The global implementation programme for the 2008 SNA and supporting statistics 7th meeting of the Advisory Expert Group on National Accounts 23-25 April.

The global implementation programme for the 2008 SNA and supporting statistics

7th meeting of the Advisory Expert Group on National Accounts

23-25 April 2012, New York

Introduction 2008 SNA Implementation Programme

Implementation tools

Monitoring the SNA implementation

Activities of the ISWGNA

SDMX

FOCG

Outline of presentation

UNSC in Feb 2010 supported the implementation programme and encouraged countries to develop their own programmes of implementation

The Implementation Programme for the 2008 SNA and supporting statistics represents a global statistical initiative

Implementation programme

To assist countries in developing the statistical and institutional capacity to:

(a) Make the conceptual change over to the 2008 SNA

(b) Improve the scope, detail and quality of the national accounts and

supporting economic statistics.

Objective of the Global Statistical Initiative

The efficiency and sustainability of the initiative rest on the agreed principles of the implementation strategy:

(a) strategic planning

(b) coordination, monitoring and reporting

(c) improving statistical systems

Principles of the global initiative

(a) Use of National Strategies for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) as the strategic planning framework

(b) The programme information structure built around the statistical production process, scope and compliance for the national accounts and supporting economic statistics

(c) The modalities of statistical capacity building through training and technical cooperation, publication of manuals and handbooks, research and advocacy

(d) The stages of implementation leading to the change over to the 2008 SNA.

Elements to operationalise the initiative

Strategic planning is a key principle in mobilizing political and financial support for investment in statistics

The NSDS is the most widely used strategic planning framework to connect national development objectives with a programme of work for statistical capacity-building

Strategic planning framework

To facilitate the coordination, monitoring and reporting on the SNA implementation in the multi-stakeholder environment.

Frameworks Minimum Required Data Set (MRDS)

based on UN-NAQ IMF GDDS and SDDS Sector accounts data template

Report on the statistical process data quality

The programme information structure

Three stagesReview of strategic framework and detailing of national

and regional implementation programmesAdaptation of classification frameworks, business registers

and frames, surveys, administrative data sources and information technology infrastructure

Application of adapted frameworks and source data, backcasting and changeover to 2008 SNA

Each country will determine the duration of the various stages. However, it is expected that from 2014 onwards, many Member States will change over to the 2008 SNA

Implementation stages

SNA implementation tools

• ISWGNA members have developed a number of tools to facilitate the SNA implementation

• Website• Handbooks• Knowledge Base• Essential SNA• Virtual Statistical System• ERETES

To facilitate sharing of information UNSD developed a website with information supporting the implementation of the 2008 SNA and supporting statistics

Website at: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/nationalaccount/default.asp

SNA implementation website

OECD handbooks on Measuring capital and intellectual property products.

World Bank handbooks on Introduction to SNA and SNA compilation guidance

Eurostat’s Essential SNA: Building the basics

UNSD national accounts handbook on Financial production stocks and flows, in collaboration with the ECB

UNSD handbooks on International guidelines on industrial and trade statistics

National Accounts Handbooks

Knowledge Base on Economic Statistics and Macroeconomic Standards

Provide a centralized repository of information on all aspects of methodology and best country practices for the collection, analysis and dissemination of all areas of economic statistics and macroeconomic standards

Facilitate the international sharing and exchange of knowledge on economic statistics programmes as well as the provision of guidance to countries

A set of six milestones to assess the scope of accounts compiled by countries; plus

three data sets (a) minimum set of accounts that need to be compiled; (b) a recommended set of accounts; and (c) a desired set of accounts.

To assess the compliance with major 1993 SNA concepts a set of questions

The IMF quality assessment framework to assess the quality of the national accounts

Monitoring the 1993 SNA implementation

Three data sets to assess the scope of national accounts implementation according to the 1993 SNA

◦ The minimum requirement data set (MRDS) - milestones 1 and 2.

◦ The recommended data set - importance in assessing developments of an economy

◦ The desired data set, which comprises useful data that should be compiled if possible

Report to UNSC an assessment of the MRDS based on the United Nations national accounts database.

Required data sets

The 1993 SNA scope and compliance measures are deemed to be adequate to also assess the scope and compliance for the 2008 SNA.

