Use of Non-Official Sources for International Food Security - PowerPoint Presentation

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Use of Non-Official Sources for International Food Security and Agricultural Statistics

European Conference on Quality in Official Statistics (Q2014) - June 5th 2014

Carlo

Cafiero

,

Pietro Gennari

and Steve Katz

FAO Statistics DivisionSlide2

Background and ContextRole of IOs as Producers of Official Stats

Why and When to use Non-Official SourcesFAO Examples“Voices of the Hungry” Project as Case-StudyReflections and ConclusionsOutline2Slide3

Tension between NSOs and IOs due to data discrepancies and use of non-official sources

(Human Dev. Report, MDG database, Big Data)Resulting in specific UNSC recommendations:37th Session (2006) – IOs should avoid imputation unless specific country data are available & following consultations 42nd Session (2011) – On enhanced coordination of statistics within the UN system

CCSA discussions on imputation practices and use of non-official sources

2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012

2013

: adoption of “Recommended Practices on the Use of non-Official Sources in International Statistics”

Background and Context

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Clear role of national governments for official statistics; Role of IOs more controversial

Widespread view: limited to compiling existing governmental statisticsSDMX guidelines: official statistics also apply to Intergovernmental OrganizationsAssumes Member States endorse statistical programmes of IOs, which is not always the caseAdded value

: transformation

of national data into international “Global Public

Goods”, standardized

and comparable

across countriesRequires: dedicated attention to quality and good governance

Role of IOs as producers of OS

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IOs normally use official sources

Mandate and membership of IOsNSS data usually produced according to the highest professional standardsIn certain cases IOs cannot rely on official sources:National standards different from international standardsOfficial sources in politically sensitive areas may be biasedMissing data

Confidentiality issues

Difficulty of the NSS to keep up with the increasing demand for real-time data and new indicators

But

ONLY

when all possibilities of using national data have been exhausted

Use of non-official sources by IOs

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Traditional use

To ensure data harmonization and comparability across countries and regionsTo validate official data, to increase their accuracy and comprehensivenessTo fill missing values/overcome confidentiality issuesNon-traditional useTo produce indicators not yet covered by official statistics (direct data collection)

Use of non-official sources by IOs

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Fertilizer Production, Trade and Consumption

Main source is official statistics from countries, but additional data from the International Fertilizer Association (MoU)Specific problem: data confidentialityEarly Warning and Emergency Preparedness Needs

Real-time data not available from official sources

Developing countries affected by emergencies lack the expertise needed

Sources: News agencies, Extension services, Satellite images,

Crowdsourcing

Voices of the Hungry Project as a Case Study

Use of Non-official Sources at FAO

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Issue being Addressed

Monitoring Food Insecurity is crucial to fight hungerPost 2015 Development Agenda requires creation of new indicators for global and national monitoring (food access)Global Monitoring cannot be based on national sources in the short-term

Voices of the Hungry Project addresses

this information gap

“Voices

of The Hungry” Case Study

8Slide9

Methodology and Benefits

Direct measure of people’s food insecurity in a timely and cost-effective wayShort questionnaire as integral part of annual survey conducted by Gallup Inc. in 150 countries worldwideBased on nationally representative samples

Can

help in assessing emergency needs after famine or natural

disasters

Recommended

as a key indicator for the monitoring framework of the Post 2015 Development AgendaGovernments

to adopt the indictor for targeted intervention, and monitoring/measuring impact of policies/programmes

“Voices

of The Hungry” Case

Study (cont.)

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Quality Assurance Mechanisms 1

Rigorous UN Procurement Rules adopted for the selection of data supplierMethodology Field-Tested: initially in 4 African countriesValidation Studies: before adoption of a universal Scale of measurement

Quality Stamp:

FAO responsible for integrity and comparability of the different questionnaire language versions

“Voices

of The Hungry” Case

Study (cont.)10Slide11

Quality Assurance Mechanisms 2

Sustainability: Long-term contract with Gallup Inc.; World Bank and WHO have similar project arrangementsExternal Review: All micro-data and methodology for its analysis will be publicly availableCapacity Development: FAO to assist countries to include the Scale in future national household surveys;

countries to eventually to take over data collection function

“Voices

of The Hungry” Case

Study (cont.)

11Slide12

Reflections and Conclusions

IOs add value to national data as provider of internationally comparable Global Public GoodsIOs normally rely on national official data Use of non-official data only for very compelling reasons, including to fill information gaps or meet emerging needsUltimate goal of providing higher quality and wider scope of global monitoring service

Be

combined with capacity development

work for eventual national handover and sustainability

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Reflections and Conclusions (cont.)

Use of non-official sources may create tension between IOs and NSOsInstruments needed to mitigate this tension: Full disclosure of methods/sourcesAdoption of quality assurance frameworksStronger country involvement

Particularly,

strengthened statistics governance

systems where Members endorse the statistical

programmes

of IOs and peer-review dataFAO: new QAF adopted; Global Commission on Statistics to be established in 2015

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Thank You!