Background

In October 2002, an information paper prepared for the Bank’s Board of Executive Directors, “Building Statistical Capacity to Monitor Development Progress,” requested a briefing on the state of national statistics and statistical capacity. This highlighted the increased demand for better data, the need for action - particularly through a strategic approach to statistical capacity building at country level, and the value of engagement in this area by the World Bank.

These approaches were discussed with the international community in February 2004, during the Second Roundtable on Measuring for Results, held in Marrakech, Morocco. As a result, a global action plan to improve national and international statistics was agreed. The plan is now commonly referred to as the Marrakech Action Plan for Statistics or MAPS, is widely endorsed, and forms the overarching framework for Statistical Capacity Building.

The principles of the MAPS have also been agreed within the IDA framework; during the IDA 14 replenishment negotiations, deputies considered a paper “Measuring Results: Improving National Statistics in IDA Countries”. The approach is based on the implementation of MAPS, and includes plans to accelerate progress through the provision of information on national statistical capacity, the monitoring of statistical capacity building activities by development partners, assistance for countries to develop national strategies for the development of statistics, and a pilot program to align and harmonize internationally sponsored surveys.