MTF/GLO/345/BMG
Panorama Report II
PROJECT MTF/GLO/345/BMG
«CountrySTAT FOR SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA –
Phase II»
PANORAMA REPORT II
E T H I O P I A
FOODAND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
Addis Ababa, November 2012
MTF/GLO/345/BMG
Panorama Report II
PROJECT MTF/GLO/345/BMG
«CountrySTAT FOR SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA –Phase II»
E T H I O P I A
PANORAMA REPORT II
Prepared
by
Tabit AHMED
National Consultant in Information System and Agricultural Statistics
FOODAND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
Addis Ababa, November 2012
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION …………...... 5
1.1 General Overview ………………………………...... 5
1.2 Key Elements of the First Panorama Report……...... 5
II. INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK …………………...... 7
2.1 Current Legal Framework and Statistical Advisory Bodies ……...... 7
2.2. Procedures for Accessing Raw Data ………………………………………...... 8
2.3 Benefits of the Involvement of National Institutions in CountrySTAT Activities …. 8
2.4 CountrySTAT Organization, Functioning, Implementation its Sustainability in
the country ...... 9
2.4.1 The CountrySTAT Secretariat ...... 9
2.4.2 The CountrySTAT Technical Working Group ...... 10
2.4.3 CountrySTAT Sustainability ...... 11
2.4.4 Availability of Human and Non-human resources to the Project ...... 12
2.4.5 Data Dissemination Policy for Food and agriculture Statistics ...... 12
2.4.6 Communication/Media Activities ……………………………...... 13
III. OUTPUTS AND METADATA …..……………...... 14
3.1 Outputs and Metadata Availability ……………………………...... 14
3.1.1 Crop Production …………………………………………………………...... 14
3.1.2 Livestock Production ……………………………………………………...... 15
3.1.3 Population …………………………………………………………….…...... 15
3.1.4 Producer Price Survey …………..………………………………………...... 16
3.1.4.1 Objectives of the Survey …………..……………….…………………...... 16
3.1.4.2 Scope and Coverage …………..……………….…………………...... 16
3.1.4.3 Method of Data Collection …………..…………….……………….…...... 17
3.1.4.4 Producer Price Average Calculation .………..…….…………….……...... 17
3.1.4.5 Producer Price Index .………..…….……………………….…………...... 17
3.1.5 Consumer Price Index …………………………………..………………...... 17
3.1.6 Trade data ……………………………………………….………………...... 18
3.1.7 Reference Metadata for Indicators Published on CountrySTAT Ethiopia ...... 18
IV. DATA QUALITY …………………...... 22
4.1 Reliability and Transparency of Datasets Published on CountrySTAT...... 22
4.2 Data Collection, Compilation, Harmonization, and Dissemination Process of
CountrySTAT ...... 22
4.3 Consistency of reference Metadata to Support the Data reliability ...... 23
4.4 Reconciliation between the National and International Standards ...... 23
4.5 Data Quality Improvement Initiatives Currently Underway at the CSA ...... 24
V. DATA ACCESS AND USE ………...... 26
5.1 Accessibility of Data and Metadata on the CountrySTAT Website ...... 26
5.2 Data relevance for Public and Private Decision Makers ...... 26
5.3 Timeliness and Punctuality of Data ...... 27
VI. REGIONAL INTEGRATION …………………...... 28
VII. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 30
Annexes
Annex I: List of Core Standard Indicators ...... 32
Annex II: Correspondence Table between National and FAO Classification ….…..34
ACRONYMS
AFDBAfrican Development Bank
COMESACommon Market for Eastern and Southern Africa
CPIConsumer Price Index
CSACentral Statistics Agency
CSOCentral Statistics Office
DFIDUK Department for International Development
EAEnumeration Area
EASE Ethiopian Agricultural Sample Enumeration
ERCA Ethiopian Revenue and Customs Authority
ECTCEthiopian Commodity Trade Classification
EDQAFEthiopian Data Quality Assessment Framework
FAO/UNFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
GDPGross Domestic Product
GPSGlobal Positioning System
GTPGrowth and transformation Plan
HS Harmonized System of trade classification
IMF International Monetary Fund
MoAMinistry of Agriculture
MoFEDMinistry of Finance and Economic Development
NMANational Meteorology Agency
NSDQSCDNational Statistical Data Quality and Standards Coordination Directorate
NSDSNational Statistical Development Strategy
NSSNational Statistical System
PASDEPPlan for Accelerated and Sustainable Development to End Poverty
PPIProducer Price Index
PPPPurchasing Power Parity
SDPRPSustainable Development and Poverty Reduction Program
SITCStandard International Trade Classification
TWGTechnical Working Group
UNDPUnited Nations Development Program
UNFPAUnited Nations Population Fund
UNICEFUnited Nations Children’s Fund
USAIDUnited States Agency for International Development
WBWorld Bank
WFPWorld Food Program
WHOWorld Health Organization
I. INTRODUCTION
1. 1 General Overview
Agriculture comprises the main sector of the Ethiopian economy. It accounts for almost 50 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), provides employment for over 80 percent of the population, generates about 90 percent of the export earnings and supplies around 70 percent of the country’s raw materials to secondary activities.
