Philippine Statistics Authority

The Philippine Government through the Philippine Statistics Authority hosted the 2017 International Conference on SGD Statistics on 4-6 October 2017 in Makati City, Philippines.

The Conference served as venue for knowledge sharing/discussion on the methodologies, addressing data gaps and use of other data sources given the numerous SDG indicators including the demand for more disaggregation. It also served as a forum for identifying needed resources/support/capacity building and possible partnerships aimed at developing tools and skills that can facilitate data availability and access for SDG monitoring.

Highlights of the Conference
Theme 1. Integration of different data sources for the development of a data ecosystem towards SDG monitoring

• Need/revisit legal bases, organizational structure of the NSOs, in order to accommodate new data sources
• Censuses continue to be the key data source for SDG implementation, monitoring and reporting
• Civil Registration and Vital Statistics System (CRVS) is an important source of data on mortality, cause of death and population
• Administrative data and registers can play crucial roles in statistical production, and could serve as important elements in harnessing the data revolution taking into account issues on data security and confidentiality
• Strengthen coordination with non-official data producers
• Ensure integrated efforts on measurement of the “uncounted”

Theme 2. Setting statistical standards (data principles and standards)

• Need to refine SDG monitoring tools that can be localized
• Technology is a key enabler and there is a need for data interoperability
• Rationalization of statistical planning and coordination through investments in the National Strategies for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) is essentials.
• Open data can be a core part of national plans and NSDS, with clear adherence to international standards, governance and legal framework
• Open data can be realized if there is mutual trust between the data user and the data producer;

Theme 3. Data Story telling: Communicating and understanding the data

• It is essential for non-technical people to learn the language of technical people using various tools, e.g., data visualization, data storytelling and data poetry
• Statistics tell about stories sell
• Story maps and story telling with data help everyone communicate and understand the data
• With a vision to integrate statistics and geo-spatial information, the importance of GIS is highlighted
• Data driven journalism for sustainable development open doors to create awareness, accountability and transparency

Theme 4. Financing Data and Statistics and Building capacities for SDG Monitoring

• Statistical offices must communicate/lobby for increase in government financing for statistics,
• Greater advocacy is needed to increase engagement with SDG stakeholders to heighten willingness to invest in statistics needed to support SDG monitoring
• Aside from capacity development, there is also a need for knowledge management system.

Theme 5. Localizing Statistics

• Empowered and capacitated local governments and chief executives will be key to achieving the SDGs
• Availability and use of data at the national and subnational levels are central to the development of the necessary policies and interventions
• Need to educate policy-makers in utilizing model-based statistical techniques as tool to address the challenge of data disaggregation
• Monitoring and evaluation should be nationally owned and led, it should be streamlined so that projects/programs are geared towards national SDGs

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