| INTRODUCTION
1. The present document is
intended to summarize secretariat activities
in the field of statistics since the tenth session
of the Committee on Statistics. Over the past
years, the programme structure of ESCAP has
undergone changes and is again due to be modified
for the next biennium beginning in the year
2000 but, in all its reformulations, statistics
has been retained as a distinct subprogramme.
For the biennium 1998-1999, the programme structure
of ESCAP is as follows: 15.1
Regional economic cooperation: trade and investment
15.2 Regional economic cooperation:
research and policy analysis
15.3 Regional economic cooperation:
industry and technology
15.4 Environment and sustainable
development
15.5 Poverty alleviation:
social development
15.6 Poverty alleviation:
rural and urban development
15.7 Poverty alleviation:
population and development
15.8 Transport and communications
15.9 Statistics
15.10 Least developed, landlocked and
island developing countries
2. Currently, the Statistics
Division is one of the eight substantive divisions
in the secretariat. It coordinates activities
under the Statistics subprogramme and contributes
to and provides support for other subprogrammes
and for the Statistical Institute for Asia and
the Pacific (SIAP). The overall thrust of the
secretariat activities in statistics addresses
the following mandates of the Commission, as
stated in its terms of reference, to: "(c)
Undertake or sponsor the collection, evaluation
and dissemination of such economic, technological
and statistical information as the Commission
deems appropriate;
"(d) Perform such advisory
services, within the available resources of
its secretariat, as the countries of the region
may desire, provided that such services do not
overlap with those rendered by the specialized
agencies or the relevant United Nations bodies."1
3. In 1997-1998, the activities
under the Statistics subprogramme comprised
four main components: statistical information
services, statistical development, coordination,
and public sector computerization. The first
two chapters of the present paper cover statistical
information services and statistical development,
and a summary of resources available to the
Statistics Division and their utilization is
presented in the final chapter.
4. In addition to the statistical
information and operational activities, a considerable
portion of the available resources was devoted
to the promotion and coordination of statistical
development activities in the region. The tenth
session of the Working Group of Statistical
Experts was organized in November 1997. The
report of that session is available to the Committee
as document E/ESCAP/STAT.11/3. The secretariat
also serviced the Meeting of the Bureau of the
Committee held prior to the tenth session of
the Working Group. The organization of the sessions
of the Committee on Statistics is a major effort
of the secretariat towards promoting regional
cooperation and coordination of statistical
activities. The nature of this important activity
and its outputs have changed over time, since
the adoption of the bureau approach. Since the
ninth session of the Committee, the secretariat
has also been organizing an exhibition in collaboration
with the national and international statistical
organizations. The secretariat collaborates
with SIAP on, among other things, the organization
of the sessions of its Governing Board, and
its training programme.
5. In 1997-1998, the secretariat
was able to strengthen its collaboration with
other organizations by attending their meetings
and by providing technical inputs through documents
and comments. Attempts were also made to be
represented in the meetings of the "city groups",
although this was with limited success owing
to resource constraints. Coordination with regional
and international statistical agencies was actively
maintained in such areas as the 1993 System
of National Accounts (SNA), the International
Comparison Programme (ICP), statistics related
to trade in services, gender issues, environment
statistics and environmental accounting, statistical
training, and statistical development in the
Pacific subregion. A close working relationship
has been maintained with the United Nations
Statistics Division on technical and promotional
matters. The secretariat was represented at
a number of meetings organized by other agencies,
including the sessions, held in 1997-1998, of
the United Nations Statistical Commission, the
Subcommittee on Statistical Activities of the
Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC),
the Conference of European Statisticians, the
regional meeting of the heads of statistics
of the Pacific Community, and the International
Statistical Institute. A list of meetings that
the secretariat attended is presented in the
annex to the present note.
I.
STATISTICAL INFORMATION SERVICES
A.
Data collection and dissemination
6. Recurrent publications
still comprise the primary mode of dissemination
of statistical information by the ESCAP secretariat.
