Statistics

The success of reforms is measurable. Numbers and data show how the advantages of new structures and processes have affected development in a country economically, socially and in civil society. Sustainable policies can only be built on reliable information. But administrative data collection tends to be less advanced in developing and transition countries. This is why such countries in particular need to develop statistical information systems that collect and process the necessary data. Relevant information must also be made available so that national and international experts and executives have a solid foundation that informs the decisions they make in their work. Statistics can indicate the most pressing development policy issues that need to be addressed by cooperative efforts. Furthermore, transparency and access to information and data are key components of good governance.

Developing and transition countries in particular must have the know-how they need to efficiently extract statistical information and render it useful as a basis for sustainable political and economic decisions. This is why Inwent is working together with its partners to develop statistical skills and competence. Inwent’s capacity building programmes are directed at employees from statistical bureaus and at groups that typically use statistical information.

Inwent began offering the "On Measuring Democracy, Governance and Human Rights" programme in 2003. It explores methods and options for using statistical data and information to assess data collection systems, processes of democratisation, and the state of human rights. E-learning components were added to the course in 2007 and it is now held as a blended learning training seminar. The attendance phase in each target country is organised in cooperation with a local partner institution.

The advantages of e-learning via the Inwent Global Campus 21® platform are quite clear. Larger user groups have access to training over longer periods of time since participants need not leave the workplace. They can take part in the seminars right at their desks. In cooperation with the government of Zambia, Inwent is currently offering a six-month programme that combines attendance seminars with virtual learning units. During the programme, participants develop governance indicators for Zambia and improve the capacity for collecting the respective data.