Noted the efforts of the Secretariat to enhance the production of Social/ Gender Statistics and Indicators in the Region;

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1 5 PROGRESS OF WORK ON THE SOCIAL GENDER COMPONENT OF THE CARICOM PROGRAMME ON STRENGTHENING CAPACITY IN THE COMPILATION OF SOCIAL/GENDER AND ENVIRONMENT STATISTICS IN THE CARICOM 5.1. Establishment Of SIMDG Committees Received a report from the Secretariat representative regarding the Social Indicators and Millennium Development Goals (SIMDG) Committees which were established in Member States, with respect to information on the composition, objectives, main stakeholders, justification, challenges and the statistics and indicators that are being compiled for the CARICOM Programme; Noted the efforts of the Secretariat to enhance the production of Social/ Gender Statistics and Indicators in the Region; Also noted the reports of the on-going work being undertaken by the SIMDG Committees in Member States; Recognised the need for a more effective coordinating mechanism to be implemented, with respect to the Statistics Act, which is what the SIMDG Committee is seeking to address in the area of Social/Gender Statistics; Recommended that Directors/Chief Statisticians should be more assertive in ensuring the functioning of the SIMDG Committees; Also recommended the approaches or models being used by both Suriname and Belize are examples to be replicated in Member States; Suggested that the SIMDG Committee should be promoted through its involvement in activities in progress or planned in Member States in the area of social policy, 1

2 such as the Core Welfare Indicators Questionnaire (CWIQ) implemented in Saint Lucia; Project being Also suggested that the work of the SIMDG Committee can still be advanced despite not being able to attract a sizeable number of members at the outset in some Member States; Encouraged the Directors/Chief Statisticians who serve on the Advisory Group to make greater effort to activate effective functioning of their SIMDG Committees. 5.2 Data Compilation Core Data Set - Data Received From Member States Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Indicators Received a status report from the Secretariat representative on the submission of data to the Secretariat, which indicated that only ten (10) Member States have submitted data in which there were gaps identified; Noted that Belize, Jamaica, Saint Lucia and Suriname will compile and submit the requested statistics and indicators as quickly as possible to the Secretariat; Also noted that The Bahamas will prepare and submit a list of available data to the Secretariat since some of the requested data are simply not available; Further noted that some of the requested statistics and indicators for the CARICOM Programme are available from other regional and international organisations, which may however differ from the national data; Noted that the Secretariat intends to collaborate with other regional and international organisations in the data collection process in order to reduce the response burden 2

3 on Member States, an example being with the UNSD in the collection and compilation of data for the Demographic Year Book (DYB). Recommended that the gaps in the data be discussed by the SIMDG Committees in Member States, in order to find ways of making these data available; Also recommended that Member States should exhibit a greater sense of ownership of the CARICOM Programme Additions To List Of Indicators Suggested By Member States Noted the recommended list of additional statistics and indicators which was suggested for inclusion in the Core List of Indicators during the process of establishing the SIMDG Committees in Member States; Expressed concern that some of the statistics and indicators which were suggested for inclusion in the Core List, might only be of interest at the national level; Agreed to the convening of a Working Group comprising The Bahamas, Belize, Saint Lucia and the Secretariat to discuss this suggested list in greater depth and make recommendations to the Plenary; Also agreed that no new indicators should be added to the Core Data Set but that the list of suggested indicators would be placed on a new list of indicators termed Group 3; Further agreed that Members States would have the option to move statistics and indicators between Group 2 and Group 3; 3

4 Agreed that if any of the suggested statistics and indicators is unclear, the Secretariat will seek to get an explanation of exactly what is required from the Member State(s) that recommended its inclusion; Considered the recommendations of the Working Group with respect to the composition of the list of Statistics and Indicators for Group 3; Also noted the statistics and indicators which now have to be clarified; Also agreed on the revisions of the lists of indicators based on the recommendations of the Working Group; Further agreed that the revised list of indicators would be circulated to Member States. 4

