others are – mainly for budgetary reasons - unable to undertake even small stepstowards the kind of systematic improvements of their statistics systems that are envisaged by the project.The follow-up project must therefore, apart from establishing the model for a regional exchange system, alsopay close attention to the institutional capacities of statistical authorities of the participating countries andfacilitate contacts with technical assistance donors wherever possible.Apart from the tasks mentioned above, major assignments during the follow-up phase (GCP/RAS/184/JPN)will be: a closer integration of national focal points, by designating focal point meetings to play the role of projectsteering committee (review and planning body, with FAO and donor participation), and also by havingmore frequent meetings (at least once yearly);still at the national level, a better recognition of the diversified institutional responsibilities for agriculturaland food security statistics in the participating countries, by formally nominating not only focal points butalso major collaborators in the respective countries as national project implementation groups;at the regional level, establishing and maintaining close contact with managers and designers of therelated regional and bilateral projects and initiatives with statistical components (AFSIS, Asia FIVIMS,etc), in order to develop consistent approaches and avoid overlapOther issues have to be tackled as well during the present phase; these are addressed in the conclusionsand recommendations section at the end of the summary. The main body of the report presents additionalviews and amplifications.The mission acknowledges that investment in statistical development figures low on government agendas,as most countries in the region face substantial constraints in terms of human resources as well as funding.Under the circumstances, the project has performed well by paving the way for improvements in national aswell as regional statistical systems. The momentum that the original project has built is kept by the follow-upproject and is likely to be complemented by a wider range of other bilateral and regional projects.It is the view of the mission that the possibility exists for the follow-up project to attain its full potential –assisting countries in the region in their efforts to produce and exchange up-to-date agricultural and foodsecurity data. However, the project alone cannot achieve this objective. Key success factors in the mission'sopinion include, in addition to the exchange mechanism provided by the project, improvements in thenational statistical systems of some participating countries in terms of budgetary resources, hardware,software, and human resources development, as well as increased attention given to the harmonization andimprovements of concepts, definitions and methods applied by the various national statistical units.vi

GCPRAS171JPN 2002 ER.doc; 08 March 2011; 11:24CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONSProject documentPlanned activities, outputs and objectives were not always logically consistent. Moreover, the project designwas over-optimistic regarding Immediate Objective One (national statistical development strategies andplans drawn up), and also expectations regarding Immediate Objective Two (plan for the establishment of adata base and equipment facilities) did not take fully into account the limited time and resources available.Project review and guidance arrangementsInstitutional review and guidance arrangements were only touched upon in the prodoc; national Focal Points(coming from the department in charge of agricultural statistics) were nominated, but their effective mandatewas not spelled out. Two meetings of focal points were held in June 1999 and October 2001 - too few to2provide much guidance to the project . A mid-term review mentioned in the prodoc did not take place.Recommendation: There should be a closer integration of national focal points, by designating focal pointmeetings to play the role of a project steering committee (review and planning body, with FAO and donorparticipation), and also by having more frequent meetings (at least once yearly - the prodoc of projectGCP/RAS/184/JPN stipulates one every two years). The project should also better recognize the diversifiedinstitutional responsibilities for agricultural and food security statistics in the participating countries, byformally nominating not only focal points but also other major collaborators in the respective countries asnational project implementation groups.Technical and operational backstoppingThe amount of technical backstopping has been limited due to the absence of a regular FAO RegionalStatistician in the Regional Office. However, for the most part a long-term technical consultant substituted forthat position, and several workshops organized jointly with FAO HQ enabled the project to keep in touch withFAO technical backstopping units. Operational backstopping seems to have been without problems.Project managementProject management had to operate a project whose design was ambitious in relation to the resourcesavailable. Under the circumstances, project management was successful in establishing an initial network offocal points, and assisting those countries covered by an in-depth review or national seminar in identifyingconstraints and opportunities in their statistical systems. It has thus laid the foundation for the follow-upproject on regional data and information exchange, as well as for other planned activities in the regionconcerning food and agriculture information.National Statistical Development Strategies and PlansThe project has organized nine in-depth studies and eight national seminars on national food and agriculturalstatistical systems in participating countries, which have resulted in the identification of constraints and theformulation of recommendations for improvements. In addition, six regional and sub-regional technicalworkshops have been implemented (some jointly with FAO HQ and other organizations), leading to animproved knowledge by national statisticians of advanced statistical methods and approaches.These activities have also resulted in increasing interest in, and willingness to, improve agricultural statisticsin member countries. They have, however, not resulted in the formulation of national statistical developmentstrategies and plans, in the sense of development plans duly approved and budgeted for by nationalauthorities. For this, the project design lacked specific outputs, as well as resources and time, to assistcountries where such a plan did not already exist.Statistical development has to be achieved through countries' own resources or international assistance.However, some countries' capacities appear limited, as economic problems have caused budget andmanpower reductions in statistical institutions in many countries, sometimes even disproportionately so whencompared to cuts in other government departments.2An APCAS meeting in 2000 provided an opportunity to meet with some focal points, but could not substitute for a dedicated meeting offocal points.vii

