Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics The Statistical System in Palestine: Gaps, Obstacles, Challenges and Needs A Country Report submitted to Regional Forum on Strengthening Statistical Capacity of the Arab States Amman, Jordan September 8-10, 2003 August, 2003
1. Preface The Palestinian statistical experience is novel and distinguished. It is less than a decade old, and special at three different dimensions. First, the statistical system witnessed a very active period during the last decade at the national, regional and international levels. It was during the kickoff stage, where the establishment of basic pillars of the Palestinian statistical system and data flow among different components took place according to certain professional codes despite the non-enabling political and legislative environment. Second, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) started operating before the creation of the Palestinian government and its executive organs, and before having any Palestinian sovereignty or sovereign control over borders, water resources, and other relevant pillars required for a normal flow of statistics. PCBS started operating within multi legislative and legal frameworks and laws effective in the territories covered which made the Palestinian statistical experience rather exceptional. The statistical system grew up in line with the production of statistics before it had laid the way to create the statistical system in a legislative, legal environment to regulate relationships between system pillars. Third, PCBS has the legal mandate by statistics laws passed in 2000 to establish, maintain, and update the Palestinian statistical system. Additionally, PCBS has the professional duty to create a culture of utilization of statistics for the purpose of policy making; henceforth, PCBS has an additional role; to create a need for statistics and then respond to is as a matter of fact. PCBS is the backbone of the Palestinian statistical system. The General Statistics Law of 2000 mandates PCBS to establish and maintain the statistical system. Moreover, PCBS is exclusively in charge of publishing the official statistics regardless of their sources. However, there are a number of institutions that issue certain statistics for internal use or for publication. Such release of statistics is based on pre-coordination and integral cooperation with PCBS. On the other hand, certain statistics-producing sources use their production privately and as part of their policy of promoting their work This paper endeavors to dwell on the Palestinian statistical system; emphasizing challenges, gaps, obstacles, and needs from the user and producer point of view. 2. Methodology For the purpose of developing this document, PCBS held an in-depth workshop with the main stakeholders. More than 40 persons representing government, NGOs and private sector participated in the meeting. The meeting included representatives from institutions working in the field of economy, sociology, legal issues, academia, universities and research community. The discussion concentrated on the challenges, gaps, requirements, and obstacles facing the national statistical system. Moreover, PCBS designed a questionnaire and distributed it to the participants in order to come up with quantitative estimates regarding the debated issues. This meeting ended with the establishment of a formulating committee composed of three members from three different user groups. This document is based on the report prepared by the committee about the conclusions of the meeting, in addition to the results of filled questionnaires as well as the experience of PCBS as the main data producer. 3. Production and access to statistics PCBS is the main producer of statistical data in Palestine and the exclusive producer of the Palestinian official statistics except for the statistics on education, which the Ministry of Education produces in cooperation with PCBS. PCBS is running an integrated statistical program based on international recommendations and the internationally recognized 2
professional ethics of official statistics. PCBS statistical program is user-oriented; therefore, governmental users and NGOs and private sector users constitute one of the main influences determining the substance of the produced and published statistics. However, the Law has sanctioned other governmental institutions to produce micro level statistics in their field of specialty in order to integrate with the macro level production of the official statistics. Therefore, public institutions in coordination with PCBS carry out specialized field surveys and provide PCBS with access to their administrative records to derive official statistics. Both users and producers diagnosed some challenges and obstacles facing the statistical system. For instance, standards and definitions of statistics production vary by data source, forcing a limitation in the utilization of compiled statistics from different sources in terms of making rational comparison and leading to confusion among users. Moreover, PCBS produced statistical data are sufficient for public planning; however, additional details are still needed for micro level plans. As a result, producers and users of data acknowledge the importance of a two-way coordination of statistical production to meet the needs of the users on time. There is also a need to raise awareness among political leaders concerning the vitality of statistics in planning and decision-making. Both producers and users of statistical data expressed dissatisfaction with regard to utilization of statistics in decision-making among ministries and public institutions. Additionally, data producers and users agree on taking confidentiality into consideration in statistical production and paying more attention to monitoring the situation on the ground and dissemination of data within close periods of time. They also agreed on supporting the political environment in which the statistical system operates. They also called on the donor community to support national programs as it is and not to make conditional funding in terms of the content and ways of programming. Data users expressed the need for qualitative data and quantitative estimates. Statistical data have to be of high