5 5.3 Preparation Of Regional Publication Social/Gender Noted the presentation by the Secretariat representative of the revised schedule for the production of the Regional Report, which should be launched and disseminated by March/April Also noted that the proposed content of the Report relative to its correspondence to the core statistics and indicators. 5.4 Preparation Of Technical Manuals And Guides Noted the two presentations on this issue by the Suriname representative and the Secretariat representative; Considered in some length, the proposals in both presentations relative to the format and content of the proposed manuals; Agreed that going back to the Dominica Second Advisory Group Meeting that the intention of the manuals was essentially to explain basic statistical concepts to two levels of users, laypersons and advanced, with illustrations and not as a methodological guide; Also agreed to the production of the two manuals based on the format presented by both Suriname and the Secretariat which were not entirely dissimilar; Recommended that a consultant be recruited to prepare the manuals; 5

6 Also recommended that the Terms of Reference (TOR) for the recruitment of the consultants be prepared by the Secretariat; Suggested that the proposed dates for production and dissemination of the technical manuals and guides indicated by the Secretariat representative should be revised. 5.5 Training Strategy Noted with appreciation the proposed training that is to be conducted under the CARICOM Programme for staff of National Statistical Systems in the Region; Also noted the point made by the Saint Lucia representative that it is always more cost effective if Trainers conduct training courses in the Region as against sending participants to courses conducted outside of the Region; Agreed that NSOs should share information with each other on available training programmes and sources of funding available at their statistical departments so that the Region as a whole can benefit from these opportunities; Recognised the need to train staff in the areas of report writing, data analysis and sampling as critical areas of training required in the Region; Further noted the suggestion to use the concept of host families to provide support to participants on training courses in the Region in order to reduce the cost of training; Expressed appreciation to the UNSD, the World Bank and the UNDP for providing support for the many training initiatives that are being undertaken under the CARICOM Programme; 6

7 Endorsed with the relevant revisions the strategy for training as presented by the Secretariat representative; Noted that the approach of exchange visits/ study tours/fellowships under the CARICOM Programme has already been activated through the attendance at a Training Workshop in Ghana of a representative from Belize; Also noted that the possibility for training existed in Projects such as the Core Welfare Indicators Questionnaire (CWIQ) Project which brings with it an in-depth training component; Further noted the training possibilities offered through BESS and UTECH and indicated that information on the BESS Programme was that it will continue to be viable, contrary to the conclusion in the presentation of the Secretariat representative; Noted the dwindling enrolment faced by UTECH; Also noted that the Belize Central Statistics Office is able to send 2 staff members to the UTECH organisation this year; Further noted the benefits to be derived from the UTECH Programme through its capacity to facilitate immediate on-the-job application; Noted the MSc. Course in Demography available at the University of the West Indies, Mona and the courses in Health and Health Records Statistics at UTECH. 7

8 5.6 Data Dissemination Strategy Noted the data dissemination strategy presented by the Secretariat representative which includes the use of hardcopy publications, Compact Discs (CDs), Progress Reports to Funding Agencies, National Dissemination Seminars and the Internet; Supported the promotion of a user culture for Statistics Departments; Commended the presentation on data dissemination by the Saint Lucia representative in which the importance of having an active research oriented and risk-taking culture within NSOs was highlighted; Also noted in the presentation of the Saint Lucia representative recommendations for the use of modern systems such as GIS mapping which can make data dissemination more efficient and effective; Also commended the use by Saint Lucia of Community Level general indices and micro data to assist regional and international organisations in community based interventions; Recommended that the approach by Saint Lucia be documented for the benefit of the other NSOs; Agreed to the suggestion of Saint Lucia that the documentation would be made available by the end of July 2004; Noted the reactivation of the IBD/CDB Project on the request of the OECS Member States which will have Internet, Intranet and queriable databases; 8

9 Also recommended that the IMF General Data Dissemination System (GDDS) be incorporated in the dissemination strategy of Member States since it leads to greater transparency; Further recommended the use of pamphlets, flyers etc. as useful communication tools for disseminating statistical information to users; Recommended that institutions that make use of statistical information be identified as part of the documentation strategy. 6. REPORT OF MEETING HELD ON HARMONISATION OF CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS USED IN THE CARICOM REGION IN THE AREA OF SOCIAL/GENDER STATISTICS Received a report from the Secretariat representative on the First Workshop on Harmonisation of Metadata for Social/Gender Statistics which was held in August 2003; Noted that a second workshop will be held in 2004 for the benefit of those Member States which were not included in the first workshop; Commended the on-going work of the Secretariat as its seeks to initiate the process of harmonising the collection and compilation of Social/Gender Statistics and Indicators in the Region; Requested that the Secretariat should provide clear guidelines and principles that can be used in the process of harmonisation; Recognised that the process of harmonisation has just started and that there is much more work to be done in this area; 9