GCPRAS171JPN 2002 ER.doc; 08 March 2011; 11:24Plan for the establishment of a data base and equipment facilities to provide a capability to transferdata in electronic formatThe project has organized preparatory meetings consultations with national focal points for the establishmentof a regional data and information exchange system, and has prepared the project document for the followup project GCP/RAS/184/JPN, which is now moving towards the creation of a pilot regional data andinformation exchange system. However, the final shape of the proposed data and information exchangesystem, including agreement on common concepts, standards and classifications, still needs to be defined.Most member countries are strongly interested not only in the data exchange system but also computerprocessing of survey data. However, the large amount of investment necessary for computers preventsthese countries from introducing IT systems, especially in field offices. In some countries, even centralgovernment offices in charge of statistics have insufficient computer/communication facilities. Importantdifferences are also found among countries concerning the scope of their statistical databases and theirpresence on the Internet.Recommendation: Project GCP/RAS/184/JPN should learn from its predecessor project: it should not setover-ambitious targets for the exchange system development. It workplans should be formulated to fit theresources and time available. At the same time, priority should be placed on covering the data needsidentified by member countries themselves. Also, the project will have to develop a differential strategy forinvolving those countries that are advanced in terms of using modern computer/communication technologyas well as those that are less advanced.Involvement by national statistical unitsThe project's focal points, and with them their national statistical units, have been involved in the projectthrough focal point meetings, preparation of in-depth studies and national seminars as well as regional andsub-regional meetings. However, given the number of participating countries, the involvement by individualcountries has been uneven. This may have been influenced by their levels of statistical development as wellas their resources available for supporting innovations.Recommendation One: For the follow-up project, the decision as to which countries (5 to 6 countries areforeseen) should participate in the pilot phase of the regional data and information exchange system, shouldbe based on criteria related to their effective capacity to participate in project activities. Criteria for the focalpoint organization could be: being in charge of coordination and guidance regarding agricultural and food security statistics, andthus able to solicit and integrate inputs into the exchange system; having reached a certain degree of IT literacy, including the capability to design, maintain and updatea webpage; possessing the ability to translate datasets into EnglishSelection criteria as well as the actual decision concerning pilot countries should be on the agenda of thenext focal point meeting planned for July 2002.Recommendation Two: For countries currently not in a position to make a meaningful contribution (i.e. withno or only rudimentary email and Internet access and/or no or only few databases available in other thannational languages), efforts should be made to identify sources for additional technical assistance to updatethe countries' IT and translation capabilities.National statistical developmentA number of activities supported by the project have focused attention on issues and constraints in countries'statistical sy

Artfish Package of statistical approaches, technical documents and computer software (FAO) ASEAN Association of South-East Asian Nations ASEAN 3 ASEAN China, Japan and Republic of Korea CTA Chief Technical Adviser FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FAOSTAT FAO's major statistical database