Workshop objectives and activities status byPaul N’GOMA-KIMBATSA, Statistician – CountrySTAT Lead Technical Officer Julia STONE, CountrySTAT Country Project Officer Statistics Division Lusaka 12-16 November 2012 © FAO: http://www.fao.org

1. 1
MTF/GLO/345/BMG "Strengthening the CountrySTAT System established in 17 Sub-Saharan African Countries"
GTFS/RAF/465/ITA "Strengthening capacity of selected member countries of East African Community in agricultural
statistics for food security " Consultative meeting
Regional CountrySTAT Advanced Administrator Training Workshop
WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES STATUS
by
Paul N’GOMA-KIMBATSA, Statistician – CountrySTAT Lead Technical Officer
Julia STONE, CountrySTAT Country Project Officer
Statistics Division
FAO, Rome
Lusaka, Zambia, 12- 16 November 2012

2. I. WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES
– INTRODUCTION
– OBJECTIVES
– PRESENTATIONS
II. ACTIVITIES STATUS
– MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS
– MAIN ACTIVITIES REMAINING
– OTHER CountrySTAT PROJECTS
SUMMARY

3. • CountrySTAT, which is part of the FAOSTAT family, has been
redeveloped to benefit from the same technology recently
implemented for the new FAOSTAT system.
• The CountrySTAT system has been migrated to the FENIX
platform which is an internet-based system.
• Key benefits of the new CountrySTAT system :
– The system is now based on open source technology and
therefore there are no constraints related to software
licenses.
– It will be possible to distribute the tool without cost to FAO
partners and beneficiaries.
– Ease of use for existing CountrySTAT Administrators as the
work flow will remain unchanged.
– Improved functionalities, such as dynamic charts.
INTRODUCTION

4. • Other key benefits of the new CountrySTAT system :
– The new system has been pilot tested in 2 selected countries (Cameroon
and Kenya) in order to provide feedback from the country perspective
– The new system will be operational from 30 October 2012
– FENIX promotes and implements international standards to manage and
integrate data across national/international databases. These standards
include:
• FAOSTAT coding system
• Harmonized System Commodity Classification (HS) which is an internationally
standardized system of names and numbers for classifying traded products
developed and maintained by the World Customs Organization (WCO)
• Global Administrative Unit Layers (GAUL) which is a spatial database of the
administrative units for all the countries in the world
INTRODUCTION

5. • To assist Countries, CountrySTAT Regional Team and Partners to better understand:
– The functionalities of the new CountrySTAT System with cutting-edge open-source
technology FENIX
– The comprehensive process of data and metadata uploading with the new publishing
system
– The links and complementarity between FAOSTAT and CountrySTAT which use the same
platform FENIX
– The importance of the closely collaboration between relevant National Institutions through
meetings of the Technical Working Group in the following areas: Harmonization of data
between FAOSTAT Questionnaires and CountrySTAT, Correspondence table between
National and International Classifications
– E-Learning
– The utility of the dissemination of data on the supply and utilization of commodities for
the preparation of the Food Balance Sheets
• To discuss on the future development and improvements to the new CountrySTAT system
• To ensure better communication and increase the number of CountrySTAT System users
(policy makers, producers, data users and partners, FAO Representation libraries,
Universities libraries, Ministries, etc.) for more visibility of the CountrySTAT system
• To prepare the work plans for 2013
OBJECTIVES OF THE WORKSHOP

6. 1. WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES STATUS
2. PRESENTATION OF THE MAIN CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMANDATIONS OF THE EAC
REGIONAL TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP MEETING
3. PRESENTATION ON THE NEW FAOSTAT
4. IT MODULE : THE NEW COUNTRYSTAT SYSTEM AND FENIX PLATFORM; THE DATABASE ; NEW
FUNCTIONALITIES
5. IT MODULE : INTRODUCTION TO NEW COUNTRYSTAT PLATFORM TOOLS; CONTENT
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM CCMS (KEY INDICATORS, DOCUMENTS UPLOADING);
PRESENTATION OF NEW PUBLISHING SYSTEM (DATA UPLOADING)
6. STATISTICS MODULE : BRIEF PRESENTATION OF THE STATISTICAL REFERENCE MANUAL;
PRESENTATION ON BASIC CONCEPTS (TABLE STRUCTURE AND CORRESPONDENCE TABLE)
7. STATISTICS MODULE : PRESENTATION ON E-LEARNING MODULE ON STATISTICS
8. STATISTICS MODULE : DATA HARMONIZATION (FAOSTAT QUESTIONNAIRES AND
COUNTRYSTAT)
PRESENTATIONS OF THE WORKSHOP

7. 9. COUNTRIES EXPERIENCE ON CORRESPONDENCE TABLES AND DATA HARMONIZATION
10. DISCUSSIONS ON THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENTS TO
COUNTRYSTAT
11. PRESENTATION OF THE DRAFT COMMUNICATION STRATEGY FOR COUNTRYSTAT
12. PRESENTATION OF THE DRAFT COUNTRYSTAT BROCHURE/KEY MESSAGES
13. PRESENTATION ON FOOD BALANCE SHEETS
14. IT MODULE : EXERCISES ON THE DATA AND METADATA UPLOAD PROCESS, WEB SITE
ADMINISTRATION (UPDATING ABOUT PAGE, CONTACTS, NEWS AND UPDATING KEY
INDICATORS}
15. STATISTICS MODULE : EXERCISES ON COMPILATION OF CORRESPONDENCE TABLE, THE
ANALYSIS OF OUTLIERS AND DATA HARMONIZATION
16. PRESENTATION OF THE WORK PLANS FOR 2013
PRESENTATIONS OF THE WORKSHOP