10 Also recognised a great deal of discussion would be necessary as work in this area continues; Also noted that the CARICOM Region can learn a lot from the experiences of other Groupings which produce harmonised statistics such as the European Union (EU). Expressed that the key issue in harmonisation was the ability to compare data across Member States; Agreed that the establishment of technical Working Groups which was a recommendation of the First Harmonisation Workshop, would treat with the issues and concerns of the harmonisation process in a more in-depth and technical manner. 7. PROPOSED SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES IN SOCIAL GENDER STATISTICS, JUNE - DECEMBER 2004 Received from the Secretariat representative the tentative work plan which provided details of the various activities and the scheduled dates during which these activities would be conducted; Noted that this tentative Work Plan will be further revised after the Advisory Group Meeting prior to submission to Member States; Also noted that it might be possible for the Region to acquire human resources through the UN Volunteer Programme to assist in the various activities related to the CARICOM Programme. 10

11 8. COLLABORATION WITH DONORS AND OTHER ORGANISATIONS SOCIAL GENDER COMPONENT 8.1 UNSD - Review Of The UNSD/CARICOM Regional Publication In Social Gender Women And Men In The Caribbean Community: Facts And Figures, Noted the presentation on highlights of the Report Women and Men in the Caribbean Community, Facts and Figures, ; Also noted that this publication is currently at the Printers and that it should be available within the next couple of weeks; 8.2 UNSD - Initiatives In Social And Demographic Statistics - Implications For The Caricom Programme Noted the Work Programme for UNSD Social Statistics Programme, which included plans for the next Decade Round of Population and Housing Censuses ( ), a Census Symposium in September 2004, and capacity building in the Region. Also noted that the latest version of the Demographic Yearbook (DYB) is now available and that UNSD can prepare a CARICOM version of the DYB on request; Further noted that the DYB questionnaires are now available; Noted that the UNSD is currently working on the production of disability statistics; Also noted the gaps in the frequency of responses by Member States to the annual questionnaires within the period as presented by the UNSD representative; 11

12 Urged Directors who were present to take note and submit outstanding information to the UNSD; Further noted that CARICOM and UNSD are collaborating with respect to having a joint approach for collecting data common to the DYB questionnaire and the CARICOM Programme so as to reduce the reporting burden on Member States; Expressed appreciation for the continued support given to the CARICOM Programme by the UNSD. 8.3 UNDP - Follow-Up To The High Level Meeting On MDGs - Implications For Statistics Capacity Building In The CARICOM Region Noted with appreciation the on-going work of the UNDP with respect to monitoring the compilation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Indicators. Also noted the information which was provided about the Consultation/Assessment that was conducted in 2003; statistical challenges with respect to compiling the MDG indicators, the progress made and statistical needs; Recognised the challenges that exist with respect to the measurement of poverty indicators; Further noted that much more work has to be done in the area of poverty; Commended the UNDP for its significant and continued support to the CARICOM Programme; Noted the initiatives made to date by UNDP to strengthen statistical capacity as a follow-up to the MDG high level Meeting; 12

13 8.4 World Bank - TFSCB Support To CARICOM Programme As It Relates To Social Gender Activities Noted the report from the Secretariat representative on the World Bank Trust Fund for Statistical Capacity Building (TFSCB) which highlighted, the support that the Secretariat has received for the CARICOM Programme; Expressed appreciation for the funding received from the World Bank and the cofunding which was received from the UNDP to assist non-borrowing countries which cannot benefit from the TFSCB Grant; Urged that productive use should be made of these funds and every efforts should be made to realise the compilation of the required Social/Gender Statistics and Indicators; Applauded the efforts made by the Secretariat to mobilise funds from UNDP and World Bank for the CARICOM Programme. Also noted the general information provided on the TFSCB Grant; Encouraged Member States to utilise the facility provided by the TFSCB. 8.5 UNDP/World Bank - Update On The Support Programme For Poverty Assessment And Reduction In The Caribbean (SPARC) Noted the presentation made by the UNDP representative which included information on the overall operative framework, elements and implementation of SPARC. 13