For that purpose, the secretariat compiles information
obtained from various sources, including copies
of questionnaires completed by countries for
the United Nations Statistics Division, publications
sent by the national statistical organizations
and the statistical outputs of other international
agencies. The regular statistical information
publications of the secretariat are the Statistical
Yearbook for Asia and the Pacific (annual),
Statistical Indicators for Asia and the Pacific
(quarterly), Foreign Trade Statistics of
Asia and the Pacific (annual) and Asia-Pacific
in Figures (annual).
7. The Statistical Information
Services Section remained under severe personnel
constraints (see para. 32). Despite that situation,
it has been possible to produce the core publications
on a regular basis, except for one issue of
Foreign Trade Statistics of Asia and the
Pacific which has had to be combined with
the following issue. However, this is being
done in such a manner that the time series will
not be broken. Once the resource situation improves,
it is planned to introduce enhancements to these
publications based on the recommendations of
the Committee and the Commission, as well as
the feedback received through readership surveys.
It will also be possible to give due attention
to electronic dissemination.
8. In that connection, at
its tenth session, the Committee stressed the
importance of making the ESCAP Statistical Information
System (ESIS) operational as soon as possible,
and urged the secretariat to strengthen its
resource base in that regard. Unfortunately,
the situation is little changed as the secretariat
has managed to fill two Professional staff vacancies
in the Statistical Information Services Section
only recently. Moreover, the key post, that
of Statistician/Database Administrator, remains
vacant, although it has been advertised twice.
The technical work that the secretariat has
managed to do (in testing, bug-fixing and improving
the data upload programs) has been accomplished
with the help of consultants and by diverting
staff resources from public sector computerization;
this is reported in paragraphs 5, 15 and 23
of document E/ESCAP/STAT.11/1.
9. As in the past, the Statistics
Division continued to supply ad hoc information
and special tabulations to various divisions
and units within the secretariat, and to requesting
organizations and individual research workers,
including those from the private sector. However,
owing to resource constraints, low priority
had to be assigned to those requests which demanded
a considerable amount of human resources. The
Statistics Division continued to provide inputs
to the Economic and Social Survey of Asia
and the Pacific, a major publication prepared
by the secretariat and presented to the Commission
at its annual session. Under a cooperation arrangement
with the Overseas Development Administration
of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland, the division has been distributing
the population projection software packages
People and Workers, which remain in demand both
within and outside the region.
10. In line with the high
priority placed on the Statistical Newsletter
by the Working Group of Statistical Experts,
greater attempts were made to produce the Newsletter
on a regular basis, although some issues
were delayed and restricted in topic coverage
owing to resource constraints. The secretariat
is grateful to those organizations that provide
input for the Newsletter. The Committee
may wish to encourage other organizations, as
well as countries, to contribute. The homepage
of the Statistics Division on the World Wide
Web of the Internet now includes recent and
past issues of the Newsletter, along
with the documents of the Committee on Statistics
and recent technical meetings.
B.
Readership surveys: recurrent publications
11. As the previous readership
survey was carried out in 1994, and in line
also with a secretariat-wide review of publications,
a readership survey was recently carried out
for three out of the four regular statistical
publications, as follows:
| Asia-Pacific in Figures,
1997 |
Issued in March 1998 |
| Statistical Indicators
for Asia and the Pacific, No. 4 (Dec.
1997) |
Issued in March 1998 |
| Statistical Yearbook
for Asia and the Pacific, 1997 |
Issued in March 1998 |
12. The questionnaires were
inserted into the publications rather than mailed
separately. The cut-off date for the analysis
was 15 September 1998, which resulted in 138
questionnaires being processed. Additional questionnaires
continue to be returned, although no subsequent
analysis is planned at the moment. The same
questionnaire was used for the three publications.
