Statistical Capacity Development
One of the key missions of FAO is to support member countries develop the capacity of their statistical systems and enable them to collect, analyze, disseminate and use relevant, reliable and timely data. By strengthening countries’ capacity in this area, FAO contributes to make available key analytical and decision-making support tools for national, regional and global evidence-based actions.
How can national governments request capacity development assistance?
National governments should discuss on an ongoing basis their statistical capacity development needs and priorities directly with their FAO country office. These needs and priorities will usually be reflected in the Country programming framework (CPF) and support will be planned in consultation with the relevant technical units and regional or sub-regional statisticians. If assistance requests are raised, the FAO country office will contact the relevant technical divisions and regional or sub-regional statisticians to analyze how the support can be provided.
FAO statistical capacity development activities are funded through:
- Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP)
- Regular programme funds allocated to technical divisions
- Extra-budgetary programmes that support statistical development.
For specific information and inquiries on FAO capacity development programmes, national governments are also encouraged to contact these programmes directly.
Statistical capacity development programmes
The Global Strategy was designed as a 15-year, multi-phase process to provide a “framework for national and international statistical systems enabling developing countries to produce, and to apply, the basic data and information needed in the 21st Century”.
During its first phase of implementation (2012–2018), the Global Strategy was centered on three pillars outputs produced through three technical components: Methodological Research, Technical Assistance and Training.
The second phase of the Global Strategy (GSARS II, 2020–2025), starting in 2021, will focus on the applying methodologies and approaches developed in the framework of the first phase and strengthening the statistical capacities of countries through the provision of training and technical assistance at national, regional and global level. The work of the Global Strategy will be interlinked with the activities of the 50x2030 Initiative to close the agricultural data gap, aimed at collecting data in 50 low income and lower middle-income countries by 2030.
Support will be provided through the provision of training and technical assistance at national, regional and global level in the following areas:
- assistance in the design of strategic plans for agricultural statistics;
- training in agricultural statistics and provision of scholarships; and
- technical assistance and training on tools, methodologies for data collection, data analysis and dissemination.
Related capacity development resources
- Collection of GSARS resources (guidelines, handbooks and training materials)