14 Also noted the experiences of some of the Member States with Funding Agencies; Expressed concern that projects sometimes only fund marginal cost with most NSOs lacking the staff within their systems to honour the varying and different requests of funding agencies; Further noted the underlying principles of the SPARC methodology which includes access to good quality data, methodological approaches to poverty reduction and improvement in analytical capabilities. 9. RECONCILING AND SUMMING UP OF FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES RELATIVE TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE SOCIAL GENDER COMPONENT OF THE CARICOM PROGRAMME Noted the presentation made by the Secretariat representatives which summarised the key issues discussed and decisions taken with regard to the activities in progress or to be conducted relative to the advancement of the Social/Gender Component of the CARICOM Programme, as highlighted in the Summary of Recommendations and Conclusions of the Fourth Meeting of the Advisory Group. 14

15 10. FRAMEWORK FOR THE ACTIVITIES RELATING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT COMPONENT OF THE CARICOM PROGRAMME 10.1 Background - UNSD/CARICOM Project, Experience And Recommendations For The Development Of Environment Statistics In The Region Noted the presentation by the Secretariat representative which included the suggested Group 1 Priority List of Core Indicators and Group 2 Expanded List of Indicators which are to be compiled for Environment Statistics. Also noted the status of national data reported by Member States in The CARICOM Environment In Figures 2002 publication; Further noted that the Statistics Sub-programme intends to have these lists of indicators further reviewed by the Sustainable Development Programme and the Human and Social Development Directorate of the Secretariat in an effort to obtain a better focus of regional priorities; Noted the Secretariat s intention to continue consultation with the UNSD, so as to be informed about international changes made at the conceptual and measurement levels of the environment statistics and indicators; Reviewed the suggested list of indicators and made suggestions for changes within the various categories and for additional indicators and statistics to be included; Also noted the presentation by the UNSD representative who provided a brief background of the UNSD/CARICOM Project including the development of the environmental indicator list; 15

16 Further noted that the UNSD/UNEP Questionnaire 2004 on Environment Statistics was circulated to United Nations Member States and that the first response received was from Dominica; Noted the recommendations by the UNSD for a joint approach for the further development of Environment Statistics in the Region; Recommended that the CARICOM Secretariat review the list of environment issues and corresponding statistics and indicators relative to the 10-year Review of the Barbados Programme of Action (BPOA) on the Sustainable Development of SIDS; Also noted the UNEP initiative of Early Warning and Assessment for Latin America and the Caribbean; Further noted the current initiatives in the area of Environment Statistics of the Secretariat; Also recommended the circulation of the recommended list of Environment Indicators to Member States Current Data Collection Efforts In Member States Received status reports on the compilation of Environment Statistics and the production of reports on the environment from Barbados, Belize, The Bahamas, Jamaica, Saint Lucia and Suriname. The Secretariat also informed the Meeting about the work that is being done by the other Member States which were not presented in the area of Environment Statistics; Suggested that Member States should agree on a common year for the production of publications on the environment; 16

17 Agreed that Member States can maintain their own schedules for the production of Reports on the Environment while continuing the process of data compilation during the years when there is no Report Development Of The Framework For Compilation Of Environment Statistics Core Data Set Noted the presentations which were made by the Belize and Jamaica representatives and which provided a framework for the establishment of environment units in NSOs in other Member States; Also noted the suggested range of categories that should comprise the basic core data set of environment indicators being compiled in the short term by NSOs; Applauded the presentations which were made and suggested that the information which was provided should be shared with the Directors of the NSOs who were not present at this forum and especially with those Member States which are now trying to establish an environment unit; Recognised the importance of user-producer seminars and the exchange of experiences through study tours and attachments among NSOs in the Region as well as in-country exchanges between the NSO and the other data producer agencies in the area of environment, or borrowing from the experience of NSOs, such as Belize and Jamaica. 17

18 Methodological Guidelines Applauded the insightful presentation of the Suriname representative which challenged the Region to produce indicators that can enable a reflection of the environmental status of each country and also facilitate comparison across countries; Agreed with the suggestion of the Suriname representative that the possibility should be explored for utilising statistical techniques like factor and cluster analysis in the evaluation and analysis of issues relating to the environment; Recognised the challenges of trying to quantify and model environmental issues; Also recognised the need for further analytical work and training in this area of environment statistics arising out of the presentation by the Suriname representative; Noted the approaches used at the international level such as Pressure-State- Response that can provide a methodological framework Training Noted that in general the range of data being collected in environment statistics is new to NSOs when compared to economic and social statistics; Also noted that because environment statistics is a multifaceted discipline in which the responsibility for collection and compilation is spread across many agencies, the NSOs need to intensify their role as coordinator; 18

