E/ECA/STAT/SDB.5(ii)/93/5
UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA
First inter-regional coordination meeting
on:
United Nations Economic and Social Information System (UNESIS) July 14-15, 1993, Geneva
Mission Report by:
A.M. Farazi
Chief, Statistical Data Base Statistics Division, UNECA
August 6, 1993 Addis Ababa
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Paragraph Page
INTRODUCTION- . . 1 - 5
DATA SYSTEMS AT UNECA
AND ITS FUTURE NEEDS . 6 - 9
SCOPE AND TARGETS OF UNESIS 10 - 11
UNESIS - DEVELOPMENT PLANS 12 - 15
UNESIS AND THE WORLD BANK/UNECA DATA LINKAGES...16 - 19 4
CONCLUSION^ , . , . 20
OTHER ISSUES 21
LIST OF PARTICIPANTS r t * ? r""f p
INTRODUCTION
1. The first inter-regional coordination meeting, to discuss economic and social information system issues, was held on 14-15 July 1993. The meeting was hosted by the Statistical Division of the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) in
Geneva.
2. The meeting was chaired by the Director of the United Nations Statistical Division (UNSTAT) of the Department of Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis (DESIPA) and was attended by representatives of statistical division of all the UN regional commissions. UNECA was represented by A.M. Farazi, Chief of Statistical Data Base.
3. The meeting was briefed by the Chairman regarding the issues which had necessitated a coordinated approach towards development of an harmoni z ed statistical information system comprising economic and social data archives, initially to be implemented at DESIPA with linkage and adaptation possibilities at the regional commissions.
4. The meeting unanimously noted that, while the name UN Economic and Social Information System (UNESIS) reflected the broad nature of applications to be covered by the proposed system, UNESIS will primarily comprise of statistical data systems and implicitly will not include management information systems (MIS), documentation, referral and bibliographic databases or other such
"development" information systems. Consequently, the statistical divisions at the UN headquarters and the regional commissions were expected to play a pivotal role in development and implementation of the UN Economic and Social Information System (UNESIS).
5. All the participants presented a summary of their respective current statistical data systems. Although some of these databases were at more advanced stage of development depending upon the respective sites exposure to the modern information technology, all the systems were geared towards compilation and publication of statistical information and all were prone to deficiency of one type or another.
DATA SYSTEMS AT UNECA AND ITS FUTURE NEEDS
6. The UNECA representative briefed the meeting regarding the existing data systems maintained at the Commission and more specifically regarding its recent efforts towards harmonization of these data systems and establishment of coordinated linkages with secondary data sources. In this respect, the representative presented a summary of the role played by the "Task Force on World Bank/UNECA statistical data linkages and modalities" established by the UNECA
Executive Secretary since April 1993. Efforts by the Task Force in improving linkages with other data compilers, particularly the World Bank, IMF and UNSTAT etc., were discussed and phase-I report of the Task Force was circulated among the participants.
It was emphasized by the UNECA representative that the above data coordination plans were in no way contradictory or duplicative to the proposed Economic and Social Information System (UNESIS), but were rather complementary efforts both geared towards creation of coordinated statistical data systems at the Commission and their linkages with the other specialized data banks.
The representative, while giving background to the UNECA statistical data systems, explained that the Commission's statistical database (ECA-RSDB) was old and full of flaws which necessitated development of new comprehensive system which would be at least at par with the prevailing Information Technology situation to provide a coordinated statistical data dissemination/distribution capability both within the Commission as well as for its member States.
Due to this specific prevalent condition, UNECA was very eager to benefit through adaptation of the proposed relevant developments at the UN headquarters.
