STATISTICAL TRAINING AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL – CONFERENCE OF EUROPEAN STATISTICIANS Paris, 12-15 June 2006 Richard Laux Office for National Statistics,

STATISTICAL TRAINING AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL –

CONFERENCE OF EUROPEAN STATISTICIANS

Paris, 12-15 June 2006

Richard LauxOffice for National Statistics, UK

Overview

• Summary of Papers

• Characteristics of Statistical Training (by International Organisations)

• Existing good practice, and areas for development

• Issues for discussion

Summary of Papers - Eurostat

• ESTP

• Collaborative approach

• Network of HR experts

• Scope / reach

Summary of Papers - IMF

• Survey of International Organisations– small training budgets– English is the dominant training language– recent growth in training– better co-ordination is required in providing

technical assistance– organisations need to make more of the

potential of the internet, for training– the training gap

• IMF experience

Summary of Papers - SIAP

• Mission

• TMA Programme

• Outreach Programme

• Scope/reach

Characteristics of Statistical Training

• Objectives– National level– International level

• Key elements of (international) statistical training

– Planning– Delivery– Review

Good practice, and areas for development - Planning

Good practice• Demand driven• Development by

stakeholders• Experts involvement• Economies of scale

Areas for development• Secure funding• List of experts• Better co-ordination of

technical assistance

Good practice, and areas for development - Delivery

Good practice• Importance of

accessibility – relevance – flexibility – high tech

• Networking opportunity

• Goodwill from host countries

Areas for development• To train the trainers,

and to improve cascading

• Greater use of e-learning

• Meeting unmet demand

Good practice, and areas for development - Review

Good practice

• Post-course feedback

Areas for development

• Evaluate impact of learning

• Clarify objectives of training programmes upfront

Summary of issues

Planning• Long term benefits of

training• Emerging issues• Collaboration• Increasing demands

for training/TA• What is quality

training?

Delivery• Use of e-learning/web

Review• Measuring the impact• An international

statistical competence framework?

Issues for Discussion – 1Resources

Training can be resource intensive, with direct and opportunity costs. But it is widely recognised as a vital investment.

How can the statistical community work together to make a stronger case for appropriate resources to be made available for training?

Issues for Discussion – 2Skills and Competences

Official statisticians are increasingly being asked different sorts of questions; at the same time we have more tools and more data available to us.

Are our skills developing in order to meet these needs? Do we need core competences for official statisticians, which might include the skill of ‘training’ ?

Issues for Discussion – 3Better co-ordination

The CCSA is considering ways of increasing the co-ordination of statistical training for staff in international agencies. It would seem desirable to extend this co-ordination, where appropriate, to staff in NSIs and ministries.

What are the barriers to a more global, less-fragmented approach to statistical training, and how might they be overcome?