13. The responses to the
questionnaires were entered in a database and
an analysis was undertaken. Several tables reporting
detailed answers to multiple-response questions
were generated. However, the small number of
respondents to date does not make the tabulation
of results very meaningful at the detailed level.
A summary report therefore follows, and the
guidance of the Committee is sought on further
action to be taken by the secretariat.
14. Of the 138 questionnaires
analysed, 54 returns relate to the Statistical
Indicators for Asia and the Pacific, 45
to Asia-Pacific in Figures, and 39 to
the Statistical Yearbook for Asia and the
Pacific. Results are given in tables 1 and
2 and more specific comments on the individual
publications follow.
15. As is frequently the
case with such surveys, the number of completed
questionnaires received was very small (on average,
about 4 per cent of the print run and around
12 per cent of those on the division's complimentary
mailing list). Moreover, most returns came from
those receiving copies on a complimentary basis.
Nevertheless, the secretariat considers that
the responses do provide useful feedback for
meeting users needs in future. Questionnaire
respondents share some common characteristics:
- they are mainly intermediate
users (around 70-75 per cent)
- almost 90 per cent receive
the publication on a complimentary basis from
ESCAP
- they use the publication
for many purposes, mainly for reference but
also for research, cross-country comparisons
and as a data source
- the publication in hardcopy
form remains the preferred means of dissemination;
among other means of dissemination, the Internet
and CD-ROMs or diskettes received the highest
preferences.
Table
1. Number of respondents to the readership survey,
by category
| |
Statistical Indicators |
Asia-Pacific in Figures |
Statistical Yearbook |
| Government department |
15 |
13 |
9 |
| Government institute/university |
11 |
13 |
12 |
| Non-governmental organization |
3 |
3 |
4 |
| Private institution |
2 |
3 |
3 |
| Regional/international
organization |
13 |
9 |
8 |
| Other |
10 |
4 |
3 |
| Total questionnaires
returned |
54 |
45 |
39 |
| Number of recipients in
the division's mailing list receiving the
publication on a complimentary basis |
378 |
276 |
417 |
| Copies printed (per issue) |
1,000 |
1,280 |
1,720 |
Table
2. Assessment of the three publications surveyed
(percentage of respondents)
| |
Excellent |
Good |
Average |
Poor |
Very poor |
| Presentation/format |
37.1 |
52.3 |
9.8 |
0.8 |
0 |
| Coverage of subjects |
28.2 |
59.5 |
12.2 |
0 |
0 |
| Selection of indicators |
23.8 |
60.8 |
14.6 |
0.8 |
0 |
| Source/footnotes |
20.9 |
57.4 |
20.2 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
| Coverage of time series |
19.7 |
61.4 |
17.3 |
1.6 |
0 |
| Timeliness |
17.8 |
51.9 |
22.5 |
6.2 |
1.6 |
| Overall quality |
30.2 |
60.5 |
8.5 |
0 |
0.8 |
| Overall usefulness |
38.8 |
49.6 |
9.3 |
1.6 |
0.8 |
Asia-Pacific in Figures
16. Respondents indicated
that improvements in references to sources of
data and footnotes, timeliness, and coverage
of time series would be welcome. Of subjects
currently covered, national accounts and trade
coverage were emphasized. A few users supported
changes in the physical size of the publication,
but others preferred a reduction in the size.
17. The secretariat notes
that Asia-Pacific in Figures, with its
11 by 21 cm format, is designed to be a pocketbook.
The number of data items that can be included
is constrained by the page size and the font.
Thus, only those items found to be most useful
or which together provide a snapshot of the
economy, and which are available for a reasonable
number of countries, can be included. Existing
data items might be replaced with new ones,
as there is clearly a limit to adding new items.
The importance of footnotes on data sources
is noted, but should be considered with due
regard to the physical constraints of this pocketbook
publication. Users seeking more comprehensive
information may wish to consult other publications
issued by the secretariat.
