Nyakassi
M.B. Sanyang, the statistician general at The Gambia Bureau of Statistics
(GBoS) has affirmed that the production of high quality statistics depends on
the assessment of data quality. He indicated that without a systematic
assessment of data quality ‘we will risk losing control of the various
statistical processes’.
Sanyang
made these remarks during the recent data quality assessment framework (DQAF)
dissemination workshop held at a local hotel in Kotu on Tuesday.
He
warned that without data quality assessment it would result in assuming that
the processes cannot be further improved and that problems will always be
detected without systematic analysis.
He
informed that during the development of the second National Strategy for the
Development of Statistics (NSDS-II), it clearly came to light that practically,
most institutions in the National Statistics System (NSS) have weak statistics
systems. This, he added, are mostly fragmented resulting in the low profile of
statistics in the official statistics environment.
In order to improve the statistics
environment, the statistician general, said an assessment to identify quality
related features of governance of statistical systems, statistical processes
and statistical products needs to be undertaken.
The
National Statistical System, he went on, improves rapidly with increased data
production for policy and decision making, highlighting the urgent need for
GBoS to develop a DQAF and conduct the data quality assessment (DQA) for key
sectors, including economic and social statistics to ensure data quality.
Josselin
Amalfi, economist and programme manager, Trade and Good Governance at the
European Union office in The Gambia, said National Strategy for Statistics
Development (NSDS) The Gambia expressed the institution’s ambition to fill data
gaps as well as to ensure quality statistics.
“In
fact, good quality data is useful for a variety of stakeholders, policymakers
in government and in the National Assembly, businesses, the media and the
public at large. Poor quality data on the other hand can show decision makers
the wrong way, cannot hold them accountable do not build and sustain economic
activities,” he declared.
Those,
he said, are the reasons why it is essential for The Gambia to have its data
quality assessment framework (DQAF) as a proven tool for statistics producers
and users.
He
noted that a total budget of 2.5 MEUR is available for the implementation of
project, equivalent to 140M GMD, recalling that since October 2018 the European
Union (EU) technical assistant has been supportive and engaging The Gambia
Bureau of Statistics in activities to facilitate the implementation of the
National Statistics Development Strategy.
Sanyang
maintained that similar training was provided to statistics users designed to
increase awareness about official statistics- media, civil society
organisations, private sector, government officials and political leaders.
He
thus encouraged the National Statistical System to continue its effort to have
a quality data that will boost the country’s economy and society.