"Data producers are, sometimes, simply not using the manuals", commented Paolo Garonna, Director of the UNECE Statistical Division. "And we will have difficulties understanding to what extent data are comparable and of good quality".

After the new standards for compiling GDP, known as the 1993 System of National Accounts (SNA 93), was adopted by the Statistical Commission, a number of macroeconomic manuals were developed to support its implementation in the areas of balance of payments, government finance, household accounts, and trade in services to name a few. The manuals are particularly important for enhancing the international comparability of the data and indicators, as well as transferring knowledge among data producers.

At the UN Conference of European Statisticians (Geneva, 11-13 June 2001), discussions were based on a paper contributed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The issues were: promotion of manuals and their accessibility by the users; the need for assessing the relationships among the various manuals; relevance; and mechanisms for surveying customers’ satisfaction.

Over the last decade, international organizations have made substantial advances in methodological work on a number of macroeconomic data sets. However, there are doubts that the macroeconomic manuals have been used consistently by most countries to promote the production of good quality statistics.

While there are 189 UN member countries, less than a dozen have implemented the full set of accounts as recommended by the SNA 93. So far, only 24 countries have been able to produce the ‘minimum requirement data set’. Developing countries in Africa and Latin America still have some way to go before international standards are established. In Africa, only one country out of 53 has produced the ‘minimum set of national accounts data’ as recommended by the Statistical Commission. In Latin America only 3 countries out of 33 in the region have done so. In general, acceptance and implementation of the manuals have been hampered by lack of adequate translations into different languages, as well as slow dissemination.

During the Conference, new initiatives to promote the manuals were agreed: developing a web site to list all manuals; conducting seminars; providing technical assistance and guidance for methodological work on the implementation of the macroeconomic sets of statistics.

In spite of the considerable efforts, there are still gaps in the manuals. Moreover, further research is needed on the nature and evaluation of intangible assets. More guidance is needed on how to value assets, such as originals of films and music recordings, treatment of scientific originals, patents, research and development.

The question has been raised, "do we continue down the current statistical standards path … considering it takes 5-7 years to develop agreed statistical standards, then another 10 years to implement and disseminate the outputs?" asks Paolo Garonna.

The methodology of the SNA 1993 met traditional statistical requirements. As we embrace and try to understand the ‘new economy’, the speed of change means that statistical standards and manuals are often outdated before they are even developed. Paolo Garonna suggests a new approach. "Perhaps a system based on precedents (akin to case law), rather than the current legislative style, is more appropriate. This will provide scope for statistical standards for specific cases. This concept is most applicable when developing statistics for new issues in the policy debate, such as sustainable development, human rights and human security".

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 For more information please contact:

Ms. Lidia Bratanova
Statistical Division
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
Palais des Nations
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

Phone: +41 22 917 17 72
Fax:   +41 22 917 00 40
E-mail:  [email protected]

Ref:  ECE/STAT/01/06