NETWORK OF STATISTICAL CORRESPONDENTS

Ma Qiang

Introduction

This paper aims to reach a consensus on the need for a network of statistical correspondents among participants; to deliver key messages on the tasks, activities and launching of the network; and to require the participants to identify a statistical correspondent in each of their respective countries.

Why do we need a network of statistical correspondents?

The establishment of a network of statistical correspondents in the 13 member countries of the EC-FAO Partnership Programme is a required output. The following information on efforts to generate forestry statistics through cooperation and communication between national and international organizations provides the basic background for establishing the network.

Joint forest sector questionnaire (JQ)

In order to disseminate forestry information to countries and other users, FAO produces the Yearbook of Forest Products and updates its database on an annual basis. The statistical information is based primarily on data provided by countries through completed questionnaires.

Since UNCED and the work of the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF) in particular, the demand for more and reliable information on forest use and conservation has increased rapidly at global, regional, national and local levels. The collection, processing and analysis of data are costly and there is a need to rationalize the process. With this objective in mind, representatives of FAO, the UN Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), Eurostat and the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) met in September 1998 and January 1999 to design a Joint Forest Sector Questionnaire (JQ) in response to requests from member countries to rationalize data collection, processing and dissemination.

The advantages of the JQ are manifold: data are requested only once from each country. The completed JQ is distributed to all four organizations avoiding duplication of efforts; each organization continues to use the information received according to its own mandate. There is only one national statistical correspondent in each country who fills in one questionnaire that is sent to one focal organization; the completed questionnaire is distributed to other partner organizations. Each partner organization limits its data validation effort to a limited number of countries.

Status of received JQs

By the end of 2001, eight countries had submitted completed JQs. Seven countries provided good to excellent quality data (see Table 1 below). Five countries have not provided data for more than five years. There is no focal point or statistical correspondent in these five countries, while there is a focal point or statistical correspondent in most of the other countries. National statistical correspondents appear to be crucial to obtain good data.

Key constraints to receiving JQs and on national statistics

In some countries, there is no focal point for completing the JQ. This is the main reason for no response for many years.

Focal points provided by some countries are not the persons who directly complete the questionnaire or only names of institutions are provided. This makes it difficult to contact persons for clarification purposes.

JQs were not provided annually by some countries. This may be because data collection is often infrequent or irregular and suffers from a lack of resources. In most countries this is due to a lack of capacity, but in some cases it is due to a lack of modern technology for data collection and processing.

Some data are not reported entirely in the JQ. This is partly because data collection often involves different agencies. For example, forestry departments collect data on forestry production, ministries of industry or economic planning collect data on forest products and ministries of trade or customs services collect trade information. There is often little coordination and collaboration among the various agencies involved in this process and forestry departments often do not obtain data and thus have only an incomplete picture of the forestry sector.

Another reason for receiving partial data is that data collection is only done in the part of the forestry sector managed, owned and supervised by the public sector and little is known of private sector activities.

To convert different measurement units into the standard measurement unit is another bottleneck when validating the data. The units are not consistent among countries or different agencies within the same country.

Most countries have no data, or poor data that were not collected systematically on fuelwood and wood energy. Data on the collection and use of fuelwood are lacking in particular.

Some countries have difficulties in completing the JQs if data are available. Lack of knowledge on international statistics and JQs is another reason for receiving poor data through JQs.

Table 1. Status of data received from member countries

What are the network tasks and activities?

The main tasks of the network of national statistical correspondents are to strengthen collaboration between FAO and member countries; to enhance information flow and enable countries to fulfil their commitments under the various international agreements and processes (e.g. complete JQs with good data for their respective countries); to discuss common issues and to share information management and techniques; to build national capacity (e.g. through training); and to strengthen national and regional statistics.

Network activities, with the support of the EC-FAO Partnership Programme, are planned as follows:

a regional workshop on forest products statistics;

a study tour on forestry statistical and information systems. The EC-FAO Partnership Programme is organizing a study tour for statisticians from Lao PDR and Cambodia to the Forest Department Headquarters of Peninsular Malaysia to obtain insights into a functioning information system for forest products.

another main activity of the network should be cooperation with FAO and sharing information among countries, i.e. completing the JQs of FAO, UNECE, Eurostat and ITTO.

statistical correspondents are supposed to communicate with each other or FAO directly through the Internet as needed.

It is expected that the network will be sustainable beyond the period of the EC-FAO Partnership Programme.

How do we launch the network?

The EC-FAO Partnership Programme will organize a workshop on forestry statistics from 20 to 24 May 2002 in Bangkok. The main objectives of the workshop are to:

Launch the network/working group of statistical correspondents in the 13 member countries.

Provide training on standardized international definitions and tabular formats for filling in the JQs.

Review current forest products statistics at national and regional levels.

Identify the main weaknesses and constraints concerning forest statistics and to further develop a set of alternative frameworks for improving national statistical processes.

The study of national statistics on forest products and trade was initiated in 12 out of 13 member countries with the support of the EC-FAO Partnership Programme. Some objectives of the workshop were addressed by the study as well. The results and the main findings of the study will be presented and discussed during the workshop.

Considering the objectives of the workshop, the national focal points of the EC-FAO Partnership Programme are requested to identify a statistical correspondent. The statistical correspondent should be the person responsible for completing the JQ immediately or for preparing the study referred to above.

The proposed workshop is designed to reach the following outcomes:

Establishment of a network of national statistical correspondents.

Knowledge obtained by statistical correspondents on international statistics and JQs.

Information on the status and constraints of current national and regional forestry statistics.

Agreement on further cooperation among the participating countries, and between international organizations (FAO, ITTO) and their member countries through the network.

Conclusions

To strengthen forestry statistics in the region and facilitate communication between FAO and individual countries requires a network of forestry statistical correspondents. The national correspondents should be persons who completed the JQs immediately or prepared the study on forest products statistics on production and trade. The network will be launched by the regional workshop on forestry statistics in May 2002 in Bangkok.