quality, accuracy, and comprehensive coverage in order to be utilized. Users also pointed out absence of integration in the statistical system, which is a challenge that needs to be addressed. Another challenge is to find a link between variables in order to facilitate using them in the process of policy-making and long and short term planning. Moreover, producers and users pointed out a lack of consistency among statistical numbers coming from different sources, which reflect national inconsistency in defining statistical concepts. There is duplicity of data for similar indicators. This creates a need for unifying the definitions of statistical concept on the national level among all data producers. In light of such gaps and obstacles there is a need to improve statistical production; most prominently, to establish national coordination committees to regulate the relationship between the basic elements of the statistical system. Also, the coordination committees need to work on developing the capacities of production and utilization of statistical data. There is also an urgent need for a change in the political environment where Palestinian institutions can operate in an independent Palestine. Moreover, there is a need for increasing awareness regarding the relationship between the users and producers of the official statistics for the purpose of utilizing statistics in decision and policy making PCBS is member of many national committees, sharing with the main stakeholders ideas in order to develop the statistical production, such committees are: Education for All, National Team Against Poverty, Committee for Assessing Demographic Status, Technical Committee 3
for Balance of payments, Committee on Palestinian Localities, National Committee for Employment, Child National Plan 2004-2010 4. Using statistics in policy-making Palestinian users and producers of statistical data recognize the fact that national institutions need to work harder using statistics in planning and policy-making. The blurred Palestinian vision of growth is one of the reasons for not relying on statistics in the planning processes; therefore, developing a Palestinian vision on social and economic growth is the key to utilizing statistics in planning and policy-making. Such vision development would lead to determining policies and plans of each institution and the role of statistics is to develop a regularly monitored list of indicators of social and economic growth. Historically Israeli oppressive measures prevent plans from being adhered to, therefore, specialized management level data users are reluctant to rely on plans for policy making, resulting a non-use of statistics in planning. Overcoming the bureaucratic flow of statistical data and developing an accessible national Palestinian statistical database will encourage policy makers to utilize statistics in policy-making and in strategic planning. Some users emphasized the need to give institutions accessibility to national databases in order to acquire more detailed indicators, which could contribute significantly to policy making since there is more need for micro level data than is published in the official statistics, which makes micro level planning more difficult. Policy and decision makers awareness of the role of statistics is important to developmental planning and the scientific and methodological use of statistics in policy and decision taking. Some users face difficulties reading the statistical numbers; some users do not rely so much on the statistical numbers in micro planning in particular. Consequently, the use of data in policy-making requires a lot of hard work beginning with raising awareness about statistics and policy-making, making the most detailed statistical numbers available, providing easy and inexpensive access to statistics, and establishing plans and policies at the different institutions allowing the statistical numbers to be a provider and a monitor of their performance. Additionally, there is a need to motivate free debate on policy-making and monitoring and evaluation of the performance of the developmental policies based on accurate statistics. Media play an important role here through hosting free debates on policymaking and policy evaluation. 5. Strategic planning of statistical work A clear vision policy of planning is a prerequisite to develop a master plan involving main statistical activities. Such policy would ensure integral roles of the government, private sectors and the non-governments organizations. Communication and coordination among users and producer institutions of the statistical data is crucial to strategic planning, which includes executing integral statistical activities and thus avoids multi source data, inconsistent and gap-filled production of statistical data. Most institutions do not have strategic statistical plans. However, in 1994 PCBS put forth a national strategic statistical plan and held a conference on this strategic plan in 1995. By 2000 PCBS had developed the second master plan which covers the first decade of the 3 rd millennium. Unfortunately, circumstances were inappropriate to discuss the plan with the stakeholders; hence, users and producers knowledge of the plan remained limited. Moreover, a vision of a comprehensive statistical plan requires more effort on behalf of the government and the different institutions of the various sectors. 4