Statistical Indicators
for Asia and the Pacific
18. Readers of Statistical
Indicators for Asia and the Pacific suggested
possible improvements on population and trade
data. Favoured additions were on poverty, environment
and gender issues, although the secretariat
notes that there is very little information
available on these topics on a quarterly basis.
There were also suggestions to extend the geographical
coverage, which the secretariat has in fact
been steadily pursuing. Including countries
additional to the 28 currently covered in the
publication again depends mainly on the availability
of a reasonable amount of quarterly data.
Statistical Yearbook for
Asia and the Pacific
19. Readers gave this publication
a high rating in terms of overall usefulness
and quality, but it scored poorly on timeliness.
This is partly to be expected because of the
scope and coverage of the publication. The secretariat
notes that many countries in the region are
able to provide official data for the reference
year only during the second half of the following
year. Other aspects worthy of note were length
of time series, sources/footnotes and coverage
of subjects. Suggestions for improvement on
existing subjects showed no clear pattern. The
new topic most frequently mentioned for inclusion
was environment statistics, followed by gender
and poverty issues.
II.
STATISTICAL DEVELOPMENT
20. The Statistics subprogramme
continued to focus on promoting the improvement
of national statistical capabilities to produce
the data required by planners and users in the
public and private sectors. The recent financial
crisis in Asia has underscored the importance
of statistical development and improvement of
the timely availability of relevant statistics
and indicators. To assist countries in statistical
development, the secretariat has been providing
technical assistance through such modalities
as advisory services, technical and expert group
meetings, and training courses and workshops.
The fields of statistics covered include national
accounts, price statistics, population
censuses and surveys, data processing, application
of modern technology, statistics on gender issues
and the informal sector, and environment statistics.
These and other activities promote the exchange
of technical information and country experiences,
contribute to skills development, facilitate
the evolution of regional norms and standards,
and help to incorporate regional concerns into
global standards. These activities also contribute
to the promotion of international statistical
standards. Collaboration and liaison with international
and national statistical agencies are other
important elements in the statistical development
activities of the secretariat, enhancing the
effectiveness and coordination of technical
assistance to the countries. The secretariat
is grateful to donors who have provided financial
and other support for the Statistics subprogramme;
without that support it would not have been
possible to implement operational activities
in statistics.
A.
Regional advisory and expert services
21. In 1997-1998, the regional
advisory services rendered directly from the
secretariat remained mainly in the field of
national accounts; these services are funded
from the United Nations regular programme of
technical cooperation. The ESCAP advisers in
the field of population statistics, attached
to the United Nations Population Fund's country
support teams located in Bangkok, Kathmandu
and Suva, continued to provide advisory services,
mainly by backstopping the country projects.
The adviser on population statistics attached
to the Suva team is due to retire by the end
of 1998, and the recruitment of a new adviser
depends on the decisions of the donor and the
concerned inter-agency task force. There are
indications that the focus of the advisory services
rendered by this post might be shifted, whereby
population censuses and surveys would be among
several other subjects to be handled.
22. Table 3 provides information
on advisory missions undertaken by country/area,
whiletable 4 gives comparative data for statistical
fields covered since 1991. The delivery of advisory
assistance is a function of demand and supply.
Since 1993, the Statistics subprogramme has
had available the services of advisers only
in the fields of national accounts and population
statistics. Since the advisory services in the
area of population statistics are available
under the UNFPA country support team system,
a considerable amount of time is devoted by
the advisers to review and other types of missions,
and attachment activities.