19 Agreed that priority should be given to training and to the investing of resources in this area of statistics; Also agreed that there is need for collaboration between the staff of NSOs and the other data producing agencies to ensure good quality data are produced; Suggested that staff that compile statistics in the environmental agencies be under the control of the National Statistics Department; Recommended that given the complexity in the measurement of data and the conceptual issues in the area of the environment, NSOs can benefit from attachments in the various environmental agencies; Also recommended that NSOs issue guidance with respect to formats and standards in data collection in a process of coordination rather than the approach of controlling the staff in the environmental agencies Data Dissemination Noted the presentation by Saint Lucia representative which highlighted the need to produce technically correct reports; Agreed that since most of the environment data do not originate from NSOs, it is very important when producing publications on the environment to get comments and feedback from the agencies which collected and compiled the data. 19

20 11. TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT COMPONENT OF CARICOM PROGRAMME Noted the tentative schedule for implementation of activities for the environment component of the CARICOM Programme which is to be completed by December 2005; Agreed that there be collaboration between the UNSD and CARICOM in the validation process, with the eventual intention of CARICOM administering the environmental questionnaire; Also agreed that the environmental themes and corresponding statistics and indicators that are not being administered by the UNSD should be submitted directly by Member States to the Secretariat; Also noted the availability of required information from regional environmental agencies; Further agreed to participate in the process of validation by the UNSD of the questionnaires returned by CARICOM Member States. 12. OAS/DESA PROJECT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT - IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CARICOM PROGRAMME Noted the continuing efforts in the compilation of statistics and indicators post the UNDESA/OAS Information for Decision-making for Sustainable Development (IDSD) Project; 20

21 Also noted that a staff member of the Secretariat was among the participants who attended a Workshop on Methodologies, Tools and Best Practices for Managing Information for Decision-Making on Sustainable Development in the Caribbean SIDS which was conducted in 2003 as part of the IDSD Project; Further noted that the issues which were covered at this Workshop will complement the work that is being done in the CARICOM Programme; Suggested that the SIMDG Committees could be renamed as ESIMDG Committees to include the activities of the environment component; Recorded its appreciation for the support received from UNSD for the CARICOM Programme. 13. POTENTIAL FOR FUNDING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND COLLABORATION - ENVIRONMENT COMPONENT 13.1 TFSCB Input To CARICOM Programme As It Relates To The Environment Component Noted that US$80, has been tentatively proposed from the TFSCB Grant for the Environment Component of the CARICOM Programme. Also noted that there will also be common areas of funding for both the Social/Gender and Environment components of the Programme, such as the funding of the Advisory Group Meetings; 21

22 Further noted that in the Environment Component, funding will be made available for in-country technical assistance, follow-up activities for data compilation, preparation of manuals and guides, exchange visits, study tours and user-producer seminars Other Organisations/Donors Noted that the Secretariat has prepared a document detailing the unmet needs primarily in the area of Social/Gender and Environment Statistics which is to be submitted to UNDP, Barbados for on-passing to UNDP, New York; Also noted that efforts are being made by the Secretariat to obtain financial and technical support for the CARICOM Programme from UNFPA and Mexico; with UNFPA requesting a copy of the document on the unmet needs; Requested that the Secretariat should compile a detailed list giving existing sources of funding. 14. ANY OTHER BUSINESS 14.1 Presentation By Belize Received a report on the activities that the Environment Statistical Unit (ESU) has been engaged in to build capacity to provide Environment Statistics; Commended the approach that was used by Belize in the compilation of environment statistics; 22

23 Recognised the contribution made by the former Chief Statistician of Belize, Mr. Sylvan Roberts, in activating the ESU in Belize Presentation Of The Summary Of Recommendations And Conclusions Noted that the Summary of Recommendations and Conclusions for the Meeting would be completed by the Secretariat and be made available on the Statistics Web page and or submitted to Member States by the week of 21 June Date And Venue Of Next Meeting Noted that the proposed venue for the Fifth Advisory Group Meeting is Bermuda, in November, prior to the convening of the Twenty-Ninth Meeting of The Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians (SCCS). ****** 23