It is for this reason that agriculturehas been identified as the major driver of economic growth in the new five year (2010/11 – 2014/15) Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP) of Ethiopia. During this period, agricultural development is expected to shift to a higher level of growth that will meet food security needs of the country.
The availability of reliable, accurate, harmonized, timely and easily accessible agricultural information is crucial for the measurement, monitoring and evaluation of the achievement of outputs, outcomes and the impact of such development policies and plan targets.
The implementation of the CountrySTAT Information System in Ethiopia has greatly improved the availability and accessibility of data on food and agriculture through the provision of one-stop center for fast and easy access to harmonized data required for informed analysis, decision-making and policy formulation. The CountrySTAT Information System, developed at the Central Statistical Agency (CSA) of Ethiopia through financial and technical assistance obtained from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),was launched in March 20,11.
The status of the agricultural information system that existed before the implementation of CountrySTAT Information System in Ethiopia was presented in Panorama Report I compiled in May, 2011. The current report, Panorama Report II, presents the status of the information system on food and agriculture after the implementation of the CountrySTAT Project in the country.
1. 2 Key Elements of the First Panorama Report
The First Panorama Report consisted of seven chapters. Chapter one described the existing National Statistical System (NSS), the emphasis being on the Legal Framework and Statistical Advisory Bodies, the structure of the National Statistical System, and the quality assessment of the NSS in the country. Chapter two presented the National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) with six major strategic themes, namely: implementation of the Statistics Law, the development of data quality procedures, enhancing advocacy and use of statistics, methodological improvements and statistical modernization, capacity development in the NSS, and the relationship of NSDS to the monitoring and evaluation of PASDEP and other interventions. The strategy also included a number of system-wide improvements.
Chapter three was on Reference Situation for the Food and Agriculture Statistics System with focus on legal framework of Food and Agriculture Statistical Advisory Bodies, structure of the Food and Agriculture Statistics System, the Annual Agricultural Sample Surveys, required improvements on the CSA and Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) systems, available human resources, data dissemination policy, modalities of promoting user-producer dialogue, and existing databases and data dissemination tools. The fourth chapter described outputs, data sources and metadata for the food and agriculture statistics paying special attention to scope and coverage of agricultural sample surveys, sampling methodology, field organization, method of data collection, and data processing. Chapter five focused on the overview of user needs for the food and agriculture statistics. Chapter six presented general reporting and dissemination systems describing existing reporting and dissemination tools. Finally, chapter seven highlighted expectations from CountrySTAT and important factors for the success of the CountrySTAT Project in Ethiopia.
II. INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK
2.1 Current Legal Framework and Statistical Advisory Bodies
As stated earlier in the First Panorama Report, the current Statistical Law is the Central Statistics Agency Establishment Proclamation No. 442/2005passed on 20 April 2005. The Proclamation established the CSA as an autonomous federal agency having its own legal personality. The objectives of the Agency, according to the law, are:
- to collect, process, analyze and disseminate socio-economic and demographic data through censuses, sample surveys, vital registration and administrative recording systems;
- to provide technical guidance and assistance to government agencies and institutions in establishing their administrative recording, registration and reporting systems including capacity building required in database creation and development of administrative records and registration systems.