However need for more timely information to facilitate

appropriate policy responses include quarterly national accounts as an

option

Scope and compliance measures for the 2008 SNA

The MRDS now include: quarterly accounts

nominal and volume measure of GDP by industry or by expenditure

integrated accounts until net lending for the total economy and the rest of the world.

annual institutional sector accounts until net lending corporate, government, households and NPISH’s quarterly compilation of these sectors is now

recommended.

Scope and compliance measures for the 2008 SNA

Recommended set include the annual compilation Sectoral financial accounts and balance sheets

and other changes in assets accounts

Desired set include the quarterly compilation Sectoral financial accounts and balance sheets

and other changes in assets accounts

The compliance questionnaire was adjusted to reflect the 2008 SNA concepts

Scope and compliance measures for the 2008 SNA

As part of the G-20 Data Gaps Initiatives, the development of sectoral accounts and balance sheets is identified as one of the priority activities for addressing data gaps

A sector accounts data template was develop to facilitate the reporting of a minimum set of sectoral accounts and balance sheets in line with the MRDS

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Sector accounts data template

The ISWGNA members each develop their own programme to help countries not only to move over to the concepts of the 2008 SNA, but also to develop the capacity to improve the scope, detail and quality of their national accounts.

These programmes are lightly coordinated

Implementation initiatives by the ISWGNA members

Revision of the ESA

Implementation plan with milestones - 2009 to 2014

Comprehensive training programme on the new ESA has been developed for Eurostat and the EU members

Implementation supported by preparatory work including discussions on specific topics and the development of guidelines in the context of working parties and expert groups of the European Union.

Eurostat

Facilitates the implementation of the 2008 SNA by its member countries by providing a discussion forum on resolving conceptual and compilation issues.

Two-year project, as part of its on-going cooperation with the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics, to develop Supply-Use tables for China.

Providing assistance to countries in the Enhanced Engagement Programme where data and metadata issues arise

Actively involved in the ICP

OECD

Provides technical assistance aimed at developing capacity to compile and disseminate NA

Conducts training on national accounts methodologies and compilation practices

TA mostly through short-term missions conducted by IMF staff and externally recruited experts.

IMF

Supports the implementation of the 2008 SNA through activities related to its regular programme of work for improving statistical capacity, particularly in developing countries, and work related to the ICP

Work — along with other key donors — on scaling up its support to developing countries.

Provide financing mechanisms available through the Trust Fund for Statistical Capacity Building, the Statistics for Results Catalytic Fund and the STATCAP lending programme.

Although broad-based, these facilities could also be used to address country-specific needs aimed at the implementation of the 2008 SNA .

World Bank

UNSD and RC conduct series of seminars with countries in the respective regions

To align regional and global implementation programmes

To provide countries with tools to develop national implementation programmes for the 2008 SNA and supporting statistics

The aim is to develop a statement of strategy for implementation of the 2008 SNA, taking into account national and regional policy needs to determine the scope and detail of the national accounts required to inform policy makers.

UNSD and Regional Commission

OECD, Eurostat and ECB lead To develop DSDs to implement the SDMX in

National Accounts according to the 2008 SNA To exchang data from reporting countries to

international organisations and between the organisations, and possibly beyond,

To maintain the DSDs over time Finalise by 2012 and implement 2014 Report progress to the ISWGNA and the AEG to

ensure a global input

SDMX: DSD for national accounts

ABS lead assessment of the barriers to 1993 SNA implementation

Was in agreement with global strategy but identified areas for improvement

Identified the lack of effective political support and data resource limitations as the main impediments to the implementation process.

Suggested to enhance the ability of developing countries to meet national information priorities in line with the latest SNA standards

Friends of the Chair Group

1. Express views on the initiatives undertaken by the ISWGNA members regarding the implementation of the 2008 SNA and supporting economic statistics;

2. Provide guidance on the required actions to implement the recommendations of the Friends of the Chair on the barriers to the implementation of the 1993 SNA; and

3. Express views on the articulation of a separate multi-year project management framework for the implementation of the 2008 SNA and supporting economic statistics to scale up capacity building

Issues for discussion

Thank You