1. What is the objective of Statistical capacity project? For nearly two decades since the early 1990s, Kenya’s economy went through turbulent times, and this was reflected in serious downturn in economic growth, increased poverty levels and marked deterioration in public services. Corruption, poor economic management and poor targeting of resources affected all facets of the economy and this had a serious impact on the livelihoods of the majority of the people, especially the poor. In this context, Kenya’s ability to produce timely, high quality and relevant statistical information deteriorated due to inadequate financial allocations, inadequate professional staffing and poor management of the national statistical system. The result of this was a serious deterioration of statistical capacity and services. Surveys were delayed. Some were usually conducted but not analyzed or disseminated to the public in time. Some of the data produced were irrelevant for planning by the time they were made available. Indeed, some vital statistics such as the Statistical Digest, Annual Trade Statistics and Annual Education Statistics ceased altogether, while others like household and industrial production surveys were sporadic and mostly depended on donor funding. Besides there was also a problem in coordination of various data sources, including ministries and research institutions, hence, it was difficult for users to determine which sources were accurate and reliable. The aim of STATCAP is to redress these problems to ensure the availability of timely, accurate and reliable data to meet the increasing demand for statistics to inform policy and facilitate tracking of development programs—including the impact of priority poverty interventions, governance and anti-corruption initiatives. 2. Why the focus on statistical capacity and how does this project fit in the World Bank’s mission of reducing poverty? In Kenya, about 70 percent of the poor live in poverty hotspots—geographical areas that have very limited access to economic and social services. Data such as this, supplemented by others, is necessary for developing targeted initiative that benefits such vulnerable groups. Data are also needed to guide policy decisions in the public and private sector in areas such as investments, job creation, and risk management. 3. In what specific ways does this initiative benefit the urban and rural poor? The modernized national statistics system will provide an accurate, up-to-date, comprehensive and accessible picture of the country’s economy and society, and thus will support the formulation and monitoring of economic and social policies at urban and rural levels. As part of this process, the Government, with the support of its development partners, has already initiated a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) program, which is being used to produce detailed statistics on poverty profiles in urban and rural areas in Kenya. The first version of the web-based publicly accessible monitoring tool is now on-line and is hosted by the Ministry of Information on: http://www.information.go.ke/kenya.php. The project will further improve the existing GIS capability to strengthen statistical mapping in the urban and rural areas. A second version now under development will provide more information content as well as an interactive tool that will allow users to make their own maps with variables of interest, including possibly the allocation of governance expenditures and their practical development impact. 4. How will the project assist the government in its fight against corruption and crime? The project will assist government to carry out surveys to assess the status, developments and trends in Kenya’s governance. In addition, the project resources will be used to strengthen the Government’s ability to use administrative data to monitor its governance programs in key areas, including: (i) justice and crime statistics, (ii) immigration statistics, (iii) registration of VAT payers, and (iv) probation statistics. 5. What additional measures does the project contain to ensure that its funds are used for the intended purposes? In addition to the governance measures already put in place by the Government, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics is completing a comprehensive Institutional Risk Management Policy Framework (IRMPF) that will be used to guide the operations of all public and private agencies receiving funds from this project. The IRMPF has identified most risks -including institutional, procurement and financial and reputational risks - existing in the statistical agencies involved in the project implementation. The Government will soon establish independent Audit and Finance Committees that will execute the IRMPF function. These committees will be directly answerable to the project’s National Steering Committee to ensure independence, transparency and accoun tability. 6. How will this project link up the government ( Kenya National Bureau of Statistics) and other agencies producing statistics, e.g., universities, research institutions, etc? The project has a component that links the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) programs with research and statistical training activities being carried out by the universities. The objective is to foster a research-informed approach to learning and teaching of statistics in Kenya, and to encourage development of teaching policy for statistics in the country. This initiative will strengthen the Statistics Department of a competitively-selected university, and will facilitate active partnership between the KNBS and the university. The partnership will include re-examination of the syllabus and training of statistics lecturers at the university to be able to offer courses that are relevant to the country's needs. The project will also support formation of a professional association of economists and statisticians. The proposed association will be an independent, non-partisan umbrella organization bringing together policy makers, practitioners, researchers, and data collectors. The association, among other things, will: (a) share information on what members are doing and provide a peer review mechanism for members work; (b) create and maintain a website to facilitate communication and sharing of information; (c) launch a nationally peer-reviewed working paper series (WPS) where the best research papers in WPS could be submitted for publication to an internationally recognized peer-reviewed journal with an international editorial board such as the Eastern Africa Economic Journal; (d) provide peer reviews on methodological and conceptual issues on most of the work within the national statistical system, such as sampling frame, sample techniques, and data collection; and (e) liaise with policymakers in identifying a priority research agenda to inform Government strategy and policy. 7. How does this project link up with other government initiatives to increase public access to information such as the proposed Freedom of Information Bill and planned investments in transparency and communications infrastructure? The new legal framework, Statistics Act 2006, specifies raising awareness about the importance and role of statistical information in the society as one of the functions of the national statistical system. The project will also ensure availability and access to statistical information to a wide audience. Specifically, the project will support: (a) modernization and conversion of the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics library into National Statistical Information Center – a one stop data shop; (b) improvement and modernization of District Information and Documentation Centers; (c) creation of partnerships and a network of data resource centers; and (d) the launch of statistical information advocacy and outreach programs.These initiatives will result in increased awareness, availability and access to statistical data. |
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