National Statistics Assessment Survey Report Launched

The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), and the Ghana statistical service (GSS), in collaboration with UNICEF and UNDP have launched the National Statistics Assessment Survey Report in Accra.

The overall goal of the Assessment was to determine the state of statistical development and propose ways to strengthen the national statistical system.

A study obtained information from the ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs); selected data coordinating councils (RCCs), metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs).

Selected data users, including civil society organizations, research institutions, development partners and individuals.

The areas covered include : data production, analysis, storage, dissemination and publication. The study also solicited information on training and capacity building.

The key findings of study indicate that, data production is inadequate. Data were collected and compiled mainly from: censuses, sample surveys and administrative sources (including civil registration).

In the last five years, a few MDAs (8 out of 45) and MMDAs (31 out of 134) conducted censuses, while three out of the four MMDAs conducted sample surveys compared to one out of four MDAs. Furthermore, most of these institutions do not collect and compile administrative data (37 MDAs and 119 MMDAs) .

The study also revealed that, there is limited accessibility and use of data from MMDAs, MDAs and RCCs. Users identified administrative bottlenecks and unwillingness of some staff of the public institutions to release data as a major constraint. More over, about 70 percent of users observed that, the quality of data produced by public institutions were poor.

The lack of functional data storage systems has significantly affected the ability of the statistical system to respond to the needs of users.

About 63 percent of responding institutions do not have central database storage system.

According to the Minister of Planning, Professor George Gyan-Baffour, who launched the report, said reliable, timely and accessible statistics were crucial for making informed policy decisions and the effective monitoring of progress in the development agenda.

Prof. Gyan-Baffour, stressed that, there's a need for the national statistical system to be strengthened to ensure the proper coordination of the production of statistics for evidence-based decision making.

The acting Chief Director of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Dr Evans Aggrey-Darkoh, touch on the Right to Information (RTI) bill expressing his views that, the passage of the bill would make public institutions work harder to provide valid, quality and reliable data to satisfy demands.

He expressed the hope that the bill, which had been in Parliament for a long time, would be passed before the end of the year to empower the citizens to demand a high level of accountability from duty bearers and also enhance the democratic credentials of the country.

The acting Director General of the NDPC, Dr Grace Bediako, for her part, said the findings of the report had been implemented by a joint NDPC and GSS Advisory Committee to advance the availability and use of statistics within the national planning system.