SAMPLE CONCEPT PAPER
THIS PAPER HAS BEEN ALTERED FOR
ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES AND DOES NOT REPRESENT THE ORIGINAL CONCEPT PAPER OR THE
PROJECT IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.
(i)
Strengthening statistical capacity in support of progress toward the
internationally agreed development goals in the Southern African Development
Community region
(ii)
Implementing entities and U Secretariat partners: DESA jointly with ECA
(iii)
Background
Statistics
are an important tool in the development-policymaking processes of countries
and regional organizations. They are needed for assessing the current
development situation, setting objectives and targets for the future and
measuring progress and development. However, a substantial gap still exists
between the demand for information and the ability of most countries in the
Southern African Development Community (SADC) region to routinely provide it.
The
SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan recognizes statistics as
one of the cross-sectoral areas that need to be strengthened to foster regional
cooperation and integration over the next 15 years. This project is therefore
designed to improve the availability and reliability of basic data required for
development planning in the SADC region, with special emphasis on data
requirements for the internationally agreed development goals and the
Millennium Development Goals. The project is aimed at facilitating subsequent
networking among subregions through interactive sharing and management of
knowledge. Furthermore, the project will strengthen links between producers and
users of statistics.
The
project builds upon lessons learned from three statistical development projects
implemented by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs Statistics
Division in the Caribbean Community, Association of South-East Asian Nations
(ASEAN) and ESCWA regions. The project will be executed by the Department of
Economic and Social Affairs, in collaboration with the Statistics Division of
the SADC secretariat and in association with ECA.
(iv)
Relationship to the Strategic Framework for the period 2008- 2009, the
internationally agreed development goals, the Millennium Development Goals: Department of Economic and
Social Affairs subprogrammes 4, 8
(Sustainable development) and 5 (Statistics); ECA subprogramme 4 (Harnessing
information for development). All MDGs.
(v)
Objective: To
strengthen the capacity of Governments in the SADC region for the production
and analysis of benchmark statistics to support national monitoring of progress
towards the internationally agreed development goals.
(vi) Expected
accomplishments
EA1 Improved
organization of statistical systems and user-producer relationships, resulting
in quality, timely and relevant data on the Millennium Development Goals
EA2 Adoption of
international statistical methods and standards for knowledge management in
relation to the Millennium Development Goals and internationally agreed
development goals in the target countries
(vii) Indicators
of achievement
IA1.1 Increased
volume of official statistical data for tracking progress towards the
Millennium Development Goals and internationally agreed development goals used
by statistical systems, the public and the media
IA2.1 Increased
number of national statistical offices using common statistical definitions and
methodologies
IA2.2 Increased
number of national statistical offices providing indicators of improved quality
for policy-oriented research and analysis
(viii) Main
activities
A1.1 Organizing six training workshops for staff
of national statistical offices to improve the technical capabilities of
countries in the collection of demographic and social statistics, economic
statistics and environment and energy statistics; in statistical
classification; in the organization of statistical systems; and in
user-producer relationships;
A1.2 Promoting exchanges of experts between
statistical offices to encourage the implementation of common methodologies and
facilitate exchanges of information on statistical standards;
A1.3 Establishing the connectivity of experts in
statistics-related ICT to promote the sharing of information among experts in
their respective fields, access to information on websites and exchange of
statistical reports;
A2.1 Convening a working group meeting by UNSD
in collaboration with SADC Secretariat on the harmonization of development
indicators to exchange country experiences and the development of common
methodologies and classifications for the collection of data.
A2.2 Providing technical assistance to
strengthen national and regional institutions in the collection, compilation
and dissemination of statistics and the use and maintenance of technology;
A2.3 Organizing intra-regional study tours to
draw on the strengths and achievements of the countries in the region through
study tours and to create opportunities for staff from statistically less
developed countries to learn best practices and to share experience with others
in the region from their peers.
(ix)Detailed
Description for each budget line
Consultants
($53,000)
International
consultants
International
consultants for preparing of training materials and holding workshops, in
support of activities A1.1, A2.1 and A2.2. (3 Work Months [WM]) x ($6,000 per
month) + ($5,000 for consultant(s) travel) = $23,000
National /
Regional consultants
National
consultants for preparing case studies for workshops, in support of activities
A1.1, A2.1 and A2.2. (2WM) x ($2,500 per month) x (6 countries) = $30,000
Contractual
services ($16,000)
Translation
Translation of
documents into French in support of activities A1.1, A1.2, A1.3, and A2.1 =
$16,000
Travel
of staff ($92,000)
DESA Staff
Organising and
coordinating the 5 training workshops, and one expert group meeting, in support
of activities A1.1, A1.3, A2.1, and A2.2. ($6,000 per person) x (12 persons) =
$72,000
Regional
Commissions’ staff/ other UN staff
Participating as
resource persons in workshops, in support of activities A1.1, A1.3, A2.1, and A2.2.
($4,000 per person) x (5 persons) = $20,000
Study
Tours (Fellowships) ($25,000)
Regional
Study Tours
Regional study
tours to strengthen the capacity of the National Statistics Offices of SADC
member countries and SADC Secretariat, in support of A2.3. ($2,500 per study
tour) x (10 study tours) = $25,000
Seminars
and Workshops ($345,000)
Workshops
6 workshops in
the subregion, in support of A1.1. ($2,500 per participant) x (20 participants)
x (6 workshops) = $300,000
Working
Groups
1 working group
meeting, in support of activities A1.1 and A2.1. ($4,500 per participant) x (10
participants) = $45,000
Operating
expenses ($5,600)
Communications
In support of A1.1,
A1.3, and A2.1. $3,000
Supplies
In support of A1.1,
A1.3, and A2.1. $2,600
Social Plugin