The representative suggested that in order that the Commission may directly benefit from the new system, it would be important that the proposed system should be built on "package" principles providing portability and adaptability attributes and to consist of efficient skeleton matrices, and powerful storage/retrieval and dissemination utilities. These tools should be developed centrally following an "open" and modular architecture (such that selected sectors like trade, national accounts etc., may be developed on priority basis), whereas meta- information details along with the actual data, to the desired level of detail and according to the prevailing environment, would be furnished at each site responsible for maintaining those data. Adaptation of UNESIS developments at UNECA will assist the Commission, at least, to overcome its data base development plans which under the current situation, due to lack of the necessary resources, seemed a serious problem.
SCOPE AND TARGETS FOR UNESIS
10. As mentioned in the earlier paragraphs the proposed Economic and Social Information System (UNESIS) was expected to be composed primarily of statistical databases for wide-ranging economic and social applications, in
addition to statistical publications. The meeting
unanimously accepted that UNESIS would not become anacross-the-board integration of all types information systems. The meeting specifically recognized that
bibliographic, referral, documentation and management
information systems were being developed through their own specialized platforms which were quite different fromUNESIS.
11. From the ensuing discussions and in view of the common problems encountered through the current practices, the following targets for the proposed system were identified:
(i) To use the available resources more efficiently by concentrating our efforts in the development and maintenance of data banks thus avoiding duplicative and near-duplicative efforts. (It was recognized however that "distributed processing" was quite
distinct from duplication of effort). The success of
this aim could be measured in elimination of duplication and more efficient maintenance of databases;(ii) To improve the visibility of the range of existing data. Success could be measured by a wider and deeper understanding among users of the existing data, perhaps through establishment and maintenance of an inventory of relevant databases;
(iii) To improve access to existing data. Success could be measured by improvements in communications between databases, and between databases and database users;
(iv) To improve response to new and ad-hoc demands for data for data analysis and to changes in data themselves.
Success might be measured through improvement in
flexibility of database management system;(v) To improve cooperation among the regional commissions and between the commissions and DESIPA so as to deal more efficiently with shared problems in this area of work. Success in meeting this aim could be measured by the degree of experience and consequent improvements in the quality and quantity of outputs;
(vi) To reduce the risks inherent in relying on data which
were the responsibility of "uncoordinated" thirdparties. Success here might be measured by a greater sharing of decision making over data sources and by
agreements, formal or otherwise, between data users over shared sources.UNESIS - DEVELOPMENT PLANS
12. A draft bid document (request for purchase - RFP), outlining the requirements of the proposed system, prepared by DESIPA was reviewed by the meeting. The document will be revised and finalized by DESIPA, taking into
consideration the amendments proposed by the participants.
The meeting was informed by the Chairman that the RFP will result in a consultancy project, to be implemented during the last quarter of 1993, to appraise statistical data systems needs of DESIPA and the regional commissions.
During this phase extensive consultations, both at DESIPA and the regional commissions, were expected to be held between consultants and the potential users of the proposed system. The appraisal phase will result in: inventory of existing capability; projected statistical database needs;
conceptual framework; identification of suitable hardware/software particularly in view of DESIPA requirements; and expected impact of the new system on the relevant practices at the regional commissions.
13. Following the recommendations resulting from the above appraisal phase, a second-phase consultancy to develop the proposed system modularly, will be accomplished during the next biennium. The system will be developed according to priorities, identified during the appraisal phase, of sectors inter-alia including: foreign trade; national accounts; population; social indicators; industry;
energy; transport; and environment. If the resources permitted, during the second phase of the project, the modules developed at DESIPA, might be adapted by the interested regional commissions.
14. Throughout the above two phases the regional commissions will be fully involved through their focal points (at respective Statistical Divisions) who will be responsible for all liaison between the commissions and consultants through DESIPA.
15. Necessary funds for the project at the UN headquarters had been identified from various savings. However, for adaptation and extension of the system at the regional commissions, the respective commissions were expected to generate their own funding, in case of additional resource requirements.
