Uganda CountrySTAT Harmonized data: Best practices and issues By: Ronald James Otyek and Seth N. Mayinza Uganda Breau of Statistics © FAO: http://www.fao.org

1. CountryStat
THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA
CountryStat
Harmonized data: Best practices and issues
www.countrystat.org/uga
By: Ronald James Otyek and Seth N. Mayinza
Uganda Breau of Statistics
Monday, November 19, 2012 1

2. CountryStat
Background:
CountrySTAT is an internet based system that
integrates national food and agricultural statistical
information to ensure harmonization of national datainformation to ensure harmonization of national data
and metadata collection for analysis and policy
making.
It provides statistical standards, data exchange tools
and related methods without using external data
sources such as databases.

3. CountryStat- System
This is an applied Internet-based information system
that disseminates statistical information and metadata
on food and agriculture.
It collects, organizes, integrates and harmonizes dataIt collects, organizes, integrates and harmonizes data
and metadata from different statistical agencies in
order for statistical tables to be consistent and
compatible at the national as well as at the
international levels.
The system facilitates access of statistical information
in a single source which can provide efficient support
to analysis and policy making.

4. Current Status
The Uganda CountryStat webpage has about 62
statistical tables already uploaded and these meet the
FAO and other International standards – related FAO
statsstats
Most annual tables have been updated to 2011,
although the process has not been finalized.

5. Data Harmonization
Secretariat reviewed the data from FAOSTAT and
CountrySTAT and made some updates
Pending areas are expected to be worked on during the
next TWGnext TWG
Discussions held for crop codes used for crop and
livestock data collection during the last TWG
Codes were developed by a select committee of the
TWG members and will be presented to the plenary
during the next TWG.
This will later be presented to the National Agricultural
Statistics Technical Committee (NASTC) for approval.

6. Work in progress
Updating tables already uploaded
Working on the data that has queries from agencies
particularly the Ministry of Agriculture
Putting more tables in the thematic area from recentPutting more tables in the thematic area from recent
major surveys, Census of Livestock 2008 and Uganda
Census of Agriculture 2008/09

7. Best Practices
Training was carried out in 2010, 2011 and 2012 for staff
from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs)
that produce agricultural and related statistics
This is the TWG that meets at least twice a year toThis is the TWG that meets at least twice a year to
agree on meta data, data discrepancies
A Secretariat comprising of staff from UBOS and
Ministry of Agriculture that checks and validates the
tables before they are uploaded to the website

8. Challenges
Increased responsibilities for staff in the Directorate of
Agriculture and Environment Statistics (DAES),
created in 2011, causing delays in working on
CountrySTAT tables, however, this is temporary asCountrySTAT tables, however, this is temporary as
more staff are expected to be recruited in the near
future to fill the gap
Heavy workload for staff in the Ministry of
Agriculture (just 1 Statistician), more to be recruited
Limited funding for statistical work in some MDAs
Lack of appreciation of statistics in some agencies,
more sensitization required

9. Challenges cont’d
Limited amount of data at the sub-national level
A lot of data available but not on annual basis and
cannot therefore be reported as such
Discrepancies in the available historical data resultingDiscrepancies in the available historical data resulting
from varied methods of data collection which were not
harmonised

10. Recommendations
The development of a compliance system in order to
track the statistical table conformity with the FAO and
international standards

11. Future of Countrystat
Carry out more capacity development trainings on the
use of the CountryStat, particularly in other areas of
the country away from the centre
GOU has incorporated CountryStat (partly) into theirGOU has incorporated CountryStat (partly) into their
budget starting 2012/13 for continuity
Advocate for more use of the CountryStat - call upon
all the agricultural stakeholders to use CountryStat as
it is the only national agricultural information web
based outlet
Share data that is comparable across the African region

12. Email Contacts
ronald.james.otyek@ubos.orgronald.james.otyek@ubos.org
seth.mayinza@ubos.org
flavia.ouma@ubos.org