Table
3. Advisory missions and technical consultations
by country or area, July 1996-June 1998
|
Country/area visited |
Field
of assistance |
Other
|
| National
accounts |
Population
statistics |
Data
processing |
Total
|
| Bangladesh |
1 |
3 |
- |
- |
4 |
| Bhutan |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
| Brunei Darussalam |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
| Cambodia |
- |
- |
2 |
- |
2 |
| China |
- |
- |
- |
2 |
2 |
| Democratic People's Republic
of Korea |
-
|
1
|
- |
- |
1 |
| Fiji |
- |
3 |
- |
- |
3 |
| Hong Kong, China |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
| Indonesia |
1 |
- |
3 |
- |
4 |
| Iran (Islamic Republic
of) |
- |
2 |
- |
- |
2 |
| Kyrgyzstan |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
1 |
| Lao People's Democratic
Republic |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
| Maldives |
- |
3 |
- |
- |
3 |
| Marshall Islands |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
| Mongolia |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
| Myanmar |
1 |
- |
5 |
- |
6 |
| Nepal |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
2 |
| Niue |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
| Papua New Guinea |
- |
- |
6 |
- |
6 |
| Philippines |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
| Tajikstan |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
1 |
| Thailand |
4 |
- |
- |
1 |
5 |
| Uzbekistan |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
1 |
| Viet Nam |
- |
2 |
2 |
- |
4 |
|
Total |
12
|
18
|
22
|
3
|
55
|
Table
4. Advisory missions and technical consultations
by broad area of technical assistance, 1991-1992
to 1997-1998
|
Statistical area |
1991-1992 |
1993-1994 |
1995-1996 |
1997-1998a/
|
| National accounts |
18 |
15 |
12 |
9 |
| Population data processing
and database management |
12 |
14 |
18 |
10 |
| Population statistics |
35 |
27 |
30 |
22 |
| Price and related economic
statistics |
1 |
2 |
8 |
1 |
| Environment statistics |
- |
2 |
2 |
- |
| Statistics on gender issues |
- |
3 |
4 |
- |
| Energy statistics |
9 |
- |
- |
- |
| Household surveys |
1 |
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Total |
76 |
63 |
74 |
42 |
a/January
1997-June 1998.
B.
Technical meetings and other group activities
23. Since the tenth session
of the Committee on Statistics, the secretariat
has organized the following group activities
in statistics:
| Technical meeting
|
Date and venue
|
| 1. Third Regional Workshop
for Core Members of National Working Groups
on Gender Statistics |
10-12 December 1996 Bangkok |
| 2. Workshop on Statistics
on the Informal Sector |
12-16 May 1997 Bangkok |
| 3. Seminar on the Use
of International Comparison Programme Data |
16-20 June 1997 Beijing |
| 4. Working Party on the
Application of New Technology to Population
Data, first meeting |
24-26 September 1997 Bangkok |
| 5. Working Group of Statistical
Experts, tenth session |
11-14 November 1997 Bangkok |
| 6. Working Party on the
Application of New Technology to Population
Data, second meeting |
1-3 April 1998 Singapore |
| 7. Joint OECD/ESCAP Meeting
on National Accounts: the 1993 System of
National Accounts Five Years on |
4-8 May 1998 Bangkok |
| 8. Workshop on the Year
2000 (Y2K) Problem in Computers and Strategic
Issues for National Statistical Offices |
18 and 19 June 1998 Bangkok |
| 9. First Workshop on the
Implementation of the 1993 System of National
Accounts |
12-23 October 1998 Bangkok |
24. The secretariat also
provided administrative and other support in
the organization of the courses of SIAP as follows:
| 1. Group Training Course
in Automatic Data Processing for Trainers,
1997, 1998 |
6 May-13 July 1997, Tokyo
5 May-12 July 1998, Tokyo |
| 2. Group Training Course
in Analysis and Interpretation of Statistics,
1997, 1998 |
15 July-21 September 1997,
Tokyo 14 July-19 September 1998, Tokyo |
| 3. Group Training Course
in Practical Statistics |
2 October 1996-21 March
1997, Tokyo 23 September 1997-22 March 1998,
Tokyo |
C.