The Agency has currently twenty five Branch Offices in different parts of the country. It is responsible to the Minister of Finance and Economic Development (MoFED). The Minister recommends the Director General and Deputy Director Generals to the Prime Minister who appoints them. Other employees are appointed according to the civil service regulations.
The National Statistical Council has also been established in accordance with article 11 of the proclamation. The members of the Council are designated by the Minister in consultation with the Director General of the CSA. The Council meets at least once a year. The Minister is the chairperson and other members comprise government officials from the federal, regional and city administrations.
Annual statistical work programs are prepared by the CSA and submitted to the Minister through the Director General. The Statistical Council then approves the programs. The CSA has the authority to prescribe the system for the collection, compilation, classification and flow of statistical data. Its powers rely primarily on cooperation between data producers in the National Statistical System, but may be enforced by proclamation or regulation.
The statistical law does not prescribe the responsibilities of other agencies in the National Statistical System (NSS). However, the CSA does have the authority to issue and follow up the implementation of programs and directives with a view to improving the country‘s statistical system and to avoid duplication of efforts in statistical activities, and to design and monitor the implementation of statistical recording and reporting systems to be followed by government agencies or institutions or other organizations. The Council may also issue directives on the improvement of the National Statistical System.
2.2Procedures for Accessing Raw Data
In accordance with article number 7 of the proclamation provided to define the powers and duties of the Agency, the CSA has issued a procedure for accessing raw data sited as the “Directive to Establish Procedures for Accessing Raw Data to Users” which is currently in use. The Agency accesses to users only primary data that it has generated from surveys and censuses it has conducted. With respect to the access of raw data generated from censuses, users can have access to no more than 1-10 percent of the total data.
2.3Benefits of the Involvement of National Institutions in CountrySTAT Activities
Since its establishment in the country in 2010 through the technical and financial support from FAO, the CountrySTAT Ethiopia has brought together Government Ministries and Agencies that produce data on food and agriculture and other related statistics. The collaboration between the Agencies has enabled the sharing of food and agriculture related data needed for upload to the CountrySTATwebsite as well as the technical expertise required in collecting and validating the datasets. This collaboration was initiated by the Central Statistics Agency together with the Ministry of Agriculture. The other active stakeholder Agency in the CountrySTAT Ethiopia initiative is the Ethiopian Revenue and Customs Authority (ERCA) which is responsible for the production of Trade Data in HS codes.
The involvement of the National Agencies in the CountrySTAT project has also been ofgreat importancein that it has facilitated the collection and exchange of metadata attached to the datasets posted on the CountrySTAT website. The availability and exchange of metadata has been of great help, particularly to data users, in enhancing better use and management of the data on food and agriculture they access. Metadata development has also contributed a lot to the efforts made in improving food and agricultural statistics in the country.
Another significant benefit of the involvement of the National Institutions in the CountrySTAT activities is that the members of the CountrySTAT Secretariat and the Technical Working Group (TWG), who are playing the major role in implementing the CountrySTAT System in the country, are drawn from these Agencies.
2.4CountrySTAT Organization, Functioning, Implementation and its
Sustainability in the Country
The CountrySTAT System has been developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and implemented by the Central Statistical Agency (CSA) in close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture(MoA). CSA is the Focal Institution for the development and ownership of CountrySTAT in Ethiopia. It is the principal Agency of the Government that collects, processes, analyzes and disseminates socio-economic and demographic statistical data through censuses and sample surveys it conducts. The Agency also assumes the responsibility of coordinating the National Statistical System and serves as the source of official statistics in the country.
Other National Institutions that played a major role in developing the System are the Ethiopian Revenue and Customs Authority (ERCA) and National Meteorology Agency (NMA). But even though NMA was part of the group that started the CountrySTAT activities in the country, they later on did not show the willingness to share their data and as a result did not participate in the Technical Working Group meetings held in collecting and validating data to be published on CountrySTAT website.
