Local and regional statistics

Recent years have seen an increased emphasis on regionalisation of aid investment and government expenditure. To support this shift, and help improve the effectiveness and targeting of investment, there has been a growing demand for accurate regional statistics that enable policy-makers to compare regions in terms of demand and impact.

There are two fundamental ways to gather such comparative information: a national census - something that rarely takes place more than once a decade - or through administrative data such as school enrolment figures, health statistics or other local government records. Yet inconsistencies in the way such data are collected and managed can hamper planning. Other countries have tried to produce regional statistics through increased survey size, however the management of such large surveys can compromise the quality of the results. OPM is supporting Zambia and Rwanda in the analysis of district statistics obtained from surveys.

OPM has worked with a number of national statistics offices to improve the quality and consistency of locally-gathered administrative data. Projects typically start with sampling in different locations to understand the issues, with members of the national team participating in both the fieldwork and analysis. OPM’s experts then work alongside the national statistics office to redesign processes and introduce new quality control frameworks that address the challenges and ensure the integrity of the data.

It’s an approach that has paid dividends in countries including Mozambique and South Africa.