Profiles and other technical publications
25. A number of technical
publications were produced as part of multi-year
and other projects in statistics implemented
by the Statistics Division:
Women in China: A Country
Profile
Women in Fiji: A Country
Profile
Women in Indonesia: A
Country Profile
Women in the Islamic
Republic of Iran: A Country Profile
Women in Pakistan: A
Country Profile
Women in Samoa: A Country
Profile
Women in Solomon Islands:
A Country Profile
Women in Sri Lanka: A
Country Profile
Women in Thailand: A
Country Profile (reprint)
Women in Vanuatu: A Country
Profile
Accounting and
Valuation of Environment. Vol. 1: A Primer
for Developing Countries
The printing of the Operational Handbook
on Environmental Statistics, which was delayed
because of staff resource constraints, is expected
to proceed shortly.
D.
Public sector computerization
26. Public sector computerization
is a modest activity of the ESCAP secretariat
designed to promote the use of modern information
technology in member and associate member governments.
For historical and organizational reasons, public
sector computerization activities are reported
to the ESCAP Committee on Statistics. The secretariat
has available for the programme planning, implementation
and coordination of these activities the resources
of a P-3 officer and a secretary. However, in
practice, both are contributing also in the
statistical area. In line with the recommendation
of the tenth session of the Committee on Statistics,
the Programme Officer has supported secretariat
activities in statistical information technology
(IT) development, the most significant being
support for the development of ESIS, support
for the UNFPA-funded project on the application
of IT to population data and its Working Party,
the organization of the forthcoming seminar
on the application of IT in national statistical
offices, to be held from 15 to 18 December in
Taejon, Republic of Korea, and the maintenance
of the Statistics Division's Web site. Straddling
the fields of statistics and public sector computerization
have been the secretariat=s
activities in creating awareness about the year
2000 (Y2K) problem (see E/ESCAP/STAT.11/14 for
details).
27. The Government Computerization
Newsletter is published twice a year. A
section was opened in the Statistics Web site
in March 1998 on public sector computerization.
Its current substantive contents are the Newsletter,
links to Web sites on IT as well as IT policies
in the region and beyond, and the secretariats
Y2K activities. For 1999, the secretariat has
secured funding for a seminar on IT management
for senior decision-makers, with the whole government
sector as a target group.
III.
RESOURCE SITUATION
28. The allocation of established
regular budget posts for the Statistics subprogramme
has changed since the tenth session of the Committee.
The division gained an additional Professional
post within the secretariat, but lost one support
(General Service) post through redeployment
and another through post reduction. The comparative
position is as follows:
| |
1996-1997 |
1998-1999
|
| Professional category
|
|
|
| D-1 |
1 |
1 |
| P-5 |
1 |
1 |
| P-4 |
1 |
|
| P-3 |
3 |
3 |
| P-2/P-1 |
2 |
2 |
| Total |
8 |
9 |
| General Service |
15 |
13 |
| Grand total |
23 |
22 |
a/Two
posts as of July 1998.
29. When extrabudgetary staff
are also taken into account, the Professional
and General Service resources within the Statistics
Division as of September 1998 were organized
as follows:
|
Office/section |
Professional |
General Service |
|
RB |
XB |
RB |
XB |
| Office of the Chief
|
1 |
- |
4 |
- |
| Statistics development |
2 |
|
2 |
3.5 |
| Statistical information
services |
2 |
- |
7 |
- |
| Government computerization |
1 |
- |
- |
0.5 |
| Subtotal |
6 |
4 |
13 |
4 |
| Vacancies |
3 |
- |
- |
- |
| Total |
9 |
4 |
13 |
4 |
a/
Country support team advisers and regional adviser
on national accounts.
30. In monetary terms, the
extrabudgetary funding allocations for 1993
to 1998 are detailed below (in United States
dollars):
| |
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 (estimated) |
| Bilateral sources |
530,000 |
792,700 |
601,500 |
579,800 |
546,000 |
347,000 |
| Asian Development
Bank/World Bank |
- |
100,000 |
- |
49,400 |
22,000 |
13,600 |
| United Nations Population
Fund |
199,300 |
471,900 |
421,500 |
502,000 |
584,100 |
600,100 |
| United Nations Fund
for Women/Swedish International Development
Authority |
51,400 |
272,400 |
202,500 |
133,000 |
119,000 |
96,700 |
| Other sources |
2,000 |
2,000 |
2,000 |
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Total |
782,700
|
1,639,000
|
1,227,500
|
1,264,200
|
1,271,100
|
1,057,400
|
After being stable for the previous three years,
extrabudgetary funds fell in 1998 owing to a
reduction in allocations from bilateral sources.