8. 1. ACTIONS FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE SYSTEM CountrySTAT:
– Signing by the Government and FAO of the "Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)“ and
implementation of the work plan
– Strengthening partnership with regional organizations (UEMOA, EAC) by building a team of
regional experts
– Strengthening the institutional framework of CountrySTAT (Identifying a champion for
sustainability CountrySTAT, National Coordinator proactive, National Secretariat of CountrySTAT
with a minimum of three staff, Better collaboration between different national institutions
involved)
– Organization of the EAC/FAO Basic Training Workshop of CountrySTAT for Burundi and EAC in Dar
es Salaam,United Republic of Tanzania, 5 - 9 March 2012
– Organization of the Consultative CountrySTAT Meeting in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia (28-29 November
2011)
– Taking into account the main conclusions and recommendations of the independent evaluation
mission and CountrySTAT Consultative meetings
– South-South Cooperation (Kenya to EAC Training and Ethiopia, Cote-d’Ivoire to TWG Senegal and
Guinea-Bissau, etc.)
– Organizing FAO Steering Committee meeting
– Organization of technical support missions and circular missions
– Official Launch Ceremony of CountrySTAT-Niger and CountrySTAT-Togo
ACTIVITIES STATUS: MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS

9. 2. ACTIONS ON THE STATISTICS MODULE
– E-Learning module on statistics
– Continuing Support for Minimization of divergences and inconstancies
data between FAOSTAT and CountrySTAT
– Improving the quality of data and completion of the Core and Sub-
National Modules (10 years time series for each indicator and Metadata)
in accordance of FAOSTAT standards
– Collection and uploading some keys variables of the Minimum Set of
Core Data of the Global Strategy for Improving Agricultural and Rural
Statistics
– Collection and uploading some relevant statistical indicators of the
Thematic Module such as: Publication of Agricultural Censuses; Food
Balance Sheets
– Organization of the Technical Working Group Meetings (TWG) for the
collection, evaluation, harmonization and validation of CountrySTAT data
and metadata
– Organization of monthly teleconferences on the progress of activities
and technical support between countries, regional team (EAC) and FAO
Headquarters
ACTIVITIES STATUS: MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS

10. 3. ACTIONS ON THE IT MODULE
– Migration to the new CountrySTAT System using
FENIX platform based on cutting-edge open-source
technology
– Design, adaptation, installation and
implementation of CountrySTAT-Niger,
CountrySTAT-Togo, CountrySTAT-Guinea Bissau,
UEMOASTAT, CountrySTAT-Burundi and EACSTAT
– CompSTAT for the comparison of data at the
national, regional and international
ACTIVITIES STATUS: MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS

11. • Development and improvements of the new CountrySTAT
system
• Re-engineering of the new CompSTAT for the comparison of
data at the national, regional and international
• Implementation and development of the CountrySTAT E-
Learning
• Finalization and implementation of the work plan for 2013
• Harmonization of data between FAOSTAT Questionnaires and
CountrySTAT
• Implementation and development of the communication
strategy for CountrySTAT for more visibility of the CountrySTAT
system
• Regional Aggregation and Operationality of EACSTAT and
UEMOASTAT
• Official Launch Ceremony of CountrySTAT-Guinea Bissau,
CountrySTAT-Burundi, EACSTAT and UEMOASTAT
ACTIVITIES STATUS: MAIN REMAINING ACTIVITIES

12. • Continuation of the work about Correspondence
table between National and International
Classifications
• Update of the Statistical Reference Manual on the
Data Dissemination on the CountrySTAT Web
• Elaboration and wide dissemination of the new
CountrySTAT Brochure
• Organization of the Consultative CountrySTAT
Meeting (October/November 2013, Back-to-Back
with AFCAS Session)
• Strengthening of South-South Cooperation
• Continuation of the organization of the Technical
Working Group Meetings (TWG) and monthly
teleconferences
ACTIVITIES STATUS: MAIN REMAINING ACTIVITIES

13. • Continuation the collection and uploading the Minimum Set of
Core Data of the Global Strategy for Improving Agricultural and
Rural Statistics
• Continuation the collection and uploading relevant statistical
indicators of the Thematic Module such as: Publication of
Agricultural Censuses; Food Balance Sheets and Statistical
Yearbooks
• Organization of National Users Seminars
• Improving the collaboration with key partners (MAFAP, WFP,
Africa Fertilizers, etc.)
• Integration of CountrySTAT in the National Strategy for the
Development of Statistics (NSDS)
• Organizing FAO Steering Committee meetings
• Organization of technical support missions FAO / UEMOA / EAC
ACTIVITIES STATUS: MAIN REMAINING ACTIVITIES

14. • Previous CountrySTAT Operational: Bhutan, Philippines
• New CountrySTAT Operational: Afghanistan, Haiti,
Guinea-Bissau, Niger, Togo and UEMOASTAT
• CountrySTAT Starting from 2013: Congo-Brazzaville,
Algeria
• CountrySTAT New requests/Pipeline Projects:
– SADCSTAT and CountrySTAT of 10 remaining
Members States of SADC (Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo,
Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland et Zimbabwe)
– Economics Cooperation Organization : ECOSTAT and
CountrySTAT of 9 remaining Members States of ECO
(Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan)
– Gambia, Chile, Sri Lanka, Paraguay, Pakistan, Iran,
Bangladesh
OTHER CountrySTAT PROJETS

15. THANK YOU