THE UN has given a US$721,400 grant to the Central Statistical Office (CSO) to help compile local data relevant to the UN's 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs), with this initiative formally launched on Tuesday at a function at the Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain.
The SDGs include gender equity, human rights and poverty eradication. Over the next 24 months, five UN agencies – PAHO/WHO, ILO, UNEP, ECLAC and the Resident Co-ordinator's Office – will work with government, business, academia and NGOs to improve TT's national statistical system to provide data for analysis, reporting, and the mainstreaming of human rights and gender into national policy.
UN resident co-ordinator Dennis Zulu told the gathering that TT's data was not digitised and that many local agencies work in silos, including some in the UN.
He said the CSO will get US$33,000 in computers through the SDG project.
Netherlands ambassador Raphael Varga van Kibed said his country's agency Statistics Netherlands had helped TT to develop statistical indicators during the covid19 pandemic and had a long record helping this country to develop expertise and best practice in data handling. He hoped this protect would now help TT to improve its collection and use of data on all 17 SDGs.
Planning Minister Pennelope Beckles said the initiative was a milestone in the modernisation of TT's statistical ecosystem and a red-letter day for TT.
Justifying the need for data, she remarked, "What gets measured, gets done." Beckles hoped to see an improved data collection of all 17 SDGs, saying, "Our lives rely on data to inform service delivery."
Afterwards, Newsday sought a status update on the proposed National Statistical Institute of TT (NSITT), intended to replace the CSO.
CSO acting director of statistics Andre Blanchard said, pending the passage of legislation to create the NSITT to replace the CSO, a lot of work was happening, including the adoption of new technologies and new technologies such as devices presented earlier by the UN to the CSO.
Asked how the NSITT would differ from the CSO, he said the latter would have a greater authority to collect data from stakeholders.
"We'll have a greater authority also to collect administrative data, data which already exists in the system. Countries worldwide are making better use of administrative data.
"If data already exists, why do you have to carry out surveys to obtain it. We'll save money and save time."
Beckles chimed in to welcome the application of these changes to the collection of data on the SDGs.
"We think there will be a lot more confidence in the data because of the aspect of the co-ordination."
Newsday asked if the CSO had suffered any particular impediment in the timeliness of its data collection, unlike the proposed NSITT.
Blanchard said timeliness relied on developing one's technical capacity.
"Just have a higher level of staff, of more professional type staff, with degrees in statis