In any case, the Palestinian statistical system faces major challenges in strategic planning, including lack of coordination among Palestinian institutions, many parties intervene in the Palestinian development state and institutional building process, optimistic and pessimistic approaches towards development and strategic planning as a tool of monitoring growth. The Palestinian government s emphasis on the political aspect and the persistent efforts to create a growth supporting political environment as well as the international support for interim solutions diluted the strategic plan and made it incomprehensive.. Interaction between sectors, the impact of external factors on strategic planning, and the unpredictable reaction of the Israeli occupation led to confusion and made planning purely academic which weakened the role of statistics as a tool of monitoring plans execution. 6. Financing the statistical system Financing statistical activities in Palestine faces a variety of obstacles: Unsystematic governmental and donor countries spending on such activities; failure on behalf of donor countries to consider the national Palestinian plans, thus intervening in the priorities of the Palestinian statistical activities. Besides, donor countries can be selective in supporting certain projects thus endangering the integral nature of the Palestinian statistical system. Financing the statistical system in Palestine has also to consider the unstable political situation, which gave rise to relief planning at the expense of development planning. Henceforth, lack of sufficient funding for statistical activities is a major obstacle that the official statistical system has to face. Lack of sufficient funds lead to delays or even cancellation of important statistical activities; for instance, PCBS requires capacity building of statistical units at ministries in order to attain an integral Palestinian statistical system. Moreover, PCBS needs to be linked via computers with a number of ministries to multiply its production and promote utilization of gross data. Another example is the Ministry of Health, which composed a dictionary of health statistical indicators. This dictionary has not been used yet, because of insufficient funding to update the databases at the Ministry and carry out the necessary changes after that, which would include changing all forms, training of staff producing statistical data, and changing the existing databases. The case of the Ministry of Health also applies to many institutions, which receive funding for diagnosing their problems but not for solving their problems 7. National statistical capacities Since the establishment of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) in 1994, the Palestinian institutions have been working under extremely difficult situations especially in mid 2002. However, PCBS has managed to continue with its statistical programs and carried out the first Palestinian census since the start of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 1967. PCBS has also established work groups in different statistical fields and created a monitoring unit that carries out statistical projects that provide users with data on the impact of the Israeli arbitrary measures against Palestinian people. Additionally, PCBS has built a technically qualified and professional staff and a regularly updated website (http://www.pcbs.org). Other data producing institutions of the national statistical system have faced difficulties in building their statistical systems, which led to a shortage of information derived from the administrative records. The Israeli occupiers have destroyed many Palestinian institutions; consequently, the information coming from the administrative records of these institutions 5
have to be replaced with surveys or estimates. However, the unsupportive political environment has enriched the Palestinian statistical experiment in managing the statistical system under crisis, which can provide valuable lessons in crisis management of statistics. More work is still required for creating the necessary statistical capacities at PCBS and other institutions. There is still shortage in qualified people in the field of statistics. Moreover, PCBS has to compete with the non-governmental and private sector in attracting Palestinian statistical minds. PCBS also faces a problem with keeping its qualified staff who seek better incentives than those offered by the Bureau, resulting in PCBS being forced to spend more of its funds and efforts on training of new staff. The skills of staff involved in statistics vary, which requires more training; additionally, some aspects of the infrastructure especially the offices and the computer networks are in need of improvement. However, Palestinian statistical capacity building faces a number of challenges including adjustment of the requirements of the national statistical work and fulfilling the Palestinian international obligations in the field of statistics. Another challenge is consolidating the national statistical system, which is one of PCBS main responsibilities of staff training and of establishing statistical units at official institutions capable of statistical production in accordance with professional standards. The other challenges are to keep the qualified staff and to consolidate the use of statistics in policy-making. The requirements of the Palestinian statistical capacity building, on the other hand, include making available and maintaining statistically qualified personnel within the national statistical system. It also requires financial support for implementing construction plans of the statistical system, training needs, and improvement of the infrastructure. 8. Expectations from the international community International technical and financial supports for the statistical system remain the pillar of the continuity of official statistics production. However, inconsistency among technical support provided and the actual technical and know-how needs of PCBS create gaps. Moreover, the oppressive Israeli measures stand in the way of statistical operations. The problem of insufficient funding and of insufficient technical support for an integrated statistical program represent a real challenge to the national statistical system. Palestinian data producers and users yearn for international intervention to put an end to the Israeli measures which is having negative impact on carrying out the statistical program in Palestine. International intervention is also needed for making data available on Palestinians living in Israel proper and Palestinians in Diaspora, especially Palestinian refugees living in neighboring countries, in order to help policy makers plan for solutions for the problems of the Palestinian refugees. The international community also plays an important role in contributing financially and technically to the structuring of an integral statistical system in Palestine. Data producers and users believe that there is a need for establishing an Arab data bank of statistical information, which would assist in exchanging of information on an agreed number of social and economic indicators of the Arab countries. 6