In part, this was a result of the winding down
of two large multi-year projects, but it also
resulted from a deliberate decision by the secretariat
to curtail requests for funding in view of the
shortage of staff to implement extrabudgetary
projects.
31. The personnel resource
situation in the Statistics Division remained
serious over the period since the Committee
last met. Although the freeze on recruitment
in the United Nations was lifted and two posts
were filled (one through internal promotion),
the regular budget Professional vacancy rate
never fell below 25 per cent and averaged 33.7
per cent for the two years ended September 1998,
well above the figure for ESCAP as a whole.
To compound matters, the post of regional adviser
on national accounts was also vacant for several
months during 1997. The fall in human resources
actually deployed on the Statistics subprogramme
can be clearly seen from the bottom line oftable
5, the total work-months delivered falling from
157.50 in 1995 to under 100 in 1997; 1998 should
show a slight improvement.
32. The shortfall in human
resources has inevitably taken its toll on work
programme delivery. The bulk of the vacancies
have been in the statistical information services
area, as can be seen from the dramatic fall
in work-months since 1995 in this field (table
5). Information services output in quantitative
terms has been for the most part sustained through
additional efforts from staff in other areas
and a greater reliance on support personnel.
However, there has been an unavoidable adverse
effect on statistics development work as well
as on intended enhancements in the statistical
information area, including ESIS development.
33. As for the extrabudgetary
resource base in human terms, the regional adviser
on national accounts is expected to be available
throughout the biennium. There have been no
non-reimbursable loan experts available to the
secretariat since the last Committee session.
Of the UNFPA-funded advisers with the subregional
country support teams, two are expected to be
available during the next biennium, although
the composition of the teams is reviewed periodically.
As reported elsewhere, it appears that the third
UNFPA-funded advisory post, in the Suva country
support team, will only be partly devoted to
population statistics from January 1999 onwards.
34. In prospect, therefore,
the overall resource position for the Statistics
subprogramme presents a mixed picture. On the
one hand, the regular budget Professional staff
will shortly be strengthened, which is particularly
encouraging at a time when the total staff strength
of ESCAP is static, at best. On the other hand,
the extrabudgetary human resource base in the
form of advisory services is coming under greater
pressure; the current situation is a far cry
from the 1980s, when ESCAP was regularly able
to field five or six regional advisers at any
one time. It is interesting to note that, in
a number of studies and surveys which have been
conducted over the past two years, statistics
has been ranked by member States at or near
the top of the fields where ESCAP is seen to
have a comparative advantage, and as an area
to which more resources should be devoted; indeed,
this was a major factor in the division's acquisition
of an additional post. At the same time, the
surveys indicate that member States see operational
activities (technical cooperation in the form
of advisory services and other means) as the
single most valuable function being performed
by ESCAP. Over the next few months, the secretariat
will be evaluating how best to deploy and utilize
its resources in order to meet the needs and
aspirations of its members and associate members,
and in this regard the advice and guidance of
the Committee will be fundamental.
Table
5. Professional work-months utilized by broad
function of output activities (RB + XB work-months)
| |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998a/ |
Work-
months |
Percen-tage |
Work-
months |
Percen-tage |
Work-
months |
Percen-tage |
Work-
months |
Percen-tage |
Work-
months |
Percen-tage |
| Advisory and similar
missions (including planning, support, report
writing) |
43.75 |
31.2 |
37.25 |
23.6 |
34.00 |
32.1 |
34.25 |
34.7 < | |