2.4.1 The CountrySTAT Secretariat
In Ethiopia only two major local committees were formed to run the CountrySTAT Project in the country, namely, the CountrySTAT Secretariat and the Technical Working Group. Activities requiring national coordination arecarried out through consultations with the Deputy Director General of the CSA.
The CountrySTAT Secretariat of Ethiopiacomprises of seven members drawn from the CSA and Ministry of Agriculture. It is headed by the National CountrySTATCoordinator and its major roles, among others, include:
Coordinating the TWG activities
Updating the CountrySTAT website
Integration of metadata
Ensuring the resolution of discrepancies and inconsistencies in the datasets published on CountrySTAT
Improvement of CountrySTAT tables and matrices
Update of the Correspondence Table and Key Indicators
Preparation of the work plan
Preparation of budgets required for various activities
Organization of the TWG meetings and local trainings
Management of the communication aspect of CountrySTAT through the Communication Officer of the CSA who is a member of the TWG
Participation, through the focal person, in the telephone conferences organized by the FAO CountrySTAT Team
For the update of CountrySTAT website, resolution of discrepancies in the data, update of the Correspondence Tables and Key Indicators, drafting of budgets for various activities, communication aspect of CountrySTAT and participation in the telephone conferences, the Secretariat obtains necessary technical assistance from and works closely with the FAO CountrySTAT Team.
2.4.2 The CountrySTAT Technical Working Group
The CountrySTAT Technical Working Group consists of sixteen members appointed as representatives of the major stakeholder government agencies responsible for the production of statistics on food and agriculture and data on other related sectors. These agencies, as stated earlier, are the CSA, MoA, ERCA, and NMA. Nine members of the TWG are professionals drawn from the Central Statistics Agency, four professionals represent the Ministry of Agriculture, two members come from the Ethiopian Revenue and Customs Authority, and one member is from the National Meteorology Agency even though he has not been able to participate in the TWG meetings conducted so far.
The CountrySTAT TWG has the responsibility of identifying, collecting, and validating datasets from different sources in the country. Three TWG workshops have so far been jointly organized by the CSA, MoA and FAO within the scope of the implementation of the projects GCP/GLO/208/BMG and MTF/GLO/345/BMG, “CountrySTAT for Ethiopia”. During the first TWG Meeting which took place in January 2010, the members collected and validated datasets on crop production, area harvested, fertilizer consumption, seed, livestock, producer price, consumer price index (CPI), food supply, population, and labor at national and sub-national levels. Data collected and validated during the first TWG workshop refer to the period of 2005-2010.
During the second TWG workshop which was held in January of 2012, the objective of the meeting was to collect and validate 10 year time series data to be uploaded to CountrySTAT and additionally reviewing and updating the existing datasets. Accordingly, the secretariat and technical working group members collected and validated 10 year time series datasets indicated above including land utilization, slaughtered animals, trade data in HS including export and import data related to fertilizers, live animals and machinery. The datasets validated during this meeting refer to the period of 2001-2011.
The third Ethiopian TWG meeting was held at the end of August, 2012. The aim of the third TWG meeting was to collect and validate missing indicators in the Standard Core and Sub-National domain. During this workshop an attempt was made, for the first time, to collect and validate 10 year time series for the “Belg” Season agricultural datasets. “Belg” Season crops refer to crops that are harvested during the months of March to August in limited parts of the country. The workshop participants also reviewed and updated the contents of FAO Production Questionnaire and the Correspondence Table.
2.4.3 CountrySTAT Sustainability
Currently there is a strong collaboration between the major national institutions involved in implementing CountrySTAT in Ethiopia. The high level management bodies at the CSA and other stakeholder institutions have shown willingness to support the CountrySTAT activities.
There is also a strong interest / commitment on the part of the CountrySTAT Secretariat and TWG members to the project. This commitment was shown during the third TWG workshop in that, the participants took their time to discuss the possible ways in which the sustainability of CountrySTAT can be ensured in the long-run after the project. In this connection, the Secretariat and TWG members emphasized, among others, the necessity of:
Including the CountrySTAT activities in the annual work plans of the CSA and the other project partner agencies
Assigning knowledgeable professionals who will be responsible for the collection and validation of CountrySTATdatasets on regular basis