UNESIS AND "THE WORLD BANK/UNECA DATA LINKAGES"
16. The meeting agreed that major objective of the proposed system (UNESIS), while allowing autonomous coordination of data compilation/dissemination practices within DESIPA and the regional commissions, was to create easy connectivity and data-exchangeability between the various involved data users as well as agencies through harmonization of data- exchange procedures. The proposed system will also be discussed at the forthcoming 27th session of the ACC Sub- Committee on Statistical Activities in September this year.
17. In the light of the above mentioned broad objectives, it was strongly felt that the efforts being currently mounted by UNECA through its ad-hoc Task Force were indeed complementary, also geared towards achieving similar overall objectives namely data-exchangeability and coordination.
18. It was also noted that the UNECA Task Force was specifically exploring ways of establishing data-linkages with the World Bank as a " secondary" data source, a necessary step to fill the existing data gaps at the Commission. This linkage in no way posed duplication or contradiction to linkages with the other data compilers particularly UNSTAT. Another important aspect of the current Task Force activity was to identify the data/system and their associated infrastructure and tools (including databases, equipment and staffing etc.), needed to establish smooth and harmonized data compilation practices at the Commission. In this respect, output from the Task Force will serve as an important input to the consultant's appraisal of the situation. In this way the Task Force reports will serve as vital groundwork towards identification of a desired "system" necessary to upgrade/replace the existing UNECA databases.
19. In conclusion, the two efforts provide perfect complementarity to each other, expected to result in establishment of coordinated data compilation procedures coupled with wider data capture capability at the Commission. Replacement of the ECA statistical database (EGA-RSDB) with the envisaged, state-of-the-art statistical data system to be developed at DESIPA, which might easily be adopted at the Commission, could result in saving of huge developmental costs necessary for such exercises.
CONCLUSIONS
20. Taking full consideration of the identified aims of the Economic and Social Information System (UNESIS) and moving in tandem with the developments at DESIPA, in conclusion it is proposed that:
(i) The Task Force should continue its efforts towards:
(a) elimination of data gaps through creation of data linkages with the World Bank, and
(b) coordination of data compilation and distribution practices through identification and establishment of suitable infrastructure at the Commission;
(ii) To actively liaise with the development of the
proposed system at DESIPA, and in readiness for the
consultant's expected visit later this year, to take6
inventory of all the relevant statistical data systems at the Commission;
(iii) In order to provide continuity and to avoid huge
developmental costs, maintenance, coupled with the necessary pre/post-processing through utilization of micro-computers, of the ECA Regional Statistical Data Base (ECA-RSDB), which caters for the bulk of currentstatistical dissemination needs, should continue
through primary as well as secondary sources, until a suitable replacement system can be adapted at the Commission.OTHER ISSUES
21. The visit to Geneva was also utilized to discuss the prevailing statistical data systems at the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) and particularly the Commission's data-linkage experience with the World Bank.
Similar discussion were also held at United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in order to briefly review its databases. Details of these discussions will be contained in the Task Force report, under"assessment of other relevant databases".
First inter-regional coordination meeting
on:
United Nations Economic and Social
Information Systems (UNESIS) 14-15 July, 1993, Geneva
List of participants
1. Mr. W. Seltzer; Director, United Nations Statistical
Division, DESIPA, United Nations, New
York.
Mr. T. Griffins; Director, Statistical Division, Economic
Commission for Europe (ECE), GenevaStatistical Data Base, Statistical Division, Economic Commission for Europe
(ECE), Geneva
Chief, Statistics Division, Economic and
Social Commission for Asia and Pacific(ESCAP), Bangkok
Chief, Statistics division. Economic Commission for Latin America and Caribbeans (ECLAC), Santiago
Chief, Statistics Division, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
(ESCWA), Amman Mr. B. Brand;
Mr. A. Flatt;
Mr. P. Sainz;
Mr. L. Abdunnur;
Mr. A. M. Farazi; Chief, Statistical Data Base, Statistics Division, Economic Commission for Africa
(ECA), Addis Ababa.
